On June 10, 2005, Troy Justesen, acting director of the Office of Special Education Programs, U. S. Department of Education, announced that a draft of the proposed regulations to implement IDEA are available to the public.

"The proposed regulations to implement the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act of 2004 (IDEA) are available for public review and comment. The IDEA, passed late last year by Congress, updates the statute, which provides special education and related services for America's 6.8 million children with disabilities."

"The revised law aligns IDEA with No Child Left Behind (NCLB), making NCLB and the IDEA partners in serving our nation's children with disabilities, their parents and their schools.

"Changes in the law require a new set of regulations to guide the states in implementing IDEA 2004. The official copy of these proposed regulations will be published in the Federal Register within a few days.

"So that members of the public will have as much time as possible to review the proposed regulations, the Department is posting an unofficial copy of the regulations on its Web site at URL: http://www.ed.gov/policy/speced/guid/idea/idea2004.html.

The link also includes date and locations of the public meetings where comments on the proposed regulations will be received by OSERS.

Information about how to submit written comments on the proposed regulations is also available by using this link.

"Having feedback on the draft regulations from parents, teachers, students, state officials and other interested persons is critical for us. We want the final regulations to reflect the dialogue we've been having with the public since the President signed the law last December," said Justesen.

More IDEA 2004 News

Proposed IDEA 2004 Regulations: Schedule of Public Meetings - U. S. Dept of Ed announced a schedule of public meetings in seven cities after the IDEA 2004 regulations are published in June. The purpose of these meetings is to get input on the proposed regulations. (6/1/05)

Proposed IDEA Regulations on Fast Track, Expected in Early June - In a wide-ranging interview, Dr. Troy Justesen, Acting Director of the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP), advised that he expects the proposed Regulations for Part B to be published in early June. He describes the process for public comment, timelines, and issues that have elicited concerns. (5/18/05)

Wrightslaw: IDEA 2004

Wrightslaw: IDEA 2004, the new publication by Peter W. D. Wright and Pamela Darr Wright, includes the full text of Parts A and B the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act of 2004 (IDEA 2004) with commentary, key changes, strategies, and cross-references. The format, layout, and statutory explanations are similar to Wrightslaw: Special Education Law.

Wrightslaw: IDEA 2004 will be available in print and electronic formats in July 2005. Subscribers to The Special Ed Advocate newsletter will receive advance notice by email before Wrightslaw: IDEA 2004 is available to the public.

Publications & Reports

Many legal, educational and disability organizations are publishing reports about the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act of 2004 (IDEA 2004). The IDEA 2004 Publications, Reports & Resources Page includes links to these reports and publications.