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The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) is the federal special education law which guides our school district's policies and procedures for identifying children with disabilities who need individualized education programs. State laws and administrative guidelines from the Department of Public Instruction are periodically updated to ensure compliance with the law and encourage the use of current best practices in education.
Under the direction of former State Superintendent John Benson, new rules for the identification of children with disabilities went into effect on July 1, 2001. The new rules address the eligibility criteria for determining the need for special education relating to:
The new eligibility criteria change the way IEP (Individualized Education Program) teams collect and interpret evaluation data when children are referred for special education. In addition, the new criteria require that before children are identified as needing special education services, all necessary and appropriate modifications have been made to the regular education curriculum and instruction. Finally, the revised criteria include updated terminology which helps to clarify the intent of the law.
Given these changes, what possible benefits might result from the use of the revised eligibility criteria? First, the use of updated evaluation practices and clearer guidelines may result in the more accurate identification of children with disabilities. In addition, a wider and more flexible range of services may now be made available to address the learning and behavioral needs of all children.
For more information about the revised eligibility criteria, you may contact the psychologist at your school or review the Department of Public Instruction website at: http://www.d pi.state.wi.us/dpi/dlsea/een/eligintro.html
Parents of children with disabilities may also wish to contact their child's special education case manager for additional details.
Jack Jorgensen, Director
Department of Educational Services
September, 2001
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Last Updated: October 24, 2003