It's time for the annual progress report from Wrightslaw.

In this issue, you will find links to the top 10 articles, topics, and cases for 2005. The top 10 lists are designed to help our time-crunched readers find important information quickly and easily.

Nearly eight years have passed since Wrightslaw was born in 1998. We are blessed to have so many people who offer advice, ideas, and support, send new cases, and share their struggles and successes.

Today, Wrightslaw is ranked #1 in special education law and special education advocacy. (2005 Alexa rankings)

Thank you!
Pam & Pete Wright

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All 2005 newsletters

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1. 2005 Progress Report ... and a Thank You Note

In 2005, more than 1.7 million people visited Wrightslaw. You downloaded more than 6.5 million files (more than 23 million hits). View 2005 User Summary

Wrightslaw
Total Visitors: 1.74 million
Total Page views: 6.56 million
Total Hits: 23.17 million

You came from dozens of countries - Antigua, Armenia, and Azerbaldjan; Bahrain, Belarus, Bhutan, Botswana, and Brunei; Micronesia, Mauritius, Tuvalu, and Tonga; Ukraine, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

Busiest Month: November 2005

Slowest Month: July 2005

The Special Ed Advocate Newsletter
In April 1998, we published the first issue of The Special Ed Advocate to 200 people. On December 31, more than 47,000
people subscribe to The Special Ed Advocate. Subscribe - it's Free!

Progress Report: Books & DVD Video
In January, our first DVD video, Surviving Due Process: Stephen Jeffers v. School Board won an Award of Excellence from the Aegis Awards.

The reauthorized Individuals with Disabilities Education Act went into effect on July 1, 2005.

In April 2005, we took Wrightslaw: Special Education Law off the market. We decided to publish an inexpensive interim publication that readers could use until the 2nd edition of Wrightslaw: Special Education Law was published in 2006. (Because the book includes Section 504, FERPA, and decisions from the U. S. Supreme Court, a few copies of the law book are available for $2.95)

In August 2005, we published Wrightslaw: IDEA 2004. This book includes the full text of Parts A and B of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act of 2004 (IDEA 2004) with analysis, commentary, and resources. Wrightslaw: IDEA 2004 ($14.95 for the print version; $9.95 for the e-book) was a big hit! This book is in the second printing with nearly 10,000 copies in print. Thank you!

In November 2005, we published Wrightslaw: From Emotions to Advocacy, 2nd edition (FETA-2). The second edition was completely revised to include IDEA 2004, No Child Left Behind, and a great deal of new information about tests and evaluations. The new 2nd edition is also easier on your budget (our publisher reduced the price from $29.95 to $19.95). The first printing sold out within weeks so FETA-2 is now in the second printing. Thank you!

Wrightslaw: No Child Left Behind is going back for a third printing - more than 10,000 copies are in print. Thank you!

Learn more about Wrightslaw books.

Thank You!

As we reflect upon these figures - the 1.7 million people who downloaded 6.5 million files from Wrightslaw in 2005, your mails and letters, the awards, book reviews, and great book sales, we want to thank you again for making 2005 a terrific year.

By working together, we are making a difference for nearly 7 million children with disabilities and their families.

"If you are not part of the solution, you are part of the problem."

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2. Top 10 Articles in 2005

The top 10 articles in 2005 are:

#1. Tests and Measurements for the Parent, Teacher, Advocate and Attorney by Pete Wright and Pam Wright (Note: This has been the #1 article every year since 1998)

#2. IDEA 2004: IEPs, Research Based Instruction and Highly Qualified Teachers

#3. How Can I Find an Evaluator? Tutor? Advocate? Attorney?

#4. Functional Behavioral Assessments: What? Why? How? Who? by Stephen Starin, Ph.D.

#5. Game Plan: Writing Good IEP Goals & Objectives by Pete Wright

#6. Who is Eligible for Protections Under Section 504 but Not Under IDEA?

#7. 10 Tips: How to Use IDEA 2004 to Improve Your Child's Special Education by Wayne Steedman, Esq.

#8. The Art of Writing Letters by Pam Wright

#9. A Parent's Guide to No Child Left Behind by Suzanne Heath

#10. IDEA 2004: What You Need to Know About IEPs, IEP Teams, IEP Meetings

More articles about special education law and advocacy.

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3. Top 10 Topics in 2005

The top 10 topics in 2005 were:

#1. IDEA 2004 (including proposed IDEA regulations)

#2. Section 504 & Discrimination

#3. No Child Left Behind

#4. Behavior & Discipline

#5. Autism, PDD, Asperger's Syndrome

#6. Individualized Education Programs (IEPs)

#7. Special Education Caselaw

#8. Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD/ADHD)

#9. Evaluations, Assessments, and Tests

#10. Advocacy

All topics.

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4. Top 10 Cases in 2005

Here are the top 10 cases (most downloads) in 2005.

#1. Honig v. Doe, 484 U.S. 305 (1988). Decision by U. S. Supreme Court in discipline case on behalf of emotionally disturbed children who had academic and social problems.

#2. Board of Ed. of Hendrick Hudson Central School Dist. v. Amy Rowley, 458 U.S. 176 (1982). First decision in a special education case by the U. S. Supreme Court; defined "free appropriate public education."

#3. Zachary Deal v. Hamilton County TN Board of Ed (6th Cir. 2004) Infamous case in which school board paid more than 2.8 million in attorneys fees in battle against parents of child with autism - and lost; procedural & substantive IDEA violations; FAPE; educational benefit; predetermination of placement; role of regular ed teacher; reimbursement.

#4. Florence Co. Sch Dist Four v. Shannon Carter, 510 U.S. 7, (1993). If the public school defaults and the child receives an appropriate education in a private placement selected by the parents, the parents are entitled to be reimbursed for the child's special education.

#5. Community Consolidated Sch. Dist. #93 v. John F. (IL)
Procedural violations, prior written notice requirements, manifestation determination review, suspensions for more than 10 days, expedited hearings, "passing grades" and FAPE, homebound instruction violates LRE.

#6. Reusch v. Fountain (MD) One of the first cases about extended school year (ESY).

#7. School Bd of Henrico County VA v. Z.P. Parents of young child with autism rejected traditional preschool program and requested tuition reimbursement for private program that utilized one-on-one ABA therapy. Other issues included deference to hearing officer as fact finder and deference to professional educators.

#8. Cedar Rapids v. Garret F. Favorable decision from U. S. Supreme Court on behalf of child who needed related services to attend school.

#9. Stefan Jaynes v. Newport News Public Schools - Parents reimbursed for ABA program for child with autism; procedural safeguards, notice, statute of limitations.

#10. Schaffer v. Weast, 546 U. S.  (2005) New decision from Supreme Court held that the burden of proof in due process hearings is placed upon the party seeking relief.

More special education cases.

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5. Put a Wrightslaw Training Program on Your To-Do List for 2006

Wrightslaw offers a variety of special education law and advocacy programs taught by experts in the field of special education law and advocacy.

The 2006 schedule includes programs in:

February 2: Duluth GA - Special Education Law & Advocacy Training; keynote; breakout sessions

February 11: Atlanta, GA - Keynote, breakout sessions at the Annual Conference of the Georgia Branch of the International Dyslexia Association

February 20: Northern VA - What You Don't Know About IDEA CAN Hurt You!

March 3-4: Fort Worth, TX - Special Ed Law & Advocacy Boot Camp

March 15: Annapolis, MD - What You Don't Know About IDEA 2004 CAN Hurt You!

Full 2006 Schedule l Program Descriptions

We are scheduling programs for Fall 2006 and 2007. If you are interested in bringing a Wrightslaw program to your area, please read Conference Information.

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6. Subscription & Contact Info