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Home  Advocacy Center
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The U.S. Department of Education has released proposed regulations for Part B of the Individuals with Disabilities Education ACT (IDEA). The most important change in these regulations is to limit the use of lay advocates in due process hearings, if this regulations goes through, parents will have limited options for representation of their child’s case. Use our pre-formatted letter and tell Secretary Spelling to withdraw the proposed changes TODAY! The public only has until July 28, 2008 to submit comments.
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This report highlights how two schools and three school districts from around the nation are working to dramatically improve the academic achievement of their special education students. The educators profiled have taken on the challenge of implementing reforms that lead to significant progress for students with disabilities—nearly half of whom have learning disabilities (LD). Get additional resources on NCLB and download this important report today!
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Americans with Disabilities Act of 2008 Passes the House! |
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The House of Representatives overwhelmingly approved and passed H.R. 3195, the Americans with Disabilities Amendments Act of 2008, on June 25. This civil rights bill will expand protections for people with disabilities and overturn several Supreme Court decisions issued in the last decade. With your support, the bill, approved 402 to 17, will make it easier for LD students to access accommodations in higher education settings and in the workplace. This bill will restore the original broad protections that Congress meant to establish when it passed the Americans with Disabilities Act in 1990.
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NCLD Submits Comments to Dept. of Ed on ESEA/NCLB Regulations |
NCLD submitted comments to the U.S. Department of Education on their proposed ESEA/NCLB regulations. Click here to read a summary of NCLD’s top priorities under ESEA/NCLB and access NCLD's full comments that are now on public record.
Focus on Standards-based Individualized Education Programs (IEP)
New Podcast and New Advocacy Brief Now Available!
 Join NCLD and Dr. Margaret McLaughlin, Professor of the Department of Special Education and the Institute for the Study of Exceptional Children and Youth at the University of Maryland, as we walk through the basics of standards-based IEPs. This 20-minute podcast provides listeners with general information about what standards-based IEPs are and how parents and educators can use this approach for "changing the academic expectations and outcomes we have for students with IEPs."
Once you've listened to our podcast, download NCLD's new Advocacy Brief, "Understanding the Standards-based IEP." This detailed publication highlights how linking the IEP goals to grade-level standards can help your child make significant gains, contains a Q&A section with Dr. McLaughlin and offers additional information and resources.
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Download the most recent policy Podcast with Vincent Varrassi of Fairleigh Dickinson University as he discusses the basics every high school student and family should know about how to plan for a successful transition from high school to college for students with learning disabilities.
Read the April 2008 Legislative Update to learn about NCLD's priorities on Capitol Hill, including its work to include changes to the Americans with Disabilities Restoration Act and the College Opportunities and Affordability Act (Reauthorization of the Higher Education Act), as well as our efforts to protect the Medicaid Safety Net Act of 2008. In this issue you'll also be briefed on the pending NCLB reauthorization along with new releases from the Department of Education. NCLD is advocating for your rights today.
NCLD Policy Priority: Education FundingEducation funding is an important topic for students and families. Visit our Education Funding page and learn how funding from the local, state and federal levels combines together to impact the consistency and implementation of education for all of America's children.
New NAEP Report Shows Gains in Reading and Math Outpace Students Without DisabilitiesThe 2007 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) report released by the U.S. Department of Education shows that students with disabilities are making significant improvement – particularly at the 4th grade level - in both reading and math and in most cases have made gains that far outpace the gains made by students who do not have disabilities. Click here to read the NCLD Press release on the NAEP report. For more detailed information about the findings cited in the report, download the following PDFs, highlighting the performance of students with disabilities, 1998-2007, and the percentages of students at or above each achievement level for reading, grade 4: students classified as having a disability [IEP]: By jurisdiction, 1998-2007.
NCLD Submits Comments on Elementary and Secondary Education Act
NCLD has submitted comments to the U.S. House and Education and Labor Committee on its drafts of Title I and Title II – Title XI of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA). Click on links to download and view summaries of NCLD's comments on Title I A and Title II – Title XI as PDF files, or visit Title I A and Title II – Title XI to view the comments in their entirety.
A Misunderstood Policy with the Potential to Harm Millions of KidsThere is a critical policy debate raging in Washington, D.C. that most people are unaware of-- the "2 Percent Policy" debate within the NCLB reauthorization. The 2 Percent Policy focuses on raising the number of students who can take 'alternate assessments.' While this debate is covered only minimally by the media, the result of this debate will have a larger impact on students with learning disabilities than most people understand. Read more about this important policy. Read more about this important policy.
NCLD Releases Reports on Impact of NCLB
 The National Center for Learning Disabilities has released a comprehensive report on No Child Left Behind (NCLB) and its impact on students who receive special education in our nation's schools -- almost half of whom have learning disabilities (LD). The new report provides a compelling look at how several NCLB requirements have affected this important and often controversial student group. A companion study on State Test Accommodations Policies provides an overview of the variance and validity of these policies. Both reports provide recommendations for the reauthorization of NCLB, now underway in the U.S. Congress.
 A Parent's Guide to Response-to-Intervention (RTI) (PDF)
IDEA includes a new provision that allows states and school districts to use high quality, research-based instruction in general and special education to provide services and interventions to students who struggle with learning and may be at risk or suspected of having learning disabilities. NCLD has written this Guide to provide an overview of the RTI process, describe how it is implemented in schools and offer questions that parents can ask.
No Child Left Behind
Find the essential information you need to know about NCLB and how it plays an important role in the academic performance of students with learning disabilities!
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IDEA Parent Guide
Learn about your expanded parent rights and opportunities under the most recent special education law. Click here for an introduction to the guide.
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The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act 2004 (IDEA 2004)Congress has completed a major reauthorization of IDEA, the nation's special education law. Most provisions became effective July 1, 2005. Visit our IDEA 2004 section to keep up to date on important activities regarding the implementation of this new law. |
Get our LD Advocate's Guide
The first guide written explicitly for those wishing to advocate for individuals with learning disabilities! A complete "how-to" reference on all aspects of public policy advocacy, this guide offers invaluable information for both first-time and experienced advocates. Available in online and downloadable formats.
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Become an LD Advocate
Join NCLD's Action E-List to receive timely updates on Congressional actions affecting individuals with learning disabilities and be given the opportunity to communicate with Congress and influence their decisions on federal legislation.
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NCLD's policy and advocacy work is made possible in part by
The Charles and Helen Schwab Foundation and thousands of individuals nationwide.
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To help parents become knowledgeable and effective advocates for their children, NCLD has prepared guides on IDEA, No Child Left Behind and Response to Intervention. 
Get suggestions and strategies for kindergarten through eighth-grade teachers who have students with learning disabilities in their classrooms.
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