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National
Council on Disability to Testify Before Congress on IDEA
WASHINGTON--The National Council on Disability (NCD) will testify
on the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) at the first
Bipartisan Disabilities Caucus (BDC) congressional briefing on Wednesday,February
13, 2002, at 11:00 a.m. in Room 2105 Rayburn House Office Building.
During the course of five studies on IDEA, from 1989 to 2000, NCD consistently
learned that parents of children with disabilities are enthusiastic supporters
of the law. They think it is a good law.
Those studies include:
Back
to School on Civil Rights (2000). Also called the IDEA
Compliance Report; found that all states were out of compliance and that
federal enforcement ineffective.
URL: http://www.ncd.gov/newsroom/publications/backtoschool_1.html
URL: https://www.wrightslaw.com/law/reports/IDEA_Compliance_overview.htm
Improving
the Implementation of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act:
Making Schools Work for All of America's Children Supplement
(1996)
URL: http://www.ncd.gov/newsroom/publications/96school.html
Improving
the Implementation of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act:
Making Schools Work for All of America's Children (1995)
URL: http://www.ncd.gov/newsroom/publications/95school.html
Inclusionary
Education for Students with Disabilities: Keeping the Promise
(1994)
URL: http://www.ncd.gov/newsroom/publications/inclusion.html
Serving
the Nation's Students with Disabilities: Progress and Prospects
(1993)
URL: http://www.ncd.gov/newsroom/publications/progress.html
The
Education of Students with Disabilities: Where Do We Stand?
(1989)
URL: http://www.ncd.gov/newsroom/publications/stand.html
IDEA
Reauthorization
NCD's
senior research specialist, Martin Gould, Ed.D., will testify before the
Caucus, discussing NCD's
new working paper on IDEA reauthorization.
URL: http://www.ncd.gov/newsroom/reauthorizations/idea/idea.html
According to Gould, "IDEA is the most far-reaching aspect of federal
involvement in public education. Rich or poor, urban, suburban, or rural,
all schools and districts are affected by special education."
IDEA
is scheduled to be reauthorized by Congress in 2002. The IDEA statute
is made up of four parts, including the Part A General Provisions section,
the Part B Grants to States Program (including preschool grants),the Part
C Infants and Toddlers program, and the Part D Support Programs. Part
B is permanently authorized. Congress must periodically review and reauthorize
Parts C and D of IDEA (usually every 5 years) in order to ensure continuation
of the activities included under these parts.
Accountability, Achievement, Enforcement
One of the
nation's best tools in promoting education equity and excellence is a
public education system that is focused directly on accountability,
achievement, and enforcement.
To deal with the existing realities related to federal education policymaking,
during IDEA reauthorization, NCD will use a variety of forums and mechanisms
to solicit stakeholder input to advise the Administration and Congress
regarding a range of critical policy issues.
These policy issues and suggested policy options for reauthorization go
to the heart of education reform for over six million students with disabilities
and involve:
(a) accountability in federal education spending,
(b) achievement and progress in the K-12 arena, and
(c) fidelity of implementation in all aspects of the IDEA entitlement
program.
For more information, contact Mark S. Quigley or Martin Gould at 202-272-2004.
Note: NCD is an independent federal agency making recommendations to the
President and Congress on disability policy. In 1986, NCD first proposed
and then drafted the original Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Currently,
NCD is coordinating a multi-year study on the implementation and enforcement
of ADA,IDEA, and other civil rights laws.
Source: http://www.ncd.gov/newsroom/news/r02-349.html
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