Running head: SPECIAL EDUCATION (IDEA) REFLECTION
Special Education (IDEA) Reflection
Craig A. Bryant
EDUC 5382 – Administration of Special Operations
Professor – Dr. Kristy Duckworth
East Texas Baptist University
July 23, 2015
Version 1.0
SPECIAL EDUCATION (IDEA) REFLECTION
2
Philosophy, Policies, & Procedures
The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) replaced the Education for All
Handicapped Children Act, and is meant to ensure that students with a disability are provided
with a Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE) that is tailored to their individual needs. There
are four parts to this federal law, lettered A-D. Part A covers the general provisions of the law,
Part B covers assistance for education of all children with disabilities, Part C covers infants and
toddlers with disabilities which includes children from birth to age three, and Part D is the
national support programs administered at the federal level. In short, the goal of IDEA is to
provide children with disabilities the same opportunity for education as those students who do
not have a disability.
In addition to the four parts, there are six main elements, or components, to the law.
These six elements are: Individualized Education Program (IEP), Free and Appropriate Public
Education (FAPE), Least Restrictive Environment (LRE), Appropriate Evaluation, Parent and
Teacher Participation, and Procedural Safeguards. Other important aspects of the include
confidentiality and discipline of special education students. Special Education law is extensive,
and its policies and procedures cover an extremely wide breadth of information.
Planning, People, & Funding
Planning for the special education program requires that administrators, special education
teachers, diagnosticians, and general education teacher work together to ensure that students who
are under the Special Education umbrella are given the FAPE. This can be done through Campus
Improvement Plans, as well as other types of meetings. Annual Review meetings, called ARDs,
are held to discuss individual education plans with parents. This is where those plans are built,
SPECIAL EDUCATION (IDEA) REFLECTION
3
and once signed and processed, teachers and administrators must follow them. Funding comes
from federal and state sources.
Problems/Issues & Personal Beliefs
One problem that arises in my school is the issue of paperwork. I want to, as a general
education teacher, provide the assistance and IEP to the SpEd students. However, many times we
don’t receive the correct paperwork on students for at least a couple of weeks into the year.
Communication, or lack thereof, among all parties involved can also become a problem.
Furthermore, the law, understandably, is so extensive, that it is hard for a general education
teacher to have the necessary knowledge to keep up. Special Education law is in place to ensure
that all students receive a worthy education, and that is a great thing. As a teacher, I work hard to
make sure my SpEd students are given the best possible education. Teachers must work with the
specialists and administrators to make certain that these students don’t fall through the cracks.