Employment outcomes have long been emphasized as a primary transition outcome for individuals with extensive support needs. To develop appropriate annual individualized education plan (IEP) goals for transition, appropriate transition assessments must be administered to guide the process (Prince et al., 2014). As such, transition assessment is a…

The author, former director of the Office of Special Education Programs in the U.S. Department of Education, describes policy changes that are needed to move the nation toward the positive life outcomes Congress articulated in the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act of 2004. Five policy recommendations are each supported by…

The least restrictive environment (LRE) mandate of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act has long been questioned as to whether it has fulfilled the original intent of the law. This advocacy brief provides an updated analysis of the flaws underlying the principle of LRE, a mandate that exists at the nexus of cultural beliefs about…

Sections 616 and 642 of the 2004 Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) required states to develop a State Performance Plan (SPP) to (a) evaluate their efforts in implementing the requirements of IDEA and (b) describe their plan for implementation of IDEA through determination of "measurable and rigorous" goals. In this…

Increasingly, people with intellectual disability are seeking, accessing, and benefiting from higher education. This article presents an overview of current legislative and policy issues as they related to postsecondary education for people with intellectual disability, including the Higher Education Opportunity Act, the Americans with…