The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) is the guiding piece of legislation for special education in the United States. IDEA was initially signed into law in 1975 as the Education for All Handicapped Children Act (or Public Law 94-142) to provide children with disabilities a free and appropriate public education (FAPE), which many children were not receiving at the time. IDEA contains specific provisions to provide students with disabilities FAPE, such as Individualized Education Plans (IEPs), education in the least restrictive environment (LRE), special disciplinary procedures, zero reject, and protection in evaluation procedures. IDEA also specifies a number of procedural safeguards (e.g., due process) to increase the likelihood that these provisions are carried out appropriately.
As you complete the work for the lesson on IDEA, keep in mind:
- The conditions and court cases that led to the passage of IDEA
- The nature of IDEA as a voluntary funding mandate
- The approximate percentage of special education funding provided by IDEA
- Who is served under IDEA
- Age ranges, disability categories, requirement of benefiting from special education
- The four parts of Title I of the IDEA
- The meaning of the primary provisions of IDEA and how they promote FAPE for students with disabilities
- That procedural safeguards are meant to protect the rights of students with disabilities and their parents to the provisions of IDEA and, in turn, FAPE
- The primary changes to IDEA in the 1997 and 2004 reauthorizations
- How IDEA is monitored
Use these “Flashcards” to practice definitions and terminologies from this lesson.
To get the most out of this activity view the questions and answers separately. To do this please uncheck the box next to “Both Sides” located on the top right of the flashcard.
