Laws Regarding Special Eduacation by Christina

• PUBLIC LAW 88-164- in 1963 this law authorized funds for training professionals to work with children with special needs and for research and demonstration for students with IDD and deafness.
  
• PUBLIC LAW 94-142- this law was passed in 975 and is called the Education for All Handicapped Children Act. There are six key principles at the heart of this law that have shaped special as well as general education during the past three decades. These principles include zero reject, nondiscriminatory evaluation, individualized education program, least restrictive environment, due process, and parental participation.

Zero reject- all children with disabilities must be provided a free and appropriate public education.

Nondiscriminatory evaluation- each student must receive a full individual examination before being placed in a special education program, with tests appropriate to the child's cultural and linguistic background.

Individualized education program- an individualized education program (IEP) must be written for every student with a disability who is receiving special education. The IEP must describe the child's current performance and goals for the school year, the particular special education services to be delivered, and the procedures by which outcomes are evaluated.

Least restrictive environment- As much as possible, children who have disabilities must be educated with children who are not handicapped.

Due process- Due process is a set of legal procedures to ensure that fairness of educational decisions and the accountability of both professionals and parents in making those decisions.

Parental participation- Parents are to be included in the development of the IEP, and they have the right to access their child's educational records.

• PUBLIC LAW 99-457- is the Education of the Handicapped Act Amendments of 1986, it provided that opportunity by allocating federal funds for the states to develop plans and programs for children and their families from birth on. The name of the Education of the Handicapped Act was then changed to Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, or IDEA.
  
• IDEA 2004- The newly changed Education of the Handicapped Act. Most of the changes in the act involve the quality of personnel, IEP standards and transition services.
  

Quality of personnel- this means that special education specialists must hold full state certification as special education teachers and have a license to teach.
IEP standards- IEP's must reflect scientifically based instructional practices, cognitive behavioral interventions, and early intervention services, as appropriate. They must now include plans for the use of assistive technology and short-term objectives for children with disabilities who take alternative assessments.
Transition services- a transition plan must be included in all IEP's for students at age 16 and for younger students if appropriate. Transition services must include instruction, community experiences, development of employment, and other post school adult-living objectives.

• SECTION 504 OF THE REHABILITATION ACT OF 1973 (PL 93-112)- the law says that it is illegal to deny participation in activities or programs solely because of a disability. Individuals with disabilities must have equal access to programs and services.
  
• AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT OF 1992- this law extends civil rights to persons with disabilities.
  
• PUBLIC LAW 107-110: NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND- this requires schools to present test data to prove their effectiveness. This does create some problems for students with disabilities. This is because often times these students have a difficult time gaining a year academically for every year spent ins school, and for their teachers, who must deal with such unrealistic expectations.
  

Kirk S. , Gallagher J.J. , Coleman M.R. , & Anastasiow N. (2009). Educating Exceptional Children (12th ed. , pp. 35-70). Boston, NY: Houghton Mifflin Company.