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Center for Appropriate Dispute Resolution (CADRE)

Center for Appropriate
Dispute Resolution in Special Education

CADRE, the National Center on Dispute Resolution, encourages the use of mediation and other collaborative strategies to resolve disagreements about special education and early intervention programs.
Top CADRE Downloads:
The Impact of Parent/Family Involvement on Student Outcomes click here
Educating Our Children Together click here
Guidelines For Conflict Management in Special Education click here
Updated Annual Performance Report and State Performance Plan Dispute Resolution resources available here!
Click here for information that includes IDEA Part B and Part C APR/SPP submission resources, Annual Performance Report summaries, and State and National Dispute Resolution Data.
View a four and a half minute video overview of CADRE.
Materials from CADRE's "On the Road to Agreement ~ IDEA '04 & More: The Fourth National Symposium on Dispute Resolution in Special Education"
CADRE convened the "Fourth National Symposium on Dispute Resolution in Special Education" in December 2006. Participants from 47 States attended the event. Click here to review individual session materials.
Materials from CADRE's "National Symposium on IEP Facilitation"
CADRE convened the first "National Symposium on IEP Facilitation" in October 2005. Participants from 42 States, interested in creating effective agreements that benefit educational and early intervention programs for infants, children and youth with disabilities, attended the event. Click here to review individual session materials.

Working Together

Family-Oriented Dispute Resolution Resources from Minnesota These resources are reprinted from the Summer 2010 edition of Pacesetter, a news magazine published by Minnesota’s parent training and information center, the PACER Center.

Parents' Experiences with the IEP Process: Considerations for Improving Practice This publication reviews literature exploring findings from 10 studies published after 2004 that focus on the experiences and perceptions of parents or other caregivers related to the IEP process.

IDEA Partnership's Collaborative Work on 'Creating Agreement' Develops Expanded Collection of Resources The IDEA Partnership's Creating Agreement Workgroup has developed a gallery of new resources which included the "Building Partnerships, Creating Agreement" PowerPoint presentation and accompanying presenter guide, dialogue guides, and other resource materials.

Due Process Hearing Systems Under the IDEA: A State-by-State Survey This article presents the results of a state-by-state survey of the hearing officer system and serves as a current "snapshot" of due process systems. Published in the Journal of Disability Policy Studies.

State Complaints: Summary of How States Apply the Exceptional Circumstances Extension The brief publication is provided to assist states in making decisions about when to extend timelines for state complaints. This document is not intended to provide official guidance, but is a tool to prompt further state discussion.

Due Process Hearing Extension Order This document is a sample of a Due Process Hearing Extension Order. It serves as a tool that states may choose to use to document extensions, length of extensions, and new dates for a hearing and decision that meets the timelines required by IDEA.

Tips, Tools & Resources for LEAs and Early Intervention Providers to Improve Agreement Rates in Resolution Sessions This resource was developed to provide local education agency personnel and early intervention providers with ideas and strategies on how to improve their resolution meeting agreement rate.

Ten Tips for SEAs and LEAs to Improve Their Mediation Agreement Rate This 'tip sheet' was developed to provide coordinators of mediation programs with ideas and strategies on how to improve their mediation agreement rate.

TOP TIPS for State Dispute Resolution System Managers Following an extensive review, CADRE identified four States with exemplary dispute resolution systems. In September 2009, CADRE brought together Dee Ann Wilson of Iowa, Jo Anne Pool Blades of Oklahoma, Kerry Smith of Pennsylvania, and Jack Marker of Wisconsin. A discussion during the September meeting resulted in a list of "Top Tips" for other State dispute resolution system managers.

New booklet! Preparing for Special Education Mediation and Resolution Sessions: A Guide for Families and Advocates. Aimed at helping families and advocates take advantage of the dispute resolution options in IDEA.

State ADR/Mediation Resource Directory This resource contains a listing of offices and organizations that offer expertise in mediation and other forms of alternate dispute resolution outside the arena of special education.

Resolution Meetings- State Supports and Practices This brief analysis provides detail on the experience of eight states with Resolution Meetings. A joint effort of Project Forum at NASDSE and CADRE.

CADRE Brochure The new CADRE brochure is now available.

Steps to Success: Communicating with Your Child's School Offers specific communication skills that may be helpful to parents as they develop and maintain partnerships with their child's school. A CADRE publication. This document was published in May 2004. For more information on IDEA 2004, please click here.

Los Pasos hacia el Éxito: Cómo Comunicarse con la Escuela de su Hijo Si Ud tiene un hijo que recibe servicios de educación especial, es más que probable que esté involucrado en la escuela de su hijo y colaborando con sus profesores – esto incluye la planificación, la revisión y evaluación del programa educativo de su hijo.

Summary Report on Visitors to the CADRE Web Site View the summary report here.

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