IDEA

Learn more about the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act and how it affects schools and students
United States flag pencil drawing an up arrow over a road. Success direction planning symbol as a pencil drawing an upward 3D illustration arrow from a straight road as a symbol for the growing American public education and civic engagement.
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Federal Opinion How to Get Ahead of a Trump Education Agenda
An attorney at the Center for Law and Education proposes three K-12 ideas to recommit to the promise of public education.
Chris Yarrell, August 2, 2024
5 min read
Kristen Eichamer holds a Project 2025 fan in the group's tent at the Iowa State Fair, Aug. 14, 2023, in Des Moines, Iowa. A constellation of conservative organizations is preparing for a possible second White House term for Donald Trump. The Project 2025 effort is being led by the Heritage Foundation think tank.
Kristen Eichamer holds a Project 2025 fan in the group's tent at the Iowa State Fair on Aug. 14, 2023, in Des Moines, Iowa. Conservative organizations preparing for a possible second White House term for Donald Trump have assembled a policy agenda that would eliminate the U.S. Department of Education and phase out Title I funds for public schools.
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Education Funding Project 2025 Would Dramatically Cut Federal Funds for Schools. Then What?
A key federal funding source for schools would disappear under the conservative policy agenda.
Mark Lieberman, July 22, 2024
9 min read
Instructor working with adult special needs student.
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Special Education Many Students Can Get Special Ed. Until Age 22. What Districts Should Do
School districts' responsibilities under federal special education law aren't always clear-cut.
Mark Lieberman, June 27, 2024
4 min read
Teacher helping adult special-needs student with computer.
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Special Education Who's Eligible for Special Education Services? Schools Struggle to Keep Up
Many states now require schools to offer special education services to students until they turn 22. Costs and logistics can be daunting.
9 min read
Glossary abstract concept open book with special education iconography
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Special Education Explainer A Guide to Special Education Terms
The number of students in special education has increased steadily in the last four decades. Here are some of the common terms used.
Brooke Schultz, May 21, 2024
7 min read
Illustration of Benjamin Franklin on a one hundred dollar bill looking at a calculator that says "recalculating."
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Education Funding This State Would Be the First to Reject Federal K-12 Funds. But It's Far From a Given
Tennessee lawmakers have established a task force to review federal education funding, risking money for low-income schools and special ed.
Libby Stanford, November 13, 2023
8 min read
Education Week opinion letters submissions
Gwen Keraval for Education Week
Special Education Letter to the Editor Schools Must Do Better to Meet IDEA Requirements
More states must follow through on this law.
September 19, 2023
1 min read
Image of a classroom under a magnifying glass.
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Special Education Do More to Ensure Schools Meet Obligations to Students With Disabilities, Feds Tell States
States must have "robust" systems to ensure schools obey federal special education law, new guidance says.
Evie Blad, July 27, 2023
4 min read
Special Education teacher Amy Kenyon goes over a reading assignment with her students at Harrison Elementary School in Twin Falls, Idaho, on March 8, 2018. All special education students follow individualized education programs, which are tailored to their special needs.
Special Education teacher Amy Kenyon goes over a reading assignment with her students at Harrison Elementary School in Twin Falls, Idaho, on March 8, 2018. All special education students follow individualized education programs, which are tailored to their special needs.
Pat Sutphin/The Times-News via AP
Special Education Explainer What Is an IEP? Individualized Education Programs, Explained
What IEPs are, what their purpose is, and which students are eligible.
Eesha Pendharkar, July 27, 2023
1 min read
Photo of teacher working with special-needs student.
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Student Well-Being A Medicaid Change Could Make It Easier for Schools to Pay for Special Ed. Services
A rule change from The U.S. Department of Education would eliminate a step that often complicates schools' efforts to bill Medicaid.
Libby Stanford, May 18, 2023
8 min read
Image of a student working with a teacher.
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Special Education Quiz How Does Special Education Funding Work? Test Your Knowledge
What is IDEA? How much can the federal government contribute to special education funding? Take our quiz.
Mark Lieberman, May 4, 2023
1 min read
Special education teacher Savannah Tucker works with Bode Jasper at the Early Childhood Education Center in Tupelo, Miss., on May 14, 2019. As the special education population has grown, so has mainstreaming - bringing these students into regular classrooms for at least part of their school days.
Special education teacher Savannah Tucker works with Bode Jasper at the Early Childhood Education Center in Tupelo, Miss., on May 14, 2019. Special education costs are rising, particularly as student needs have grown more complex since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Thomas Wells/The Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal via AP
Budget & Finance Special Education Is Getting More Expensive, Forcing Schools to Make Cuts Elsewhere
States and districts share the disproportionate cost burden of supporting a complex, growing, and vulnerable population.
Mark Lieberman, April 20, 2023
8 min read
Miguel Perez
Miguel Luna Perez, who is deaf, attended schools in Michigan's Sturgis Public School District from ages 9 through 20.
Photo courtesy of Luna Perez family
Law & Courts Supreme Court Rules Deaf Student Can Sue School District Over Alleged Failures
The justices rule that the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act does not bar the student's suit for money damages.
Mark Walsh, March 21, 2023
5 min read
President Joe Biden speaks about his 2024 budget proposal at the Finishing Trades Institute, Thursday, March 9, 2023, in Philadelphia.
President Joe Biden speaks about his 2024 budget proposal at the Finishing Trades Institute, Thursday, March 9, 2023, in Philadelphia.
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Federal How Schools Fare in Biden's Proposed Budget
President Joe Biden released his fiscal 2024 budget, which calls for more money for preschool, Title I, and special education.
Libby Stanford, March 9, 2023
7 min read