News You Need to
Know: Articles, Legislative Updates and More
(Posted 1-31-12)
The Americans with
Disabilities Act
Amendments Act (ADAAA)
defines disability
and the obligation
of school districts
to evaluate students
for disability,
provides for a free
appropriate
education to
students with
disabilities, and
provides procedural
safeguards for
identification,
evaluation, and
educational
placement. New
guidance regarding
this law is
available in a Dear
Colleague Letter
fount at:
http://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/letters/colleague-201109.html
A Question and
Answer Document with
further explanations
about the ADAAA is
available at:
http://www2ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/docs/dcl-504faq-201109.html
Posted 1-31-12)
Report on bullying
laws in each state:
http://www2.ed.gov/rschstat/eval/bullying/state-bullying-laws/state-bullying-laws.pdf
(Posted 1-31-12)
The Office of
Special Education
Programs has
released its 30th
Annual Report to
Congress on the
implementation of
the Individuals with
Disabilities
Education Act
(IDEA). You
can read the report
at this link: http://www2.ed.gov/about/reports/annual/osep/2008/parts-b-c/index.html
(Posted 1-31-12)
The Family
Educational Rights
and Privacy Act (FERPA)
is a Federal privacy
law that gives
parents certain
rights with regard
to their children's
education records,
such as the right to
inspect and review
the records.
Revised regulations
for this law are
explained in this
overview:
http://www2.ed.gov/policy/gen/guid/fpco/pdf/parentoverview.pdf or see the FERPA
General Guidance for
Parents at:
http://www2.ed.gov/policy/gen/guid/fpco/ferpa/parents.html
or access the final
regulations, please
visit
www.federalregister.gov
(Posted 1-24-12)
Statistical
Information on
Learning
Disabilities:
ld_fact_sheet
(Posted 1-24-12)
The
Autism National
Committee has
released this report
on seclusion and
restraint in
schools. Read about
student safety in
this report.
how_safe_school_house
(Posted 12-28-11)
The Arc announces
major initiatives
for siblings of
people with
intellectual and
developmental
disabilities:
http://blog.thearc.org/2011/12/15/the-arc-announces-major-initiatives-for-siblings-of-people-with-intellectual-and-developmental-disabilities/
(Posted 12-14-11)
Quote from Senator
Tom Harkin of the
Senate Committee on
Health, Education,
Labor and Pensions:
“The law stipulates
that all students,
except those with
the most significant
cognitive
disabilities, should
be both taught and
tested using the
academic achievement
standards set by the
child’s state. Some
people may believe
these goals are too
hard for students
with disabilities to
achieve, but we must
make sure that those
who are capable of
achieving them are
not foiled by lack
of opportunity.”
(Posted 12-1-11)
New parent packets
for children with
hearing and vision
loss-
New Parent Packet/
Vision:
http://www.morgan.k12.il.us/isd/hveio/documents/ParentsVISIONpacketletterElectronic112111.pdf
New Parent Packet/
Hearing:
http://www.morgan.k12.il.us/isd/hveio/documents/Parentsresourcepacketletterupdated112111.pdf
This August 2011
document from the US
Dept. of Education
includes information
on improving
opportunities for
children and youth
with disabilities to
access PE and
extracurricular
athletics at
school.
http://www2.ed.gov/policy/speced/guid/idea/equal-pe.pdf
(Posted 10-19-11)
This August 2011
document from the US
Dept. of Education
includes information
on improving
opportunities for
children and youth
with disabilities to
access PE and
extracurricular
athletics at
school.
http://www2.ed.gov/policy/speced/guid/idea/equal-pe.pdf
(Posted 10-04-11)
On September
26,2011, the Office
of Special Education
Programs updated its
guidance on
postsecondary goals
for students with
IEPs who are 14 1/2
years old or older:
Transition
Question and Answer
Guide
(Posted 10-04-11)
A new Question and
Answer Guide on IEPs
from the Office of
Special Education
Programs:
IEP
Question and Answer
Guide
(Posted 9-26-11)
Check out this
employment story
about persons with
Asperger's:
http://www.usatoday.com/tech/health/story/2011-09-21/Startup-uses-autistic-adults-to-test-software/50496920/1
(Posted 9-26-11)
The Obama
Administration has
announced that
states can get
relief from
provisions of No
Child Left Behind (NCLB)
in exchange for
serious efforts to
close achievement
gaps, promote
rigorous
accountability, and
ensure that all
students are on
track to graduate
college- and
career-ready.
“To help states,
districts and
schools that are
ready to move
forward with
education reform,
our administration
will provide
flexibility from the
law in exchange for
a real commitment to
undertake change.
The purpose is not
to give states and
districts a reprieve
from accountability,
but rather to
unleash energy to
improve our schools
at the local level,”
President Obama said.
Parents are still
entitled to accurate
and descriptive
information about
their children’s
progress.
Read more at this
link:
FAQ: What ESEA
Flexibility Means
for Students,
Teachers, and
Parents
(Posted 9-21-11)
Changes are being
proposed to the
regulations
regarding when a
State or local
educational agency
seeks to use a
child's or parent's
public benefits or
insurance (e.g.,
Medicaid) to pay for
services at school.
The notice of
proposed rulemaking
is posted at
http://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/osers/news.html
(Posted 9-21-11)
Federal Regulations
Have Been Released
Regarding Children
Birth to Three.
Here is a transcript
of a conversation
that highlights the
regulations:
transcript_idea_part_c_regs
For more information
regarding Birth to
Three
regulations see this
press release
(Posted 9-9-11)
The National Center
for Learning
Disabilities has
released this report
on what a learning
disability is, what
misperceptions about
learning
disabilities still
exist, and how
students with
learning
disabilities
continue to struggle
to make adequate
gains toward
achieving learning
standards.
2011_state_of_ld_final.pdf
(Posted 8-2-11)
The Office of
Special Education
Programs had
determined that
Illinois needs
intervention in
implementing the
requirements of Part
B of IDEA (The
Individuals with
Disabilities
Education Act).
OSEP is committed to
supporting Illinois
efforts to improve
results for children
and youth with
disabilities.
A list of priorities
that Illinois will
be focusing on can
be found in the
first column of this
document:
www.2.ed.gov/fund/data/report/idea/partbspap/2011/il-4response-2011b-final.pdf
