To Assure The Free Appropriate Public Education Of All Children With Disabilities

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) provides funds to states for the education of children with disabilities. It contains detailed requirements for the receipt of these funds, including the core requirement of the provision of a free appropriate public education (FAPE). IDEA was comprehensively revised in 1997 by P L 105-17, but Congress has continued to grapple with issues relating to the Act. This book provides an overview of the Act with particular attention paid to issues of recent congressional concern, such as funding and the provision of FAPE for children with disabilities found to have brought a weapon to school.

It is vital for all professionals in the field of education to have a practical understanding of the laws that are in place to protect the children with whom they work. The Comprehensive Guide to Special Education Law is a detailed yet accessible introduction to federal law as it applies to the rights of children with special needs. Written in a user-friendly question and answer format, the book covers all of the key areas of special education law including parental rights of participation, the legal right to Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE) and related services, and the complex issues of discipline and dispute resolutions. This book provides educators with knowledge of the requirements, history, and evolution of the laws that impact their daily working lives and gives them the information they need to help parents obtain better services for their children. This is an indispensible handbook that teachers, school management, and school counselors will refer to again and again.

This report focuses on issues relating to the development of individualized education programs for and placement of students who are classified as having mental retardation, learning disabilities, behavioral disabilities, or serious emotional disturbances. The U.S. Commission on Civil Rights examined present-day barriers and inequities that deny students with these types of disabilities an equal opportunity to participate in educational programs. The report analyzes and evaluates the Office for Civil Right's (OCR) implementation, compliance, and enforcement efforts for Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act. It discusses other Federal disability laws, such as the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), and Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act, to the extent that they relate to Section 504.