CEC Policy Insider

Concerns on Inclusion of Students with Disabilities in Charter Schools Expressed in House Committee Hearing

The U.S. House Education and Labor Committee held a hearing to discuss the impact of charter schools on the public education system as it prepares to reauthorize – rewrite – the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, now known as No Child Left Behind.  Notably, witnesses and members of Congress raised concerns regarding recent studies which showed an under-representation of students with disabilities enrolled in charter schools and “counseling out” practices which may discourage prospective families of students with disabilities from enrolling their child because special education services and supports are unavailable.  CEC has echoed these concerns and others, with members of Congress and their staff and encouraged lawmakers to address issues of under-representation and providing a free appropriate public education in the least restrictive environment. 

Spread the Word to End the Word

March 3, 2010 is the official awareness day of the nationwide Spread the Word to End the Word campaign to discontinue derogatory use of the “r-word” and promote acceptance of people with intellectual disabilities.  The campaign is encouraging people to rally and pledge their support at www.r-word.org with the goal of reaching 100,000 pledges.

Highlight Your School’s Progress for Students with Disabilities and Gifts and Talents!

Last week, the White House announced the Race to the Top High School Commencement Challenge. High schools across the nation can compete to host the President as their graduation commencement speaker. At the beginning of the school year, the President encouraged students across the country to take responsibility for their education, study hard and graduate from high school.  The Race to the Top High School Commencement Challenge encourages schools to show how they are making great strides on personal responsibility, academic excellence and college readiness.

Institute of Education Sciences to Offer Free Seminar

 

The National Center for Special Education Research (NCSER) at the Institute of Education Sciences, will sponsor a free 3-day advanced studies seminar on the use of the National Longitudinal Transition Study 2 (NLTS2) database. The NLTS2 is designed to support research on a wide range of topics pertaining to youth with disabilities as they move from secondary school into adult roles.

The seminar will occur in Washington D.C. on April 13-15, 2010.

IES is housed within the U.S. Department of Education, and works to provide rigorous evidence on which to ground education practice and policy.

For more information on this seminar, visit the IES website.

One Year Anniversary of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act

One year ago, on February 17, 2009, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (a.k.a. the economic stimulus package) was signed into law by President Barack Obama. CEC celebrated this pivotal moment in the history of special education--this legislation more than doubled the current federal allocation for the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) (Read CEC’s press release from February 17, 2009. Specifically, the economic stimulus bill funded grants to states for IDEA Part B at $11.3 billion, Section 619 at $400 million, and Part C at $500 million. In addition, ARRA provided for a CEC-backed extension on the moratorium for several controversial Medicaid regulations that would have cut or eliminated reimbursements for services mandated by IDEA, as well as funding for other health and education initiatives.