Britney Timm
Sped 100
Dr. Steinhoff-Muller
April 26, 2010
The Six Principles of IDEA
The creation of IDEA was done to make sure that all children with disabilities had the
right to an education. In 1975, Congress passed the law, then known as the Education for All
Handicapped Children Act. The law was changed to Individuals with Disabilities Education Act
(IDEA) in 1990. IDEA is defined through six principles: zero reject; nondiscriminatory
identification and evaluation; free, appropriate public education (FAPE); least restrictive
environment (LRE); due process safeguards; and parent and student participation and shared
decision making. These laws were created to ensure that all children were allowed an education.
The principles of IDEA have changed the world of education significantly.
The first principle, Zero reject, states that all children with disabilities have the
opportunity to be educated. All children with disabilities may not be excluded in the education
process. This principle gives every child a chance to partake in a school setting if that is what
they want. Students between the ages of six and seventeen, regardless of their disability, have
the right to attend a public school. This principle has changed many students’ lives by giving
them the chance at an education. Students with disabilities are not allowed to be excluded from
the school setting.
The second principle, nondiscriminatory identification and evaluation are another very
important aspect of the IDEA principles. Nondiscriminatory identification and evaluation states
that schools must use nonbiased tests. Along with nonbiased testing schools must also all there to
be different methods of assessment to determine if a child has a disability. These tests are
required to be given in the student’s native language. By making the tests in the student’s native
language, there is less of a chance of cultural bias and other factors that may affect the results.
The student may not understand some of the questions if it is written in a language that they
aren’t familiar with. This gives all the students a fair chance. This principle reduces the number
of wrongly identified children. Too many students were identified as having disabilities because
they didn’t do well on the tests due to language barriers.
Free, Appropriate Public Education (FAPE) states that all children are allowed free
public education. It does not matter the severity of their disability, all children are given the
opportunity for a free education. This principle also states that an individualized education
program (IEP) should be formed for the student. The IEP documents many different areas such
as goals for the student and a description of the services that will be provided to help that student
further their education. This principle gave students with disabilities a free education. Educators
need to be very cooperative in this principal. Teachers need to make sure that the exceptions
stated in the IEP are met.
Least Restrictive Environment (LRE) says that children with disabilities are supposed to
be educated in the regular education classroom to the maximum extent possible. Children with
disabilities are to remain in the regular classroom unless their disability is affecting their
education. Then when the disability interferes with the student’s education, the student may be
placed in another classroom that has more one on one help. Schools must provide a continuum
of placement and service alternatives to make sure that each student is getting an appropriate
education. LRE gives all children the right to be educated in a regular classroom unless the
regular classroom is not appropriate for the particular student.
Another principle is due process safeguards. Due process safeguards were created to help
protect the rights of the student and their parents. Under the due process safeguards, parents
must give written consent for all evaluations and placement decisions and the school must keep
all records confidential. The parents are allowed to receive an independent evaluation if they
disagree with an evaluation done by the school. If the parents and the school don’t come to an
agreement on evaluations, placements, identification, or free, appropriate education services for
the child, the parents are entitled to a due process hearing. The parents may be offered mediation
before the hearing is held, because due process hearings are the final step taken to resolve a
conflict. If the parents win in court, the fees of their attorney are than waived.
The last principle is parent and student participation and shared decision making. This is
a very important principle in the IDEA process. The parents and when applicable the student’s
input is taken into consideration when making the goals for an IEP. Also the parents and student
can state their input on where they would like to be placed such as a regular and resource room.
It is very important for the parents to be involved with the student’s IEP process, because
otherwise the student may end up in a classroom that doesn’t meet the requirements of their
needs.
It is very important to know all six principles of IDEA. I am going into Computer
Education, and even though I will be a secondary teacher I will still have students with
disabilities in my classroom. It will be of great importance to know the students with disabilities
and if there is any way I can help them with the use of computers. In my classroom I will make
exceptions when needed whether that means letting students leave the classroom to learn a
different perspective on things or just to get help understanding what was discussed in class.
The six principles of IDEA: zero reject; nondiscriminatory identification and evaluation;
FAPE; LRE; due process safeguards; and parent and student participation and decision making
are all very important. The principles of IDEA have greatly impacted children’s lives and
shaped the process of education for children with disabilities. IDEA provides a free, appropriate
education to all children with disabilities no matter what race, gender, or any other factors that
may have affected their education. The principles of IDEA are very crucial in today’s society,
because without it students with disabilities whether they be mental or physical would not be in
schools. The creation of IDEA has forever changed the face of education.
Works Cited
Heward, W. L. (2009). In W. L. Heward, Exceptional Children: An Introduction to Special
Education (pp. 19-21). New Jersey: Pearson Merrill Prentice Hall.