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Legislative Update
109th Congress
Washington, DC | May 2006 |
In this issue: New Parent Guide to IDEA 2004
The National Center for Learning Disabilities is pleased to announce the release of its new Parent Guide to IDEA 2004. The Parent Guide - the first comprehensive guide to important changes made by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act of 2004 - uses accessible language to help parents recognize their rights and opportunities in the special education process. One of the unique elements is a series of audio clips that feature parents who share their experiences on a specific topic and provide advice and support. The guide's 11 chapters cover how to request an evaluation, determine eligibility, and develop an Individualized Education Program (IEP), among other topics. The free guide is available at www.LD.org/IDEAguide. New Parent Advocacy Briefs on High-Stakes Testing and Response-to-Intervention
 High-Stakes Testing and Its Impact on Students with Learning Disabilities. The use of test results to make high-stakes decisions about students is on the rise nationwide. This new Parent Advocacy Brief outlines the major issues, the most common obstacles and provides a checklist so students stay on course for the future. A Parent's Guide to Response-to-Intervention. IDEA encourages school districts to use high quality, research-based instruction in general and special education to provide services and interventions to students who struggle to learn and may be at risk or suspected of having learning disabilities. This new Parent Advocacy Brief provides an overview of the RTI process, describes how it might be implemented in schools and offers questions that parents can ask. These and other Parent Advocacy Briefs are available in Advocacy Essentials. 2007 Federal Education Spending Update
The U.S. Congress is moving slowly on the budget process for federal spending for the Fiscal 2007 year which begins October 1, 2006. To date, the Senate has approved a budget resolution which included an amendment offered by Senator Arlen Specter (R-PA) and Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA) that added $7 billion for education and health programs over the President’s budget, including funding for special education. Unfortunately, the U.S. House of Representatives’ Budget Committee failed to pass a similar amendment and is poised to pass a House budget resolution that would decrease the funding for students with disabilities, including 2.8 million students with learning disabilities. Find out how much your state and Congressional district is owed in funding for education laws. Download State and Congressional District Data compiled by the National Education Association at http://www.nea.org/lac/fy07edfunding/index.html. No Child Left Behind Commission
A new bipartisan, independent commission will examine the strengths and weaknesses of the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) and has announced it will make concrete and realistic recommendations to Congress, the Administration, State and local stakeholders, parents and the general public. The commission is co-chaired by former Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary and Wisconsin Governor Tommy Thompson and former Georgia Governor Roy Barnes. Key appointees to the fifteen-member Commission include former Assistant Secretary of the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services, Judy Heumann, and the former HHS Assistant Secretary for Management, Dr. Ed Sontag, both of whom have extensive education and disability backgrounds. The Commission is holding a series of hearings across the country to gather information on various aspects of the law. NCLD will keep you apprised of the commission's activities and will also be asking you to submit written comments as the hearings take place in the coming weeks. More information is available at www.nclbcommission.org. New Toolkit for Teaching and Assessing Students with Disabilities
The U.S. Department of Education has released a compilation of current information that will provide assistance to states as they move forward in improving results for students with disabilities. According to the Department, the Tool Kit brings together the most current and accurate information, including research briefs and resources designed to improve instruction, assessment, and accountability for students with disabilities in a format that is easy to access and to understand. The Tool Kit has been designed to assist state personnel, schools, and families in their efforts to ensure that all students with disabilities receive a quality education. The Tool Kit is available here. Comments to Proposed Regulations for NCLB assessments and IDEA Pilots
The National Center for Learning Disabilities has recently submitted comments to several draft regulations promulgated by the U.S. Department of Education including: Proposed regulations allowing states to test up to 2% of all students (approximately 20% of students with disabilities) with a new alternate assessment under NCLB. Read NCLD's comments. Proposed criteria for the Paperwork Waiver Demonstration Program authorized by IDEA 2004 for up to 15 states. Read NCLD's comments.
Proposed criteria for the Multi-Year Individualized Education Program Demonstration Program (IEP) for up to 15 states. Read NCLD's comments. Previous Legislative Updates:
December 2005
October 2005
May 2005
April 2005
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