Although Congress is due to reauthorize the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act by the end of 2002, it appears unlikely that it will be completed until the next legislative session. The report of the President’s Commission on Excellence in Special Education, released in July, was examined in hearings held by the House and Senate education committees. Many of the recommendations were well received, including post-secondary transition services for students with disabilities. Many of the recommendations, however, proved controversial, including proposals to provide vouchers for students with disabilities and block grant IDEA funding to 10 states. Legislation has not yet been introduced in either the House or Senate. We expect the major issues to include discipline, vouchers, professional development, disproportionate minority representation, and full funding.

Read AFT's IDEA Updates

President's Commission on Excellence in Special Education

Special education issues in the U.S. House of Representatives

Public Comments on IDEA Reauthorization

The Behavior Home Page
Gain access to information and share effective practices concerning the full range of behavior problems and challenges displayed by children and youth in school and community setting.
www.state.ky.us/agencies/behave/homepage.html

Council for Children with Behavioral Disorders (CCBD)
CCBD is an international professional organization committed to promoting and facilitating the education and general welfare of children/youth with behavioral and emotional disorders.
www.ccbd.net

Center for Effective Collaboration and Practice (CECP)
Identifies promising programs and practices for children with serious emotional disturbance, promotes the exchange of useful and useable information, and facilitates colalboration among stakeholders at federal, state and local levels.
http://cecp.air.org

Functional Behavioral Assessment: A Factsheet from OSEP
This factsheet discusses Functional Behavioral Assessment as a key component of creating effective behavior support plans.
www.ideapractices.org/resources/detail.php?id=2083

Functional Behavioral Assessment and Positive Interventions: What Parents Need to Know
This brief defines the functional behavioral assessment and describes the strategies of positive behavioral interventions.
www.ideapractices.org/resources/detail.php?id=2191

Interim Alternative Educational Settings for Children with Disabilities
This book discusses interim alternative educational settings in both legal provisions and best practices recommendations.
www.ideapractices.org/resources/detail.php?id=2203

National Association of School Psychologists (NASP)
The mission of the NASP is to promote educationally and psychologically healthy environments for all children by implementing research-based, effective programs that prevent problems, enhance independence and promote optimal learning.
www.nasponline.org/index2.html

National Center on Education, Disability and Juvenile Justices (EDJJ)
The EDJJ is a collaborative research, training, technical assistance and dissemination program. It is designed to develop more effective responses to the needs of youth with disabilities in the juvenile justice system or those at-risk for involvement with the Juvenile Justice System.
www.edjj.org/index.html

Virtual Resource Center in Behavioral Disorders
www.coe.missouri.edu/~vrcbd

Social Skills Instruction: A Factsheet from OSEP
This factsheet defines Social Skills Instruction and discusses methods of preventing and replacing problem behavior and increasing social competence. It make recommendations for enhancing schools' ability to improve social competence in students.
www.ideapractices.org/resources/detail.php?id=2097

Consortium on Inclusive Schooling Practices
The Consortium on Inclusive Schooling Practices represents a collaborative effort to build the capacity of state and local education agencies to serve children and youth with and without disabilities in school and community settings. The focus of the project is on systemic reform rather than changes in special education systems only.
www.asri.edu/CFSP/brochure/abtcons.htm

National Institute for Urban School Improvement
The mission of the National Institute for Urban School Improvement is to support inclusive urban communities, schools and families to build their capacity for sustainable, successful urban education. The U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs funded the Institute to facilitate the unification of current general and special education reform efforts as these are implemented in the nation's urban school districts.
www.edc.org/urban/index.htm

School Accommodations and Modifications
This document defines accommodations and modifications and provides examples in different settings.
www.ideapractices.org/resources/detail.php?id=21981

Students' Perception of Instruction in Inclusion Classrooms: Implications for Students with Learning Research Brief: FAPE-26
This document summarizes a study of students' perceptions on teacher practices in inclusive, general education classrooms.
www.ideapractices.org/resources/detail.php?id=2197

Urban Special Education Leadership Collaborative (USELC)
The Urban Special Education Leadership Collaborative is a leadership development and technical assistance effort designed to support urban school district administrators who are responsible for managing education programs for students with disabilities. The Collaborative currently links 171 administrators from 67 school districts in 21 U.S. states plus the District of Columbia through conferences, newsletter publications and leadership development opportunities.
www.edc.org/collaborative

Federal regulations of Section 504 relating to education

Information brief on Section 504, the Americans with Disabilities Act and Education Reform by the PEER Project of The Federation for Children with Special Needs.

Each school must ensure that the notice is provided in the native language of the parent, or other mode of communication, unless it is clearly not feasible to do so. English, Spanish and Braille versions are available from the TEA's Web site at www.tea.state.tx.us/special.ed