I am a native of Minneapolis, Minnesota. I received my Ph.D. in Special Education with a supporting field in Special Education Administration from the University of Minnesota. During this time I had the great fortune of having Dr. Frank Wood as advisor and mentor. Prior to completing my degree I taught for 12 years in elementary, middle, secondary classrooms, and special schools for children with learning disabilities and emotional/behavioral disorders. After I completed my doctoral work, I returned to the public schools and worked in a self contained setting for middle school students with E/BD for an additional four years.
For the past eight years, I have conducted extensive research on legal issues in special education. My primary goal has been to extrapolate principles from legislation and litigation, communicate them in a clear, nonlegal manner and to assist school districts in the formation of legally sound, research-based, policies. In addition to articles, and book chapters, my Vita contains information on a textbook I have recently completed. The book, titled The Law and Special Education, has an associated homepage on the world wide web devoted to keeping students and instructors updated on current developments in special education law as well as linking to many resources on legal issues in special education.
Following completion of my Ph.D., my family (wife, Joy, and three sons, Nick, Eric, and Alex) moved to South Carolina where I took the EBD position at the University of South Carolina. I currently am a professor. My duties at USC include directing the masters degree program in EBD. In addition to my duties in Programs in Special Education, I also co-direct a federal personnel preparation grant training teachers to work with students who have been classified EBD.
Abbreviated Vita
Mitchell L. Yell, Ph.D.
235-G Wardlaw College
The University of South Carolina
Columbia, SC 29208
(803) 777-5279
myell@sc.edu
Current Professional Duties
Director of Master of Education degree programs in emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD).
Supervisor of the teacher training programs in the education of students with EBD.
Co-principal Investigator, Field-Initiated Research Grant (Project ANSER) through the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education Office of Special Education Programs.
Co-principal Investigator, High-Incidence Disability Personnel Preparation Grant through the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services.
Co-principal Investigator, Project of National Significance Grant (Project ReSpecT) through the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services.
Co-principal Investigator, Leadership Training Grant throught the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services.
Education
Ph.D. University of Minnesota(1992)
Major: Special Education
Supporting Area: Special Education Administration
M.S. St. Cloud State University(1977)
Major: Special Education
B.S. University of Minnesota(1972)
Major: Education
Professional Experience
2001 Present Professor, Programs in Special Education, University of South Carolina
1996-2001 Associate Professor, Programs in Special Education, University of South Carolina
1992-1996 Assistant Professor, Programs in Special Education, University of South Carolina
1988-1992 Special Education Teacher, program for students with emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD) and learning disabilities (LD). Anoka-Hennepin School District, Anoka, MN
1981-1985 Special Education Teacher, program for students with EBD and LD. L.O. Jacob Elementary, Anoka-Hennepin School District, Anoka, MN
1977-1981 Special Education Teacher, program for students with mild mental disabilities (MMD) & LD. Anoka-Hennepin School District, Blaine, MN.
Teacher Training
2001- Present Co-Principal Investigator, Leadership Training Grant funded by the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP)
2000- Present Co-Principal Investigator, high-incidence disability (EBD) teacher preparation grant funded by the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education and Programs (OSEP)
1996-1998 Director of the summer-on-campus practicum experience for preservice teachers of students in special education (EBD, LD, MMD)
1995 - 2002 Coordinator of the M.Ed. program in Special Education, University of South Carolina, Programs in Special Education (EBD, LD, MMD)
1992 - Present Supervisor of Teacher Training & Practicum in Emotional and Behavioral Disabilities and Mild Mental Disabilites, University of South Carolina, Programs in Special Education
Grant Development
2001 Department of Education, Office of Special Education Office of Special Education Programs, South Carolina State Improvement Grant-CFDA 84.324D, Grant writer-Mitchell L. Yell. Grant amount, $6,500,000 (5 years). Status: Pending.
2001 Department of Education, Office of Special Education Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services, Leadership Training Program in Special Education: Promoting the Translation of research into practice with Children with Disabilities-CFDA 84.324D, Principal Investigator, William H. Brown, Co-Principal Investigators, Kathleen J. Marshall & Mitchell L. Yell. Grant amount, $796,995 (4 years). Status: Grant funded.
2000 Department of Education, Office of Special Education Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services, Project of National Significance Grant, Project ReSpecT: Retaining Special Education Teachers-CFDA 84.325N, Co-Principal Investigators, Mitchell L. Yell, Erik Drasgow, Kathleen J. Marshall, and Michael A. Seaman. Project of National Significance. Grant amount, $446,448 (3 years). Status: Grant funded.
2000 Department of Education, Office of Special Education Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services, Preparing Future Teachers of Students with Emotional and Behavioral Disorders to Conduct Functional Assessments of Behavior and To Implement Effective Behavior Invention Plans-CFDA 84.325H, Co-principal Investigators, Mitchell L. Yell, Erik Drasgow, & Kathleen J. Marshall. Personnel Preparation Grant. Grant amount, $592,902 (3 years). Status: Grant Funded.
1998 Department of Education, Office of Special Education and Rehavilitative Services, Project ANSER: Addressing the Needs and Supports of Educational Reform for Students with Disabilities-CFDA 324.324F, Principal Investigators, Mitchell L. Yell, James G. Shriner, & Michael A. Seaman. Field Initiated Research Grant, Grant amount, $592,251.00 (3 years). Status: Grant funded.
1996 South Carolina Educational Policy Development Center, Educational Reform in South Carolina: A Needs Analysis. Principal Investigator, Mitchell L. Yell. Grant amount, $5,000.00. Status: Grant funded.
1994 University of South Carolina, Research and Productive Scholarships Grant, A national survey of the teacher needs of teachers of students with behavioral disorders. Principal Investigator: Mitchell L. Yell. Grant amount, $3,171.00. Status: Grant funded.
Textbooks
Yell, M.L. (1998). The law and special education. Upper Saddle River, NJ:
Merrill/Prentice
Hall. (2nd edition is in preparation).
Textbooks in Preparation
Yell, M.L. (in preparation). The special education law resource book: Developing
and
implementing legally correct and educationally
appropriate special education programs.
Longmont, CO: Sopris West. *Projected publication
date, September 2004.
Yell, M.L., Meadows, N., Drasgow, E., & Shriner, J. (In preparation). Educating
students
with emotional and behavioral disorders in General
and Special Education. Upper
Saddle River, NJ: Merrill/Prentice Hall. *Projected
publication date, September 2003.
Monograph
Johns, B.V., Guetzloe, E.C., Yell, M.L., Sheuermann, B., Webber, J., Carr, V.C.,
&
Smith, C.R. (1996). Best practices for managing the
behavior of adolescents with
emotional/behavioral disorders within the school
environment. Reston, VA: The Council
for Children with Behavioral Disorders.
Articles in Refereed Journals (1995 to 2002)
2002
Drasgow, E. & Yell, M.L. (in press). School-wide behavior support: Legal implications.
Child and Family Behavior Therapy.
2001
Drasgow, E., Yell, M.L., & Robinson, T.R. (2001). Developing Legally and Educationally
Appropriate IEPs: Federal Law and Lessons Learned
from the Lovaas Hearings and
Cases. Remedial and Special Education, 22,
359-373.
Drasgow, E., & Yell, M.L. (2001). Functional Behavioral Assessments: Legal Requirements and Challenges. School Psychology Review, 30, 239-251.
Katsiyannis, A., Yell, M.L., Bradley, R. (2001). Reflections on the 25th anniversary
of the
Individuals with Disabilites Education Act. Remedial
and Special Education, 22,
324-334.
Yell, M.L. & Drasgow, E. (2001). Legal requirements for assessing students with
emotional
and behavioral disorders. Assessment for Effective
Intervention, 26, 5-17.
Yell, M.L. & Katsiyannis, A. (2001). Promises and challenges in education law:
25 years of
legal developments, Preventing School Failure,
45, 82-88.
Yell, M.L., Rozalski, M.E., & Drasgow, E. (2001). Discipling students with disabilites.
Focus on Exceptional Children, 33(9), 1-20.
2000
Katsiyannis, A. & Yell, M.L. (2000). The Supreme Court and school health services:
Cedar
Rapids v. Garret F., Exceptional Children,
66, 317-326.
Yell, M.L., & Drasgow, E. (2000). Litigating a free appropriate public education:
The
Lovaas hearings and cases. Journal of Special Education,
33, 206-215.
Yell, M.L. & Katsiyannis, A. (2000). Functional behavioral assessment: Legal
and practice
considerations. Preventing School Failure,
44, 158-162.
Yell, M.L. & Katsiyannis, A. (2000). Sexual harassment in the public schools.
Preventing
School Failure, 44, 130-132.
Yell, M.L., Katsiyannis, A., Bradley, R., & Rozalski, M.E. (2000). Ensuring
compliance
with discipline provisions of IDEA '97: Challenges
and opportunities. Journal of Special
Education Leadership, 13, 204-216.
Yell, M.L., & Rozalski, M.E. (2000). Searching for safe schools: Legal issues
in the
prevention of school violence. Journal of Emotional
and Behavioral Disorders, 8,
146-180.
1999
Drasgow, E., Yell, M.L., Bradley, R., & Shriner, J.G. (1999). The IDEA Amendments of 1997: A school-wide model for conducting functional behavioral assessments and developing behavior intervention plans. Education and Teatment of Children, 22, 244-266.
Yell, M.L. (1999). Hartmann v. Loudoun County: Inclusion and the courts. Preventing School Failure, 43(2), 84-86.
Yell, M.L., Drasgow, E., & Rozalski, M.E. (1999). America's search for safe schools: The prevention of school violence. Emotional and Behavioural Difficulties, 44, 19-27.
Yell, M.L. & Katsiyannis, A. (1999). School health services: Cedar Rapids v. Garret F. Preventing School Failure, 44(1), 37-39.
1998
Yell, M.L. (1998). Least restrictive environment: The legal basis of inclusion. Educational Leadership, 56(2), 70-73.
Yell, M.L. (1998). Conducting searches of students and their property. Preventing School Failure, 42, 186-187.
Yell, M.L., Rogers, D., & Rogers, E.L. (1998). The history of special education law: What a long strange trip its been! Remedial and Special Education, 19(4), 219-228.
Yell, M.L., & Shriner, J.G. (1998). The discipline of students with disabilities: Requirements of the IDEA Amendments of 1997. Education and Treatment of Children, 19(3), 282-298.
1997
Johns, B., Guetzloe, E., & Yell, M.L. (1997). The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act Amendments of 1997: Update on disciplinary provisions. Beyond Behavior, 8(2), 10-16.
Yell, M.L. (1997). The Individuals with Disabilites Act Amendments of 1997. Preventing School Failure, 41, 185-187.
Yell, M.L. (1997). Teacher liability for student injury and misconduct. Beyond Behavior, 7, 4-10.
Yell, M.L. & Shriner, J.G. (1997). The IDEA Amendments of 1997: Implications for special and general educators, administrators, and teacher trainers. Focus on Exceptional Children, 20, 1-19.
1996
Meadows, N., Melloy, K.R., & Yell, M.L. (1996). Classroom management in inclusive classrooms. Preventing School Failure, 40, 124-130.
Shriner, J.G. & Yell, M.L. (1996). Legal and policy developments in the education of students with emotional/behavioral disorders. Education & Treatment of Children, 19(3), 260-270.
Yell, M.L. (1996). Disciplining students with disabilities. OPEC Review, 1(2), 1-2.
Yell, M.L. (1996). Managing Student Records: Legal Requirements. Preventing School Failure, 40, 136-140.
Yell, M.L. & Shriner, J.G. (1996). Inclusive education: Legal and policy implications. Preventing School Failure, 40, 101-108.
1995
Yell, M.L. (1995). Judicial review of least restrictive environment disputes under IDEA. Illinois School Law Quarterly, 15, 176-195.
Yell, M.L. (1995). The law and education of students with disabilities and those at risk for school failure (Special issue). Reventing School Failure, 39(2), 4-5.
Yell, M.L. (1995). Least restrictive environment, inclusion, and students with disabilities: A legal analysis. The Journal of Special Education, 28, 6-38.
Yell, M.L. (1995). Clyde K. and Sheila K. v. Puyallup School District: The courts, inclusion, and students with behavioral disorders. Behavioral Disorders, 20(3).
Yell, M.L. (1995). The LRE Mandate and the courts: Judicial activism or judicial restraint? Exceptional Children, 62, 578-581.
Yell, M.L. (1995). The law and inclusion: Summary and analysis. Preventing School Failure, 39(2).
Yell, M.L., Cline, D., & Bradley, R. (1995). Disciplining students with emotional/behavior disorders: A legal update. Education and Treatment of Children, 17, 299-308.
Yell, M.L. & Peterson, R. (1995). Disciplining students with disabilities and those at-risk of school failure: Legal Issues. Preventing School Failure, 39(2), 36-40.
1994
Espin, C.A. & Yell, M.L. (1994). Development of an empirically based methodology for evaluation of preservice teachers. Teacher Education and Special Education, 17, 154-169.
Yell, M.L. (1994). Timeout and Students with Behavioral Disorders: Legal considerations. Education & Treatment of Children, 17, 293-301.
Chapters in Textbooks
Rozalski, M.E. & Yell, M.L. (In press). The law and school safety. In J. Conoley & A. Goldstein, School violence intervention: A practical handbook. Guilford Publications.
Yell, M.L., Drasgow, E., Bradley, R., & Justesen, T. (In press). Contemporary legal issues in special education. In A. McCray, H.J. Reith, & P.T. Sindelar, Issues in Special Education.
Yell, M.L., Drasgow, E., & Ford, L. (2000). The Individuals with Disabilities Act Amendments of 1997: Implications for school-based teams. In C. Telzrow & M. Tankersley, IDEA Amendments of 1997: Practice guidelines for school-based teams (pp. 1-28). Bethesda, MD: National Association of School Psychologists.
Yell, M.L. & Katsiyannis, A. (In press0. Legal requirements in the education of students with emotional/behavioral disorders. In P. Gunter and M. Venn, Effective practices in the education of students with emotional/behavioral disorders. Austin, TX: Pro-Ed Publications.
Yell, M.L., Robinson, T.R., & Drasgow, E. (2001). Cognitive Behavior Modification. In T.J. Zirpoli and K.R. Melloy, Behavior Management (3rd ed.). (pp. 350-444). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Merrill/Prentice Hall.
Yell, M.L. & Rozalski, M.E. (2001). Searching for safe schools: Legal issues in the prevention of school violence. In H.M. Walker & M.H. Epstein (Eds.). Making schools safer and violence free: Critical issues, solutions, and recommended practices (pp. 160-169). Austin: ProEd.
Yell, M.L. (2001). Legal considerations in the public schools. In T.J. Zirpoli and K.R. Melloy, Behavior Management (3rd ed.).(pp. 688-734). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Merrill/Prentice Hall.
Yell, M.L. (1996). Having to believe. In B. Brooks and D. Sabatino, Educating students with behavioral disorders: Personal perspectives. (pp.442-462). Austin, TX. ProEd.
Manuscripts Submitted for Review and In Preparation
Walker, D. & Yell, M.L. (In preparation). When teachers advocate for their students: A legal analysis.
Yell, M.L. & Drasgow, E. (Invited manuscript, in preparation). Behavior intervention plans: Legal requirements and challenges. Journal of Positive Behavior Interventions.
Yell, M.L., Drasgow, E., & Halle, J. (In preparation). Removing junk science from the courtroom: Lessons for special education. Exceptional Children.
Yell, M.L., Katsiyannis, A., & Robinson, T.R. (In preparation). Complying with the placement provisions of the IDEA: Legal guidelines and preferred practices. Exceptional Children.
Yell, M.L. & Katsiyannis, A. (In preparation). Assistive Technology and Students with Disabilities: A legal analysis. Journal of Technology in Special Education.