Guest guest Posted April 17, 2002 Report Share Posted April 17, 2002 > IDEA UPDATE > APRIL 15, 2002 > > As of April 12, both the Senate and the House plan to introduce IDEA > legislation > By midsummer with the hope a passing a final bill before the 107th > Congress > adjourns. Part B is permanent legislation and only Parts C, Early > Intervention, and D discretionary programs are due for > reauthorization. > However, the Administration, the Democrats and the Republications will > be > considering major changes to to Part B. The report of the > President's > Commission on Excellence in Special Education, due July 1, is expected > to be > very influential. The Education Reform Subcommittee of the House > Education > and the Workforce Committee have started hearings on the issue, but do > not > plan to introduce a bill until after the report of the President's > Commission has been made. Members of the Senate HELP (Health, > Education, > Labor and Pensions) Committee are working on their bill in a > bipartisan way. > They have been talking to House and Administration leaders as well. > > The major issues are > ? Accountability for Results > ? Early Childhood - with emphasis on the Administration's early > reading > initiative > ? Discipline - eliminating the double standard > ? Funding - meeting the promise of paying the 40% of the average per > pupil > expenditure for students in IDEA > ? Over identification and placement of African American males in > special > education > ? Paperwork Reduction - reducing paperwork so teachers can teach > ? Procedural Safeguards - shifting the focus from process to outcomes > ? Personnel Preparation - shortage of qualified teachers > ? Number of LD and ADD students in special education > > LDA is carefully monitoring the activities of the various groups, > including > the President's Commission on Excellence in Special Education. In > addition > to its scheduled 4 meetings, members of the President's Commission on > Excellence in Education serve on various Task Forces designed to study > specific issues. (The agenda of each meeting and a transcript of the > hearing > is posted on the Commission's website: > www.ed.gov/inits/commissionsborads/whspecialeducation/index/htm. > Copies of > the briefing papers given to the Commissioners can be found at the > website > of the Council of Parent Attorneys and Advocates, www.copaa.net) An > LDA > member has been present at each of these meetings to submit LDA's > position > on the issue being considered. .Updates on these meetings as well as > other > activities related to the Reauthorization of IDEA are reported in the > monthly News from Washington, which is mailed to LDA leaders, posted > on our > website (www.ldaamerica.org) and e mailed to other activists on LDA's > list. > The successful network which conducted the successful Campaign 1000 > is > ready to ask for grassroots response when needed. Congressional staff > have > asked groups not generate grassroots response until something concrete > is > published. If you have e mail and wish to participate, please send > your > address to Washington Representative e Maloney at > ldajwm@... > > The most ambitious of efforts to track issues relating to the > Reauthorization of IDEA is the Rapid Response Network set up by DREDF > (Disabilities Rights Education and Defense Fund) DREDF has a long > record of > advocating for individuals with disabilities. The announcement about > the > Network gives some background on the recommendations of " Rethinking > Special > Education for a New Century " - a report published in May 2001 by The > Progressive Policy Institute and the Fordham Foundation. (Free copies > may be > obtained by going to the Fordham or PPI Website (www.edexcellence.net > or > www.ppionline.org) ) On the issue of minority over identification > DREDF > points out > With respect to minority issues, the administration as well as authors > of > " Rethinking Special Education " have repeatedly identified the over > identification of children from minority backgrounds as an issue to be > remedied in the next reauthorization, claiming that the problems of > these > children are primarily problems of literacy not disability. The > administration neglects to mention the companion problem of > under-identification of minority children often rooted in low academic > expectations for such children. While strong literacy and reading > programs > may preclude the necessity of providing special education services for > some > children, in many places, these early intervention reading and > literacy > programs simply do not exist and may not for a long time to come. > Moreover, > such literacy programs will require an intensive teacher training > initiative > and funding to support it. In redefining the learning difficulties of > some > minority children as literacy problems, many children may be denied > special > education services without the provision of or entitlement to other > intervention services. > > Advocates wishing to receive email information about reauthorization > activities and/or participate in the Network, are asked to send an > email to > preserveIDEA@... > Include your name, contact information (postal address, telephone > number, > and email) and whether you only want updates or would also like to > participate in the Network. > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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