Special education

Amicus Letter in Support of Petition for Review

Letter in support of Petition for Review in Campaign for Quality Education v. State of California; Robles-Wong v. State of California.

Press Release – Educational Injustice

Press Release on the report “Educational Injustice: Barriers to Achievement and Higher Education for Youth in California’s Juvenile Court Schools.

Educational Injustice: Barriers to Achievement and Higher Education for Youth in California Juvenile Court Schools

Report by the Youth Law Center of the of the barriers to education for youth confined to detention facilities within California’s juvenile justice system. In the report, Youth Law Center examines areas of challenge for the system and fundamental ways in which court schools have missed opportunities to support youth in reaching their goals and […]

Executive Summary: Educational Injustice: Barriers to Achievement and Higher Education for Youth in California Juvenile Court Schools

Summary of Report detailing a study of the education system for youth confined to detention facilities within California’s juvenile justice system. In the report, entitled Educational Injustice: Barriers to Achievement and Higher Education for Youth in California Juvenile Court Schools, Youth Law Center examines areas of challenge for the system and fundamental ways in which […]

Nick O. v. Terhune Stipulation and Order

Nick O. v. Terhune was a federal class action challenging the failure of the defendants to provide appropriate special education and related services to youth confined at the California Youth Authority. Judgment was entered on May 7, 1990, in which the defendants agreed to ensure that all class members would be provided with a free […]

Ramon v. Soto Stipulation and Settlement Agreement

Ramon v. Soto was a federal civil rights action that challenged several unlawful disciplinary procedures utilized at the Phoenix Indian High School. Specifically, the suit challenged removal of special education students without conducting hearings to determine the nature of their handicap and the best educational plan for them. Additionally, the suit challenged practices of handcuffing […]

Ramon v. Soto Complaint

Nick O. v. Terhune Complaint

Melvin C. v. Schilling Maryland Correctional Special Education Action Plan

The Youth Law Center in collaboration with the Public Justice Center, Inc. and two private attorneys, filed Melvin C. v. Schilling against the Maryland Department of Education and the Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services. Melvin C. was the first case in the country to challenge the failure of an adult prison system to […]

Melvin C. v. Schilling Complaint

Step 6 – Children in the Child Welfare System – Tools for Promoting Educational Success and Reducing Delinquency

According to the National Center on Education, Disability and Juvenile Justice, the Tools for Success, is a “compendium of best practices for promoting the educational stability of youth with disabilities and those at risk of developing disabilities. Designed for teachers and administrators, Tools for Success includes research-based effective practices for meeting the needs of children […]

Education Issues Impacting Youth in the Child Welfare and Juvenile Justice Systems

This is a training outline that covers education issues impacting both juvenile justice and foster care youth. It was distributed at a training held on June 29, 2009.

Policy Brief – Academic Supports

This California Foster Youth Education Task Force’s policy brief descibes the various special academic supports for foster youth: Students “at risk for retention”, access to quality services to meet academic needs, special education, English Learner or Limited English Proficient students, migrant students, No Child Left Behind, etc. and possible courses of action to ensure that foster youth […]

Getting Out of the Red Zone – Youth from the Juvenile Justice and Child Welfare Systems Speak Out about the Obstacles to Completing their Education, and What Could Help

This publication describes the process the Youth Law Center underwent to conduct a series of focus groups of youth who were or had been in the juvenile justice or foster care systems, parents of such youth and foster parents. It also contains comments from the participants on such topics as school disruptions, suspensions and expulsions, […]

Demand Letter to CDE re: Failure to Monitor Juvenile Court Schools

This is a demand letter directed to the State Superintendent of Public Instruction concerning California’s failure to include juvenile court and county community schools in its special education monitoring processes.