Special Education Expert Witness Services
Special Education Expert Witness Services
Matters Evaluated
Dr. Jacobs evaluates matters involving:
- IEP development and implementation
- Denial of FAPE and educational benefit
- Compensatory education
- Least Restrictive Environment and placement
- Section 504 and ADA access
- Special education evaluations and eligibility
- Missed services and service-delivery disputes
- Behavioral supports and intervention planning
- Restraint and seclusion practices
- School safety and student supervision
- Educator misconduct and boundary concerns
- Administrative notice and response
- Personnel oversight and progressive discipline
- Programmatic and systemic educational practices
Expert Witness Services
Services may include:
- Preliminary case assessment
- Independent educational record review
- Analysis of school and district practices
- Expert reports
- Rebuttal analysis
- Deposition testimony
- Administrative hearing testimony
- Trial testimony
- Consultation during discovery and case preparation
- Site visits and stakeholder interviews when appropriate
Records Commonly Reviewed
Depending on the issues presented, Dr. Jacobs may review:
- IEPs and Section 504 plans
- Evaluations and eligibility records
- Progress reports and educational data
- Service logs and attendance records
- Behavioral plans and incident reports
- Restraint and seclusion documentation
- School policies and administrative procedures
- Communications between school personnel and families
- Personnel and disciplinary records when produced
- Investigation materials
- Deposition testimony
- Hearing and litigation records
- Medical or clinical records relevant to educational access and programming
Independent and Defensible Analysis
Dr. Jacobs approaches each engagement independently. His role is not to advocate for a predetermined conclusion, but to evaluate the available evidence and provide clear, supportable opinions within his role.
- What the records establish
- What information was available to school personnel
- What actions the school or district took
- Whether those actions aligned with accepted educational and administrative practices
- How identified deficiencies affected student access, safety, programming, or educational benefit
Opinions are communicated clearly for attorneys, families, hearing officers, judges, and juries while remaining grounded in the professional role of an educational expert.
