CEC Policy Insider

CEC Introduces Issue Briefs to Support Special Education Advocacy

This summer, over 200 special educators gathered in Washington, D.C. at the Special Education Legislative Summit, organized by the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) to advocate for special and gifted education issues with their members of Congress on Capitol Hill. During the 5-day event, attendees were briefed on nine critical issues addressing special and gifted education.

In an effort to promote additional advocacy, CEC has released all nine issue briefs, and encourages advocates to use them when preparing to speak with their members of Congress. The issue briefs consist of the topics below.

1. Education Appropriations
2. School and Community Based Mental Health
3. Early Childhood
4. Individuals with Disabilities Education Act
5. School Choice
6. Higher Education Act
7. Carl D. Perkins Act
8. Special Education Research
9. Gifted Education

Access PDF versions of all Issue Briefs here.

Your Thoughts on IDEA Reauthorization?

While we do not know for sure when IDEA reauthorization will occur, CEC wants to be proactive! To prepare for the reauthorization, the CEC Board of Directors has created an IDEA Work Group to develop principles and recommendations that will be available early in 2017. The Work Group wants to hear from CEC members, units, and divisions about successes and challenges with IDEA. Take part in this important effort and tell us what you think by completing all or part of the IDEA Reauthorization Survey. Please respond by October 12, 2016. Thank you for your participation! Learn more.

Join us! CEC’s Policy Team Heads to CEC’s Annual Convention and Expo with a Packed Agenda!

We hope you will be joining us and thousands of special educators in St. Louis, Missouri for CEC’s Annual Convention and Expo! CEC’s Convention will provide us all with an opportunity to reflect on special education and how we can continue to advance the profession and support better outcomes for children and youth with disabilities and gifts and talents.  This year’s convention will offer over 800 professional development sessions featuring the most pressing issues in the field, as well as speakers and celebrations you won’t want to miss!  

CEC’s Policy and Advocacy team will be bringing to you the hot policy topics from budget to ESSA and beyond! Here is the schedule of events:

• All Week – CEC’s Legislative Action Center: Come by CEC’s Legislative Action Center in CEC Central to learn more about the 114^th Congress, CEC’s policy initiatives and the advocacy that you can do on behalf of children and youth with exceptionalities, their families and the professionals who work with them!

• Wednesday, April 13, 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM – Room 227 Convention Center: What Every Educator Needs to Know About Coming Changes to Special Education Policy – Deb Ziegler, Director, CEC. 

• Thursday, April 14, 10:30 – 11:30 AM – Room 226 Convention Center: What’s New and Notable in the National Center for Special Education Research – Joan McLaughlin, Commissioner, NCSER.

• Thursday, April 14, 3:30 – 4:30 PM – Room 226 Convention Center: ESSA – Ruth Ryder, Acting Director, OSEP.

• Friday, April 15, 9:15 – 11:30 AM – Room 226 Convention Center: What’s Happening in Washington - Ruth Ryder, Acting Director, OSEP and Deb Ziegler, Director, CEC.

• Saturday, April 16, 9:15 – 10:15 AM – Room 226 Convention Center: IDEA Reauthorization Town Hall -  Deb Ziegler, Director, CEC, Antonis Katsiyannis, President, CEC, Tim Lewis, Chair IDEA Work Group, CEC. 

Click here for more info on CEC’s 2016 Convention! Hope to see you in St. Louis!

If you are not able to join us in St. Louis look for handouts and PowerPoint presentations from the convention that will be posted to CEC’s website after the convention.

ED Releases Thirty – Seventh Annual Report to Congress on IDEA

The 37th Annual Report to Congress on the Implementation of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, 2015. 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 public education to all children with disabilities and the provision of early intervention services to infants and toddlers with disabilities.

The 37th Annual Report to Congress on the Implementation of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, 2015 describes our nation’s progress in:

1. providing a free appropriate public education (FAPE) for all children with disabilities,
2. ensuring that the rights of children with disabilities and their parents are protected,
3. assisting states and localities in providing for the education of all children with disabilities, and
4. assessing the effectiveness of efforts to educate children with disabilities.

The report focuses on the children and students with disabilities being served under IDEA, Part C or B, nationally and at the state level.

Read the report.

FY 2016 Omnibus: Increases Proposed for Special and Gifted Education!

The final text of the FY 2016 Omnibus was filed by Congress early this morning. Another short – term continuing resolution will likely be voted on by Congress in the next couple of days followed by the FY 2016 Omnibus.

CEC’s Advocacy voice was heard! While most education programs are recommended to be frozen at FY 15 amounts, both special and gifted education are slated for increases.

The following CEC supported programs are recommended to receive increases in the Omnibus for FY 2016 including:

• IDEA Part B = +$415 million
• IDEA Preschool Program = +$15 million
• IDEA Part C = +$20 million
• IDEA Part D
  • Technical Assistance and Dissemination = +$2.5 million
  • Technology and media services = +$2 million
• Javits Gifted and Talented = +$2 million

Research in Special Education was not cut as recommended by both the House and Senate. The Omnibus recommends $54 million which is the FY 2015 funded level. All other special education programs are recommended to be frozen at FY 15 levels. Unfortunately, the rider to block the proposed higher education teacher preparation regulations are not included in the omnibus. It is anticipated the U.S. Department of Education will release these regulations in the very near future.

Thank you CEC members for your tireless advocacy. Your persistent efforts have made a difference! Stay tuned for future news on the passage of the FY 2016 Omnibus.