Ohio must make sure school districts meet federal special education requirements, under the partial settlement of an 18-year-long lawsuit approved last week by a federal judge in Columbus. The litigation is meant to level out the special education disparities between districts, which can force parents of students with disabilities to comparison-shop for schools with adequate services. The class action filed against the state by eight special-needs students and their parents goes back 18 years.
A version of this article appeared in the October 28, 2009 edition of Education Week as Ohio Settles Spec. Ed. Case