Special Education (IDEA)
On December 3, 2004, President Bush signed the long-awaited Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act of 2004 that reauthorized the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) through 2011. NSBA lobbied effectively for significant changes that shifted program emphasis from one of compliance to improving education outcomes and accountability for all students. The original IDEA was passed in 1975 and its primary purpose remains unchanged – to guarantee a free, appropriate public education to every child with a disability.
Resources
- NSBA Issue Brief: Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)
[PDF 198,754kb]
NSBA Perspective for Reauthorization During the 111th Congress.
- NSBA's Letter to the House Education Committee: January 25, 2010
[HTML 1,970kb]
Re: National School Boards Association (NSBA) Support for Preventing Harmful Restraint and Seclusion in Schools Act, H.R. 4247
- NSBA's Letter to the Senate Education Committee: September 16, 2008 [HTML 4,682kb]
Re: Joint House and Senate Conference Committee on Amendments to the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990
- NSBA's Letter to the Senate Education Committee: July 14, 2008 [HTML 3,663kb]
Re: Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Round Table Discussion on the Proper Scope of Coverage for the Americans with Disabilities Act: July 15, 2008
- NSBA's Comments on Proposed Amendments to Regulations Governing the Assistance to States for the Education of Children with Disabilities Program and Preschool Grants for Children with Disabilities [PDF 132,748kb]
Formal comments and recommendations submitted to the U.S. Department of Education.