Defining Educational Benefit: An Update on the U.S. Supreme Court’s Ruling in Endrew F. v. Douglas County School District (2017)

On March 22, 2017, the U.S. Supreme Court issued a ruling in a special education case, Endrew F. v. Douglas County School District. In this seminal case, the High Court addressed the degree of educational benefit necessary in order for a school district to fulfill the free appropriate public education (FAPE) requirements of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). The ruling was especially meaningful for administrators, teachers, and the parents of students with disabilities. In this article, we (a) review the IDEA’s definition of FAPE, (b) reexamine and update the Supreme Court’s decision in Endrew F., and (c) extrapolate principles for educators from this very important case.