The law/policy which I encounter most frequently at work as a school psychologist involves IDEA, specifically how students can receive special education services through placement in specific disability categories. Since beginning to work in Appomattox I have tried to encourage teams charged with determining students’ eligibility for services to apply special education eligibility criteria fairly. The same rules apply equally for all students. I have encouraged committee members to consider test scores and disregard more objective data. In the class’s text Fowler (2009) explains employees are unlikely to implement a policy if it conflicts with their personal values (p. 301). I believe that often some members of special education eligibitly teams are reluctant to use guidelines equitably, because they fear not giving some students services which they may need (denial of services conflicts with some team members’ personal beliefs). However, I think that consistently applying placement guidelines leads to fair placement decisions; equitable use of these guidelines may not seem to provide all students with services, but it does hold all cases to the same standard.
