The U.S. Department of Education (Department) is committed to supporting State educational agencies (SEAs), local educational agencies (LEAs), and partners in ensuring that schools and preschool programs have additional tools to foster safe, inclusive learning environments that increase students' engagement and sense of well-being. The Office of…

Although varying among and within the states, the percentage of students with 504 plans is steadily and significantly increasing as a national average. Although the professional literature addresses the legal standards for eligibility for 504 plans, it has not provided up-to-date information to practitioners as to the legal standard for the…

Disparities in academic performance have been found in students from underserved districts. This is especially prevalent in students with disabilities. Technology use can help to narrow this divide. Mainstream software packages are readily available to most districts and increasingly include accessibility features (AF) to enable students to…

The purpose of this brief is to help families and educators understand the right of students with disabilities who need accessible educational materials to receive these materials in a timely manner. This right is based on provisions in the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), as well as in the disability civil rights statutes…

Creating accessible instruction has been a subject of debate and lawsuits since the Civil Rights Movement. Examples include "Mills v. Board of Education" in 1972 discussed the 14th Amendment of equal rights in public K-12 education; instances involving extracurricular after-school programs, such as the YMCA Middle Tennessee Agreement for…

Given that work-based learning (WBL) can -- and should be -- a key driver of student career readiness in these efforts, it is essential that all states have a robust work-based learning continuum of experiences and exposure that spans K-16. WBL is an essential element of career and technical education (CTE), and ExcelinEd's CTE Playbook series…

Since the reauthorization of the Individuals With Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) in 2004, standards-based individualized education plans (IEPs) have been an expectation for serving students with disabilities in the K-12 public school setting. Nearly a decade after the mandates calling for standards-based IEPs, special educators still struggle…

In 2004 the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act authorized funding for Response to Intervention (RtI) instruction in the United States. By 2011, 71 percent of school districts had adopted RtI (Institute of Education Sciences 2011). The goal of RtI is to provide personalized, just-in-time intervention in reading and math for students who…

Over 6.5 million youth and their families are eligible for early intervention or special education services (Data Accountability Center, 2011) under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act of 2004 (IDEA). The principal mechanism by which goals, objectives, services, and placements are determined for Part B of the IDEA are Individualized…

Recommendations are provided for the reauthorization of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) as it pertains to individuals with physical disabilities. Recommendations address the following areas: professional development of teachers, physical disabilities as a focus category in the support programs, and incentives for model…

This state plan describes how the state of New York intends to comply with legislative mandates concerning education of children with disabilities, specifically the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and Part 300 of the Code of Federal Regulations. It also describes the planning and program initiatives that will be undertaken at…

This article extrapolates principles from litigation concerning students with autistic spectrum disorders (ASD) and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act to establish guidelines for individualized education program teams developing appropriate special education programs for students with ASD. Principles address free, appropriate public…

This state plan discusses programs and policies to be implemented from fiscal years 1993 through 1995 by the North Dakota Department of Public Instruction in implementing Part B of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. The plan document begins with federally required submissions, assurances, certifications, and other administrative…

This document consists of the three second-year issues of a newsletter concerning people with deaf-blindness. These issues include the following major articles: "A Report on Deaf-Blind Technical Assistance Collaboration" (Paddi Henderson and Rich Mulholland); "Rabbits and Retards" (Joyce Ford), in which a parent describes an…

This guide provides suggestions for planning and implementing inclusion programs to enhance education for all children. Recent laws supporting the rights of children with disabilities are considered, along with the confusion regarding how to meet the needs of all children in the schools. Variations in inclusion practices among states and districts…