In Newport-Mesa Unified School District v. State of California Department of Education (2005), what was the ruling regarding providing parents with a completed WISC-IV test protocol?

In Newport-Mesa Unified School District v. State of California Department of Education (2005), the ruling emphasized the complexities surrounding the sharing of completed psychological test protocols, particularly the WISC-IV. The court concluded that providing parents with a completed test protocol was legally permissible within the "fair use doctrine" of federal copyright law. This implies that while the test protocols are copyrighted materials, parents have certain rights to access their child’s educational records, which includes test protocols that provide essential information about their child's abilities and needs.

The "fair use doctrine" allows for certain limited uses of copyrighted material without permission from the copyright owner, especially when it serves a public interest or educational purpose. In the context of this case, the court recognized that it falls within reasonable expectations of parental access to information concerning their children’s education. Such access is vital for parents to engage in informed discussions regarding appropriate educational interventions or services for their child.

This ruling is significant in that it upholds parental rights while balancing the concerns of copyright protections, thus fostering collaboration between parents and educational institutions.