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Start with terms, then use operators and filters to broaden or narrow the decisions in your results.

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Massachusetts1,585 decisions

"phrases"OR-excludeofficer:/5 nearbyMore →

All words

default

autism iep

Returns documents that mention both terms. Order doesn’t matter.

Any of

autism OR dyslexia

Broadens the search; either word may appear. Useful for synonyms or related conditions.

Exclude

NOT · -

compensatory -denied

Filters out any document containing the excluded term. NOT works too.

Exact phrase

"…"

"extended school year"

Words must appear together, in order. Best for statutory phrases and terms of art.

Issue tag

issue:

issue:stay-put

Narrows to a built-in issue category: IEE, ESY, placement, discovery, compensatory education.

Word stems

neuro*

Matches every word that starts with the stem: neurological, neuropsych, neurodevelopmental.

Near each other

/n /s /p

parent /s prevailed

Same sentence. Use /5 for within five words, /p for same paragraph.

Combine operators

Mix any operators in one query.

"extended school year" autism -denied year:2024

Use the operators in this guide to narrow a search.