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by Lisa Priddy MS, CCC-SLP
On December 3, 2004, President George W. Bush signed a law reauthorizing the Individuals
with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEA) also known as Public
Law 108-446. Currently over six million children in the United States receive special
education services under IDEA. These changes directly impact those working with
children with disabilities.
Some provisions to 2004 IDEA include:
- Paperwork Reduction Waiver/Model Forms
- Maintaining Qualified Providers
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Modifying Individual Education Programs (IEPs)
- Birth to six programs/ Early
intervention programs
- Funding changes
- Options to identify children with
specific learning disabilities
- Qualification for Specific Learning Disabilities
Paperwork Reduction Waiver/Model Forms
In order to reduce paperwork, school personnel may revise an IEP every three years.
Legislators hope that the reduction of paperwork allows more time for instructional
activities that directly impact educational performance. School personnel may choose
to conduct IEP meetings on a more frequent basis if needed.
Maintaining Qualified Providers
School personnel must meet state approved or state recognized certification/ licensing
qualifications. Personnel may not waive these requirements on any basis (i.e., emergency,
temporary, and provisional). Local and state agencies must take measurable steps
to recruit, hire, and retain qualified school personnel.
Modifying Individual Education Programs (IEPs)
Modifications to the IEP process, which now include the ability to exclude a member
of the IEP team from a meeting under the following circumstances:
- No one can make changes to the IEP.
- Excused member provides input before
the meeting.
- IEP team members agree to excuse the member.
- Use alternate
methods to conduct the meeting such as video conference or conference call.
Another modification to the IEP process impacts short term objectives. Short term
objectives are no longer a required part of the IEP except for students and children
participating in alternative forms of assessment.
Birth to Six Programs/Early Intervention Programs
States may provide programs for birth to age six using IDEA funding. In addition,
Individualized Family Service Plans (IFSP) require an educational component promoting
school readiness that incorporates pre-literacy, language, and number skills.
Funding Changes
Part B of IDEA contains provisions relating to the education of preschool and school-aged
students and funding. Local educational agencies may use up to 15% of their Part
B funds for supportive services to help students K-12 not yet identified with disabilities.
Supportive services may include: professional development for teachers and other
school staff to use research-based academic instruction, provision of educational
and behavioral evaluations, services, and supports.
Qualifying for Specific Learning Disabilities
Response-To-Intervention (RTI) focuses on using research-based intervention strategies
to remediate those identified as at-risk for placement in a special education classroom.
The purpose of this change is to ensure students considered at-risk for failing
in the early grades receive research-based intervention services or contextually-based
assessments that prevent them from receiving a special education label.
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