CEC Policy Insider

United Nations Portal on Disability Statistics

The United Nations Statics Division of the Department of Economic and Social Affairs, the focal point dealing with official statistics in the UN, recently launched a new portal on disability statistics. Learn key facts about the situation of persons with disabilities in different countries of the world.

I Educate, I Participate

Only 6 days left until the 2018 midterm elections. Have you downloaded your copy of CEC’s nonpartisan election guide? The I Educate, I Participate: 2018 Midterm U.S. Congressional Election Voter Education Guide will provide you with information and resources to help prepare you during this election season. In this guide you’ll find information on candidate positions, upcoming town hall meetings, resources on voter registration, voter deadlines, finding your polling place, CEC’s policy priorities, and K–12 lesson plans for the voters and soon-to-be-voters in your classroom.

Let’s be sure to make our voices heard this election season!  CEC members can download your guide here. Nonmembers can download your guide here.

Primer on IDEA – Part B Funding

The Congressional Research Service recently released a "primer" on Individuals with Disabilities Education Act- Part B funding. The IDEA is one of the largest educational programs overseen by the U.S. Department of Education with $12.7 billion, 95% of the allocated budget being disbursed to Part B programs for FY 2018. From the first year of funding in 1977 until about a decade ago, appropriations for the Part B grants-to-states program had been rising rapidly. However, Part B funding trends changed after the 2004 reauthorization, and appropriations have fluctuated in the years since. The report examines the development of the allocation formula for the Part B grants-to-states program, the major changes to the formula over the past 40 years, current funding levels and trends, and how allocations are currently calculated.

U.S. Secretary of Education Unveils Parent’s Guide on ESSA

During the recent four-state “Rethink School” tour roundtable with students, parents and educators in Mississippi, U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos unveiled a letter and guide for parents on the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). Secretary DeVos outlines ESSA flexibilities in Understanding the Every Student Succeeds Act A Parents’ Guide to the Nation’s Landmark Education Law. The parent and guardian-friendly guide includes a 19-slide presentation that highlights how states and districts comply with ESSA regulations, and a technical document that explains ESSA’s flexibility after replacing the No Child Left Behind Act.

Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities: Full Implementation

The 11th session of the Conference of States Parties to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities took place in the United Nations Headquarters in New York from June 12-14, 2018. The overarching theme “leaving no one behind through the full implementation of the CRPD” was supported by many participants who described it as timely, and appropriately in line with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

During the Conference, the participants discussed challenges and shared national policies and good practices under the following sub-themes: 1) national fiscal space, public-private partnerships and international cooperation for strengthening the implementation of the CRPD; 2) women and girls with disabilities; and 3) political participation and equal recognition before the law. The official report of the Conference is available on the UN Enable website.