Even though paid advocates exist in the field of special education, teacher advocates are important because their work is based on passion and a belief that change is warranted due to their own needs and experiences with students, not merely on the basis that they are being paid to advocate. Education policy in recent years has become more…

This quantitative perception study explored the relationship between (a) the amount of administrator support given to teachers who teach special needs students and (b) teacher self-efficacy with regard to teaching special needs students. Electronic surveys were utilized to collect data for this study. Data were collected from 31 administrators and…

Special education services provided in public schools today are rooted in the Federal Law passed in 1975 known as the Education for all Handicapped Children Act (EAHCA). Since 1975 this law has undergone revisions, now known as the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) but law provided the foundation to guarantee all public-school…

The decades-long assault on principles of special education--some knowingly, such as the regular education initiative, and some unknowingly, such as certain presumptions and practices of full inclusion--have consequences that may negatively affect the future of the field. Protracted criticisms on the character, role, and legitimacy of traditional…

The describes the nation's progress in (1) providing a free appropriate public education (FAPE) for children with disabilities under IDEA, Part B, and early intervention services to infants and toddlers with disabilities and their families under IDEA, Part C; (2) ensuring that the rights of these children with disabilities and their parents are…

There has been a long-standing history of segregation and exclusion of students with disabilities from receiving a quality education in public school districts throughout the country. In response to the growing outcry for equal opportunities for students with and without special needs, Congress passed the Education for All Handicapped Children Act…

This is the 44th Annual Report to Congress on the Implementation of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, 2022. Section 664(d) of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), as reauthorized in 2004, requires that the Department of Education report annually on the progress made toward the provision of a free appropriate…

This is the "42nd Annual Report to Congress on the Implementation of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, 2020." Section 664(d) of the "Individuals with Disabilities Education Act" ("IDEA"), as reauthorized in 2004, requires that the Department of Education report annually on the progress made toward the…

This is the "43rd Annual Report to Congress on the Implementation of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, 2021." Section 664(d) of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), as reauthorized in 2004, requires that the Department of Education report annually on the progress made toward the provision of a free…

Since the enactment of Public Law 94-142, school districts have struggled to hire and retain required special education personnel (i.e., special education teachers, school psychologists, and related service providers). Data show that shortages of these qualified personnel are even more magnified in rural school districts. Distance education can…

Richard Simpson is professor of special education at the University of Kansas (KU). Dr. Simpson's duties at KU have included roles of staff psychologist, teaching associate, assistant professor, project director, associate professor, professor, and chairperson for the Department of Special Education. He has directed numerous University of Kansas…

The principal is the key element in shaping and sustaining educational programs that provide children with disabilities the opportunity to be educated in the general education setting. Federal mandates require compliance in educational services for children with disabilities. This has changed the role of principals in education. As schools strive…

This is the "41st Annual Report to Congress on the Implementation of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, 2019." Section 664(d) of the "Individuals with Disabilities Education Act" ("IDEA"), as reauthorized in 2004, requires that the Department of Education report annually on the progress made toward the…

The purpose of this study is to interview high school teachers of English Language Arts and special educators who are partners in a co-teaching model. It is important to understand the perceptions of teachers using co-teaching models to learn about the strengths of the program, as well as areas for improvement. In 1975, public education changed…

Since the enactment of the "Education for All Handicapped Children Act of 1975" ("EHA"), Public Law (P.L.) 94-142 and its successor statute, the "Individuals with Disabilities Education Act" ("IDEA"), the secretary of the U.S. Department of Education (secretary) (and her predecessor, the commissioner of…