Running Head: INDIVIDUALS WITH DISABILITIES EDUCATION IMPORVEMENT ACT 1
Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act
Kate Huppler
Dakota State University
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Abstract
Special education has drastically improved from being a separate educational system to
being integrated into the general education system. The Individuals with Disabilities
Education Improvement Act (IDEIA) ensures the progress of the inclusion of
individuals with disabilities into the classroom. There are six main principles within
IDEIA. Helpful factors can assist educators to implement IDEIA principles. The impacts
of IDEIA have left persons with exceptionalities integrated onto the larger society.
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Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act
The individuals with disabilities education improvement act (IDEIA) was made to protect the
right of all children to have access to education. The educational system is constantly changing
and the IDEIA offers assurance that education will remain a fair and equal right for all people. It
has undergone many changes throughout the years. Now it includes six principles that guide
educators to successful teaching. The impact of the IEDIA changed how successful teaching and
learning is achieved.
Legal Changes
Special education has drastically changed over the years. Prior to 1700, individuals with
exceptionalities were usually turned away from schools, ignored, or subjected to inhumane
treatment (Rotatori, Bakken, & Obiakor, 2011). It went through a significant change and growth
in the 1900s. In 1954, during the civil rights movement, the court obtained the case Brown v.
Topeka Board of Education. This civil rights case established that separate is not equal and the
segregation had to be put to a stop. Parents used this case as a foundation for their legal actions
supporting their children with disabilities gaining a free and appropriate public education
(Rotatori, Bakken, & Obiakor, 2011). In 1975, legislative initiative public law 94 – 142 –
Education of all handicapped Children Act was passed. This law made education a right for
every child, regardless of disability. In addition to encouraging all schools to educate every
student, schools placed all students in the least restrictive environment.
In 1990, the law changed to Individuals with Disabilities Education Act or IDEA. The
change to IDEA brought with it six principles that guided and supported the equal right of
children with disabilities: zero reject, non-discriminatory evaluation and placement, least
restrictive environment, free, appropriate public education, due process safeguards, shared
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decision making (Heward, 2013). Public law 94 – 142 has been amended many times, most
recently to Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEIA) which mandates
that students with special needs be granted access to the general education curriculum and
programs in the maximum extent appropriate (Brinkmann & Twiford, 2012). The changes circle
back and support the primary movement of inclusion (Whitmer, 2013).
IDEIA Principles
The six principles in the IDEIA require inclusion and documented proof for every step. The
six principles were put in place to protect the students with disabilities and their families and to
ensure an appropriate education is provided. To begin with, the zero reject principle was put in
place to make sure no student is excluded. IDEIA states that no student can be rejected from the
schools. Everybody has a right to an education (Heward, 2013).
Once in the school system, the student can be tested for a disability. However, the parents
must be contacted before any disability testing can be done. Each student must be given a variety
of tests to cover a variety of the different strengths and weaknesses that students may have in
order to cover the non-discriminatory evaluation principle (Heward, 2013).
If a tested student qualifies for special education, free, appropriate public education (FAPE)
must be provided by the local school. Deciding what is included in the FAPE for each student is
determined by a team that includes a special education teacher, the student’s general education
teachers, the student’s parents, and a higher official that is usually a principal (Heward, 2013).
These individuals compromise the individual education program (IEP) team that meets to create
an IEP. The IEP is a program developed for an individual student to encourage educational
progress in areas in which the student needs help as identified by the testing and the IEP team.
An IEP is made for every student that qualifies for special education and each qualifying student
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requires a specialized IEP. Each IEP is made with the individual student in mind and should have
enough information about the special needs of the student that it could be used by an unfamiliar
teacher can to design lesson plans that are suitable for the student (Diliberto & Brewer, 2012).
Each IEP must include assistive technology required by the student (Diliberto & Brewer, 2012).
Another principle that generally involves an entire page on the IEP form is the idea of the
least restrictive environment (LRE). The LRE requires careful consideration about the preferred
educational environment for each student. It would be preferred to have every student in the
general education classroom 100% of the time. The benefits of the general education classroom
for the student with a disability include exposure to positive role modeling, behavior skills, and
social skills. Another benefit is the exposure of students with disabilities to the general education
curriculum. Students with disabilities are not the only students that will benefit as all students
gain experience with new technologies that come with the integration of the students with
disabilities into the classroom. The different teaching methods required by students with
disabilities can improve learning for all students (Whitmer, 2013). Educational environments
within IEPs may include real-life settings. It is essential that teaching students the skills
proscribed by their IEP goals and objectives occur in a variety of real-life settings (Heward,
2013).
The next principle of IDEIA, states that all parents or guardians must receive a copy of
procedural safeguards enacted for their children. Effective school districts must take
responsibility for informing parents of their rights (Diliberto & Brewer, 2012). Schools must
follow an extensive set of safeguards to protect the rights of students and parents. To begin with,
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the parents must be present from the start; to initiate any IEP meetings the parents must give
consent (Heward, 2013).
The last principle of IDEIA requires shared decision making with the parents and the IEP
team every step of the way. Educators should refrain from predetermining IEP decisions or
completing IEP forms without family input. Open communication prior to the meeting shows
respect to the parents and encourages them to have a more active role in their child’s education.
Parents who are active team members can help the IEP team better understand the student and
family. Parents input should also be added when writing goals and objectives in IEPs (Diliberto
& Brewer, 2012). Reaching educational goals often depends on course instruction. All educators
and learners are influenced by the six principles of IDEIA.
Impacts of IDEIA Principles
Co-teaching among special education and general education teachers is a rapidly increasing
in current instruction because it benefits both students with and without disabilities. Co-teaching
can make it more possible to succeed with full inclusion where students can work on language
and social skills through positive role modeling. With co-teaching, each teacher will have to
contribute and work together to make a successful and creative learning environment that
enhances every student’s education (Whitmer, 2013).
The IEP can help teachers create lesson plans. As noted previously, effective school districts
take responsibility for informing the parents of their rights involving their children with
disabilities, furthermore, effective teachers look at every IEP made for students with disabilities
and use the information to create successful lesson plans. The IEP should play a major role in
creating lesson plans designed to meet the student’s unique needs (Diliberto & Brewer, 2012).
No two IEPs are the same and accurate IEPs require open communication among all IEP team
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members particularly between parents and other IEP team members in order to discover the
unique needs of the student. Several strategies that encourage positive communication among
parents and other IEP team members include emphasizing an open-door policy, encouraging
parental visits and participation, and providing several forms of contact information. Diliberto
and Brewer (2012) point out that with open communication, meaningful engagement can occur
(Diliberto & Brewer, 2012).
Conclusion
Every student with disabilities is different. The IDEIA impacts how educators work with
each individual student as it emphasizes that each student has unique educational needs
(Whitmer, 2013). It also reminds educators that there are no set ways to deliver educational
services (Whitmer, 2013).
Under the watch of the IDEIA, the educational system can continue its spectacular
progression of improving educational opportunities for students with disabilities. Special
education has been drastically improved by changing from being a separate educational system
to being integrated into the general education system. The six principles from IDEIA have
helped to form special education into what it is today. It positively changed the role of education
for students with disabilities. It has been instrumental in the progression of improved inclusion of
individuals with disabilities into the larger society (Rotatori, Bakken, & Obiakor, 2011).
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Resources
Brinkmann, J., & Twiford, T. (2012). Voices from the Field: Skill Sets Needed for Effective
Collaboration and Co-Teaching. International Journal of Educational Leadership
Preperation, 1-13.
Diliberto, J. A., & Brewer, D. (2012). Six Tips for Successful IEP Meetings. Teaching
Exceptional Children, 30-37.
Heward, W. L. (2013). Exceptional Children: An Introduction to Special Education. Upper
Saddle River: Pearson.
Rotatori, A. F., Bakken, J. P., & Obiakor, F. E. (2011). History of Special Education. Bingley,
UK: Emerald.
Whitmer, R. (2013). Adaptind K12 for Students with Autism. District Administration, 30-42.