In Board of Education of the Hendrick Hudson Central School District v. Rowley, what level of educational benefit is required under FAPE?

• A. Some educational benefit, not necessarily the maximum.
• B. The maximum possible learning benefit.
• C. Only basic services with no additional supports.
• D. No educational benefit is guaranteed.

Answer: (A)

Under FAPE, the school district must provide an education that is reasonably calculated to give the student some educational benefit, not necessarily the maximum possible benefit. In Hendrick Hudson v. Rowley, the Supreme Court explained that “appropriate” means a basic floor of opportunity—an education tailored to the student’s needs with an IEP and related services—that enables progress, but it does not guarantee the best or most advanced possible progress. So the standard focuses on providing a meaningful opportunity to benefit from the general curriculum, rather than ensuring the maximum potential achievement.