IDEA

Learn more about the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act and how it affects schools and students
Flags decorate a space outside the office of the Education Secretary at the Education Department in Washington on Aug. 9, 2017.
Flags decorate a space outside the office of the Education Secretary at the U.S. Department of Education. The Government Accountability Office has released recommended priorities for the Education Department that target special education rights.
Jacquelyn Martin/AP
Federal Restraint and Seclusion, and Disability Rights: Ed. Department Has Work to Do, Audit Finds
The Government Accountability Office releases a checklist of how the U.S. Department of Education is performing on a list of priorities.
Libby Stanford, July 13, 2022
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4 min read
Conceptual Illustration of Government taking a big chunk of the money
DigitalVision Vectors/Getty
Education Funding 7 Ways the Federal Government Shortchanges K-12 Schools
Districts haven't gotten the help they need and expect on infrastructure, high-need students, special education, school meals, and more.
Mark Lieberman, July 12, 2022
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9 min read
A paraprofessional guides a student back to his gym class while participating in remote learning at his home in Wharton, N.J.
Paraprofessional Jessica Wein guides Josh Nazzaro back to his gym class while participating in remote learning at his home in Wharton, N.J., in 2020. New research adds to long-standing critiques of federal funding for special education.
Seth Wenig/AP
Special Education What the Research Says Federal Special Ed. Funding Is Woefully Inequitable, New Studies Show
Outdated funding formulas continue to widen gaps that shortchange students with disabilities and other vulnerable groups, researchers say.
Mark Lieberman, June 1, 2022
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5 min read
Conceptual image of supporting students.
Illustration by Laura Baker/Education Week (Source images: DigitalVision Vectors and iStock/Getty)
Special Education L.A. Agrees to Do More After Failing on Special Education. Could Other Districts Be Next?
The district failed to meet the needs of students with disabilities during the pandemic, the U.S. Department of Education found.
Evie Blad, April 29, 2022
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6 min read
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis speaks at the opening of a monoclonal antibody site in Pembroke Pines, Fla., on Aug. 18, 2021. The on-again, off-again ban imposed by Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis to prevent mandating masks for Florida school students is back in force. The 1st District Court of Appeal ruled Friday, Sept. 10, that a Tallahassee judge should not have lifted an automatic stay two days ago that halted enforcement of the mask mandate ban.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis speaks at the opening of a monoclonal antibody site in Pembroke Pines, Fla., on Aug. 18, 2021. The on-again, off-again ban imposed by Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis to prevent mandating masks for Florida school students is back in force. The 1st District Court of Appeal ruled Friday, Sept. 10, that a Tallahassee judge should not have lifted an automatic stay two days ago that halted enforcement of the mask mandate ban.
Marta Lavandier/AP
Law & Courts Federal Judge Denies Parents' Suit to Block Florida's Ban on School Mask Mandates
The parents argued that their children, due to health conditions, were at particular risk if any of their peers attend school without masks.
David Goodhue, Miami Herald, September 16, 2021
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3 min read
School children in classroom with teacher, wearing face masks and raised hands
DigitalVision/Vectors/Getty
Special Education Schools Must Identify Students With Disabilities Despite Pandemic Hurdles, Ed. Dept. Says
Guidance stresses schools' responsibilities to those with disabilities, while noting that federal COVID aid can be used to address backlogs.
Evie Blad, August 24, 2021
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2 min read
An Issaquah School District school bus waits at an intersection near where a rally to encourage wider opening of in-person learning was being held on Feb. 24, 2021, in Issaquah, Wash.. Students in kindergarten and lower-elementary grades recently returned to school in the district under a hybrid in-person learning program, but older elementary, middle-, and high school students are still being taught remotely.
A school bus waits at an intersection near the site of a rally in February to encourage wider opening of in-person learning in the Issaquah School District in Issaquah, Wash. Transportation costs for students with special needs this year dipped because of remote learning.
Ted S. Warren/AP
Budget & Finance Spending on Special Ed. in Some Districts Plunged This Year. Budget Cuts Could Be Next
Schools faced unprecedented challenges delivering instruction and support to students with disabilities this year—and the costs of providing those services evolved as well.
Mark Lieberman, May 4, 2021
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7 min read
Special Education Flint's Special Education Students Win Support, Compensation in Landmark Settlement
A small portion of a $600 million settlement will be used to improve services and supports for children impacted by the city's water crisis.
Corey Mitchell, August 20, 2020
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2 min read
School & District Management Schools Seek Cover From Special Education Lawsuits, But Advocates See Another Motive
Special education advocates argue the push for liability protection is a veiled attempt to seek waivers from the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, the nation's primary special education law.
Corey Mitchell, July 29, 2020
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4 min read
Special Education A Few Parents Have Sued Over Special Education During COVID-19. Will More Follow?
Districts could face a rising tide of special education-related lawsuits and complaints when schools resume, experts say, if they still cannot offer the services that students with disabilities missed out on for months.
Corey Mitchell, July 13, 2020
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6 min read
School & District Management Special Ed. Administrators Press Congress for IDEA Waivers During Pandemic
The requests put the nation's special education administrators in conflict with disability rights advocates who fear waivers will place millions of special education students at risk.
Corey Mitchell, April 16, 2020
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2 min read
Special Education Just in Time: a Resource Hub on Remote Learning for Special Education Students
Nearly 30 disability rights and education advocacy organizations have launched a new resource hub and online network designed to help special educators during the coronavirus crisis.
Corey Mitchell, April 8, 2020
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1 min read
Special Education How to Handle IEPs During the Coronavirus Crisis? Some Expert Advice
Very carefully, experts say, while understanding that federal laws governing special education were not written with online education in mind.
Corey Mitchell, April 3, 2020
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6 min read
Special Education Letter to the Editor Boost IDEA Funding
To the Editor:
As an occupational therapy student, I have concerns about the funding schools are currently receiving. ("Why the Feds Still Fall Short on Special Education Funding," Jan. 10, 2020). I believe federal funding for the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) should be granted in full.
March 3, 2020
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1 min read
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