A proposed overhaul of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act introduced by House Republicans last week would:
- Require parents to have a specific grievance when they file an official complaint and institute a one- year statute of limitations from the time of a violation to the time when a parent could file a complaint.
- Call for local districts with a disproportionately high number of minority students in special education to run prereferral programs that work to reduce the number of such students designated as having disabilities.
- Set up a 10-state pilot program allowing states to reduce the IDEA paperwork burden and allow districts and parents to agree to change IEPs without holding an IEP meeting.n Set up a 10-state pilot program allowing states to reduce the IDEA paperwork burden and allow districts and parents to agree to change IEPs without holding an IEP meeting.
- Encourage training of both special education teachers and regular education teachers to work with students with disabilities.
- Ensure that states align their accountability systems for students with disabilities with state accountability systems under the No Child Left Behind Act.
An amendment on school choice for special education students to be offered by Rep. Jim DeMint, R-S.C., would:
- Encourage states to develop choice programs for children with disabilities and permit states that have such programs to use federal funds to follow the children based on their parents’ choice.
SOURCE: House staff members
