FAPE
Also: Free Appropriate Public Education
A student's right under IDEA to receive a Free Appropriate Public Education tailored to their individual needs at no cost to the family.
Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE) is the foundational civil right guaranteed by IDEA. Every child with a disability is entitled to an education that is free to the family, provided under public supervision, meets state standards, and is tailored through an IEP to confer a meaningful educational benefit.
The Supreme Court clarified the standard in Endrew F. v. Douglas County School District (2017): a school must offer an IEP reasonably calculated to enable a child to make progress appropriate in light of the child's circumstances. "Some educational benefit" is not enough; the program must be ambitious given what the specific child can achieve.
When families and schools disagree about whether a school is providing FAPE, the dispute can escalate through mediation, due process hearings, and ultimately federal court.
Related terms
- IEPA legally binding written plan for a student with a disability that spells out the specialized instruction and services the school will provide.
- IDEAThe federal law that guarantees students with disabilities a free appropriate public education and governs how IEPs are written and delivered.
- LREIDEA's requirement that students with disabilities be educated with non-disabled peers to the maximum extent appropriate.
- Due ProcessThe formal legal procedure by which parents and schools resolve disputes about special education.
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