The Impact Of Education On Special Education

In the world of education, there are many laws which provide guidelines regarding conduct of education. One of these laws is Public Law 94–142. This law states the schools must provide equal services to all students. Within P.L. 94–142, there are six major components. The first of these major components is the Free and Appropriate Public Education or FAPE. FAPE simply means that schools must provide education at no extra cost to families. By providing a free education, it reduces the burden on families that may be caused by affording education. Whether a student is in kindergarten, high school or even a special education student, that student’s education is provided at zero cost. The next major component of PL 94-142 is the least restrictive environment. LRE is

It was revised and renamed in the 90’s. It was now named the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, or IDEA in 1997. This act afforded many more rights and regulations to those with special needs and those that provided these services. While the basic premise of the original act was included, IDEA expanded, improved and outlined more specifically the duties of the service providers. Parents gained many new rights as well. They now were to attend all meetings pertaining to their child’s education and were allowed any and all documentation rather than only the relevant documents (ERIC, 1998). Students were to have measurable goals and participate in standardized testing. Not only are the needs of the student through to the age of twenty one within the educational system considered, but now, there are transition plans required to help students move from school to their adult life or college and beyond. Schools now have a specific plan for each student called the Individual Education Plan or IEP. And IEP often takes the talents of many service providers and thus a team is assembled (ERIC, 1998). Another really amazing part of IDEA is in the area of discipline. Students are not to be denied ongoing services due to behavior (ERIC, 1998). However, if the behavior was not determined to be related to their disability, the school is allowed to discipline the student in the same manner as a student without a disability. IDEA

On December 3, 2004, President Bush signed the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act of 2004. This Act is also known as Public Law 108-446. The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) is the law that secures special education services for children with disabilities from the time they are born until they graduate from high school. The law was re-authorized by Congress in 2004. This re-authorization has driven a series of changes in the way special education services are executed. These changes are continuing today and they affect special education and related services across the United States.

The child should only be removed from a regular classroom when the disability is so severe that education "with the use of supplementary aids and services cannot be achieved satisfactorily."

IDEA 2004 defines FAPE as services that are provided at public expense, that the education meet educational standards, is appropriate for the child and conforms with the IEP (Murdick, 2014). In several cases judges have ruled on the bases of free and appropriate public education for all children. In Timothy(v) Rochester N.H. School District (1989) the judged ruled in favor of Timothy, as he stressed IDEA empathized “all handicapped”. In the Hendrick Hudson Central School District (v) Rowley the judged ruled in favor of an appropriate

There have also been landmark court cases like Brown v Board of Education and Pennsylvania Association for Retarded Children v. Pennsylvania (PARC) which as a result set the wheels in motion for special education reform. The Education for Handicapped Children Act of 1975 was amended and renamed the Individuals with Disabilities Education ACT (IDEA) in 1990, has had the greatest impact on special education in public schools. When the law was originally passed in 1975 it required all school districts that accepted federal funds to provide disabled students, ages 5-21, equal access to an education in the least restrictive (LRE) setting possible. Schools were to also disperse funds equally among all students and provide free of charge, the necessary

The first two laws that dealt with this issue were the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Education for All Handicapped Children Act of 1975. These laws provided federal funds and established regulations to protect equal access to a free, appropriate public education (FAPE) for students with disabilities. Over time, these laws have been amended and federal financial incentives have been tied to state compliance. Congress and the courts have clarified and reauthorized these laws along with passing additional legislation guaranteeing equal access and opportunities.

For students with documented special needs, the school makes additional accommodation. The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) is "designed to protect the rights of students with disabilities by ensuring that everyone receives a free appropriate public education (FAPE), regardless of ability" (IDEA, 2012, Kid's Health). IDEA mandates that students are educated in the least restrictive environment possible. It also recognizes that every child is different, and giving each child the same education does not mean that every child will receive the same quality of education.

This case was a very significant ruling for special education evident with numerous studies positing that the ruling of this 1982 case was perhaps the most important special education decision by the Supreme Court and to this day, continues to have a profound effect on the education of students with disabilities. Additionally, this was the first time that the Supreme Court had to interpret portions of the Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA 1990), which was then the Education for All Handicapped Children Act (EAHCA) as it relates to what constituted a free and appropriate education (FAPE) in the least restrictive environment (LRE).

1. FAPE Stands for Free Appropriate Public Education. There shall be a "zero reject" philosophy meaning that all children, regardless of their disability and the severity of the disability, will be provided with a free education that is tailored to their individual needs. Children will receive the necessary therapy needed at no cost to them or their families.

In a 2014 report from McCann, special education services were federally mandated for the first time in 1965 by the Education of Handicapped Children Act, and a two-year $3.5 million program was created to provide formula grants to states for funding education of special needs students. According to the website, www.understandingspecialeducation.com (2009), in 1975 Congress passed the Education for All Handicapped Children Act which guaranteed a “free and appropriate public education” (FAPE). This act was later modified and became the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act or IDEA. IDEA requires individual states to provide children with special education services as a condition of receiving federal funding for education. The largest portion of IDEA is called IDEA

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) is a United States federal law that consents of four categories outlining how public agencies and individual states ensures that students with various disabilities are provided a Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE) in the Least Restrictive Environment (LRE) that is conditioned to their specific needs regardless of their ability. This act mandates tailored services, educational modifications, and the main objective for these children throughout the nation is to supply them with the same possibility of getting an education as those who do not have a disability until the age of 21.

Public Law 94-142: The Education for All Handicapped Children Act of 1975, now called Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), requires states to provide free, appropriate public education (FAPE) for every child regardless of disability. This federal law was the first to clearly define the rights of disabled children to receive special education services if their disability affects their educational performance. A parent of a special education student also has basic rights under IDEA including the right to have their child evaluated by the school district and to be included when the school district meets about the child or makes decisions about his or her education. If a child is identified as in need of special education

A mainstream class in a mainstream essential or post-grade school where the class or subject educator has essential obligation regarding the advance of all understudies in the class, incorporating understudies with exceptional instructive needs. Extra educating support from a learning backing or asset instructor might be given, where suitableucation provision

It is of utmost importance for the educational leaders and policymakers to be knowledgeable of the law that governs the operation and conduct of their organizations. Educators work with public money to educate children and are held responsible for doing it appropriately and in accordance with the law. Special education administrators especially need to be well versed in state, federal and case law governing special education because they are not only responsible for protecting students’ right to free and appropriate public education but also to maintain a balance with their school district’s resources. They need to have a good handle on what services (expense) are absolutely necessary to meet students’ needs while protecting their right to education in least restrictive environment. They also have the responsibility to share knowledge with general education administrators about identification and placement processes for special education and then work with them to develop most effective service delivery model. Since special education services cater to a vulnerable section of our society, there is a moral obligation in addition to the legal obligation to protect the rights of students with disabilities.