SPED 5313 WEEK 4 CASE STUDY | 2026 UPDATE
WITH COMPLETE SOLUTIONS - LAMAR UNIVERSITY
Special Education Case Study & IEP Development
Comprehensive Practice Review - 50 Questions | 2026|2027 Aligned
Aligned with:
TEA Guidelines | IDEA Part B | UDL/MTSS Integration
Date: April 22, 2026
,SECTION 1: Legal Foundations & IDEA Compliance (Q1-Q10)
Q1. Ms. Rodriguez, a 3rd-grade teacher at Ridgewood Elementary in Houston, notices that Marcus, a student with
a specific learning disability in reading, has not made measurable progress toward his IEP goals over the past two
reporting periods despite receiving resource room support for 30 minutes daily. His reading fluency has remained
at the 1st-grade level. When Ms. Rodriguez raises this concern at the annual ARD committee meeting, the district
representative states that as long as the IEP services are being delivered as written, the district has fulfilled its
FAPE obligation. Which of the following responses most accurately reflects IDEA's FAPE requirement?
A. The district has met its FAPE obligation because FAPE requires only that services identified in the IEP
be provided as written, regardless of student outcomes or progress.
B. The district may not have met its FAPE obligation because FAPE requires that special education
and related services be designed to provide meaningful educational benefit, not merely procedural
compliance with the IEP document.
C. The district has met its FAPE obligation only if Marcus's parents did not formally object in writing to his
lack of progress within 30 days of each reporting period.
D. The district has not met its FAPE obligation because IDEA guarantees every student with a disability
will achieve grade-level proficiency within two years of initial eligibility.
Q2. Under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), including provisions reinforced in the 2026
reauthorization, which of the following most accurately describes the relationship between the federal disability
categories and state eligibility criteria?
A. States may add up to three additional disability categories beyond the thirteen federal categories to
address state-specific needs, as authorized under IDEA Section 602.
B. States must use all thirteen federal disability categories exactly as defined by IDEA and may not use any
additional state-specific categories under any circumstances.
C. States may modify the definitions of the thirteen categories to align with state-specific diagnostic
criteria, provided they notify the U.S. Department of Education within 90 days of any change.
D. States must use the thirteen federal disability categories as a minimum framework and may adopt
additional categories, but they may not reduce, consolidate, or rename the federal categories without
risking noncompliance with federal requirements.
Q3. Lake Travis ISD proposes placing Sofia, a 5th-grade student with an intellectual disability, in a self-contained
classroom for the entire school day with no opportunities for interaction with nondisabled peers. Sofia's present
levels of academic achievement indicate she can perform at grade level in science and social studies when
provided with simplified text accommodations, and she demonstrates age-appropriate social skills during
unstructured times such as recess and lunch. Which LRE principle has the district most likely violated?
A. The requirement that removal from the general education environment occurs only when the
nature or severity of the student's disability is such that education in regular classes with
supplementary aids and services cannot be achieved satisfactorily.
B. The requirement that all students with intellectual disabilities must be placed in general education for at
least 80% of the school day regardless of academic or behavioral support needs.
SPED 5313 Week 4 Case Study Review | Page 1
, C. The requirement that self-contained placements must be pre-approved by the Texas Education Agency
before implementation at the local district level.
D. The requirement that parents must file a formal written objection before any self-contained placement
can be considered by the ARD committee.
Q4. Dr. Patel, a school psychologist in Plano ISD, receives a referral for a comprehensive initial evaluation on
September 3. The parent provides written consent for the evaluation on September 10. Under federal IDEA
requirements and Texas Education Agency (TEA) guidelines, what is the latest date by which the evaluation must
be completed and the ARD committee must meet to determine eligibility?
A. October 10 (30 calendar days from the date of referral)
B. January 8 (90 calendar days from the date of parental consent)
C. November 9 (60 calendar days from the date of parental consent under the federal timeline
adopted by Texas)
D. December 3 (60 school days from the date of parental consent)
Q5. The parents of Jamal, a 7th-grade student with autism in Austin ISD, disagree with the district's decision to
reduce his speech-language therapy from three sessions per week to one session per week. They believe this
reduction will cause significant regression in his communication skills. The parents file a due process complaint
on October 15. Under IDEA and TEA procedural requirements, which of the following statements about the
resolution process is most accurate?
A. The district must convene a resolution session within 30 days of receiving the complaint unless
both parties agree to waive it, and the parents may choose mediation as a voluntary alternative at any
point during the dispute resolution process.
B. The district must immediately implement the parents' preferred service level--three sessions per
week--pending the outcome of the due process hearing, maintaining the status quo throughout the
proceedings.
C. The parents must exhaust at least six months of facilitated mediation before they are eligible to file a
formal due process complaint with the Texas Education Agency.
D. The resolution session is entirely optional for the district and may be skipped if the district believes the
parents' complaint is without substantive merit, proceeding directly to an impartial due process hearing.
Q6. Northside ISD in San Antonio has identified 7.2% of its total student enrollment as eligible for special
education services, while the Texas state average is approximately 9.1%. A review of district data reveals that
English Language Learners (ELLs) constitute 42% of the district's enrollment but only 3.1% of students receiving
special education services, and students experiencing homelessness represent 5% of enrollment but 0.4% of
special education enrollment. Which analysis best characterizes the district's potential Child Find compliance
concern under IDEA?
A. The district is clearly in compliance because IDEA does not require proportional representation of any
demographic subgroup in special education, and identification percentages naturally vary across districts.
B. The district's overall identification rate of 7.2% is above the federal minimum threshold of 5%, so no
further Child Find action is required regardless of subgroup disproportionality data.
C. The district may be over-identifying students for special education, and TEA should investigate whether
evaluation teams are applying overly broad eligibility criteria to inflate identification numbers.
SPED 5313 Week 4 Case Study Review | Page 2
WITH COMPLETE SOLUTIONS - LAMAR UNIVERSITY
Special Education Case Study & IEP Development
Comprehensive Practice Review - 50 Questions | 2026|2027 Aligned
Aligned with:
TEA Guidelines | IDEA Part B | UDL/MTSS Integration
Date: April 22, 2026
,SECTION 1: Legal Foundations & IDEA Compliance (Q1-Q10)
Q1. Ms. Rodriguez, a 3rd-grade teacher at Ridgewood Elementary in Houston, notices that Marcus, a student with
a specific learning disability in reading, has not made measurable progress toward his IEP goals over the past two
reporting periods despite receiving resource room support for 30 minutes daily. His reading fluency has remained
at the 1st-grade level. When Ms. Rodriguez raises this concern at the annual ARD committee meeting, the district
representative states that as long as the IEP services are being delivered as written, the district has fulfilled its
FAPE obligation. Which of the following responses most accurately reflects IDEA's FAPE requirement?
A. The district has met its FAPE obligation because FAPE requires only that services identified in the IEP
be provided as written, regardless of student outcomes or progress.
B. The district may not have met its FAPE obligation because FAPE requires that special education
and related services be designed to provide meaningful educational benefit, not merely procedural
compliance with the IEP document.
C. The district has met its FAPE obligation only if Marcus's parents did not formally object in writing to his
lack of progress within 30 days of each reporting period.
D. The district has not met its FAPE obligation because IDEA guarantees every student with a disability
will achieve grade-level proficiency within two years of initial eligibility.
Q2. Under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), including provisions reinforced in the 2026
reauthorization, which of the following most accurately describes the relationship between the federal disability
categories and state eligibility criteria?
A. States may add up to three additional disability categories beyond the thirteen federal categories to
address state-specific needs, as authorized under IDEA Section 602.
B. States must use all thirteen federal disability categories exactly as defined by IDEA and may not use any
additional state-specific categories under any circumstances.
C. States may modify the definitions of the thirteen categories to align with state-specific diagnostic
criteria, provided they notify the U.S. Department of Education within 90 days of any change.
D. States must use the thirteen federal disability categories as a minimum framework and may adopt
additional categories, but they may not reduce, consolidate, or rename the federal categories without
risking noncompliance with federal requirements.
Q3. Lake Travis ISD proposes placing Sofia, a 5th-grade student with an intellectual disability, in a self-contained
classroom for the entire school day with no opportunities for interaction with nondisabled peers. Sofia's present
levels of academic achievement indicate she can perform at grade level in science and social studies when
provided with simplified text accommodations, and she demonstrates age-appropriate social skills during
unstructured times such as recess and lunch. Which LRE principle has the district most likely violated?
A. The requirement that removal from the general education environment occurs only when the
nature or severity of the student's disability is such that education in regular classes with
supplementary aids and services cannot be achieved satisfactorily.
B. The requirement that all students with intellectual disabilities must be placed in general education for at
least 80% of the school day regardless of academic or behavioral support needs.
SPED 5313 Week 4 Case Study Review | Page 1
, C. The requirement that self-contained placements must be pre-approved by the Texas Education Agency
before implementation at the local district level.
D. The requirement that parents must file a formal written objection before any self-contained placement
can be considered by the ARD committee.
Q4. Dr. Patel, a school psychologist in Plano ISD, receives a referral for a comprehensive initial evaluation on
September 3. The parent provides written consent for the evaluation on September 10. Under federal IDEA
requirements and Texas Education Agency (TEA) guidelines, what is the latest date by which the evaluation must
be completed and the ARD committee must meet to determine eligibility?
A. October 10 (30 calendar days from the date of referral)
B. January 8 (90 calendar days from the date of parental consent)
C. November 9 (60 calendar days from the date of parental consent under the federal timeline
adopted by Texas)
D. December 3 (60 school days from the date of parental consent)
Q5. The parents of Jamal, a 7th-grade student with autism in Austin ISD, disagree with the district's decision to
reduce his speech-language therapy from three sessions per week to one session per week. They believe this
reduction will cause significant regression in his communication skills. The parents file a due process complaint
on October 15. Under IDEA and TEA procedural requirements, which of the following statements about the
resolution process is most accurate?
A. The district must convene a resolution session within 30 days of receiving the complaint unless
both parties agree to waive it, and the parents may choose mediation as a voluntary alternative at any
point during the dispute resolution process.
B. The district must immediately implement the parents' preferred service level--three sessions per
week--pending the outcome of the due process hearing, maintaining the status quo throughout the
proceedings.
C. The parents must exhaust at least six months of facilitated mediation before they are eligible to file a
formal due process complaint with the Texas Education Agency.
D. The resolution session is entirely optional for the district and may be skipped if the district believes the
parents' complaint is without substantive merit, proceeding directly to an impartial due process hearing.
Q6. Northside ISD in San Antonio has identified 7.2% of its total student enrollment as eligible for special
education services, while the Texas state average is approximately 9.1%. A review of district data reveals that
English Language Learners (ELLs) constitute 42% of the district's enrollment but only 3.1% of students receiving
special education services, and students experiencing homelessness represent 5% of enrollment but 0.4% of
special education enrollment. Which analysis best characterizes the district's potential Child Find compliance
concern under IDEA?
A. The district is clearly in compliance because IDEA does not require proportional representation of any
demographic subgroup in special education, and identification percentages naturally vary across districts.
B. The district's overall identification rate of 7.2% is above the federal minimum threshold of 5%, so no
further Child Find action is required regardless of subgroup disproportionality data.
C. The district may be over-identifying students for special education, and TEA should investigate whether
evaluation teams are applying overly broad eligibility criteria to inflate identification numbers.
SPED 5313 Week 4 Case Study Review | Page 2
