Running head: INDIVIDUALS WITH DISABILITIES EDUCATION ACT 1

Individuals with Disabilities Education Act and Its Implications on the Education System,

Educators, and Individuals

Stephanie A. Boersma

Dakota State University

INDIVIDUALS WITH DISABILITIES EDUCATION ACT 2

Abstract

A quality education is one of the most powerful investments in an individuals future. All

individuals deserve the access to a free and quality education. The Individuals with Disabilities

Education Act ensures equal educational opportunities to all children, calling for specially

designed instruction for each child and related services designed to meet unique needs. This act

was a response to the societal concern about granting people with disabilities the same rights and

privileges as other citizens. This act transformed special education, tremendously impacting the

entire American education system, primarily through its establishment of six major principles

which focus on the rights of students with disabilities and the responsibilities of public schools to

these students. Not only did this act transform American education as a whole, but it also

tremendously influenced the role of educators within this system as well as the lives of the

individuals affected.

Keywords: education, equal, disabilities

INDIVIDUALS WITH DISABILITIES EDUCATION ACT 3

Individuals with Disabilities Education Act and Its Implications on the System,

Educators, and Individuals

Education is the most powerful weapon for changing the world. It gives individuals a

knowledge of the surrounding world and equips students with the skills and knowledge

necessary to expand their horizons and excel not only in their academic performance, but also

learn skills they can apply to their future careers and entire lives. All students deserve a quality

education that will endow them with the power of knowledge. However, it was not until 1990

that all students were given equal educational opportunities. It was during this year the

Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) was passed, a United States federal law

which protects the rights of students with disabilities by ensuring that everyone receives a free

appropriate public education, regardless of ability. Prior to this point, students with disabilities

were either sent home or to institutions designed specifically for those with disabilities. The

IDEA was a turning point in special education, in that it finally provided individuals with any

learning, mental, or physical disabilities equal access to education, protection from harassment or

discrimination, and skills needed to lead productive, independent lives (Sprayberry, 2015). The

components of the IDEA impacted not only the American education system as a whole, but also

the role of educators within the system, and the lives of students with disabilities.

The IDEA is comprised of six major principles to ensure all children receive a quality

education. The first, described as zero reject, requires schools to educate all students with

disabilities. Schools must locate, identify, and provide services to all eligible students with

disabilities. The second principle provides protection in evaluation. Using nonbiased,

multifactored methods of evaluation, schools conduct an assessment to determine if a student has

an IDEA related disability and if the student needs special education services. Further, the
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evaluation procedures must not discriminate based on race, culture, or native language. The next

component asserts that all students receive free appropriate public education (FAPE), no matter

the type or severity of the childs disability. Schools are required to develop and deliver an

individualized education program (IEP) of special education services that confers meaningful

educational benefit. The fourth component is titled least restrictive environment, and requires

that schools educate students with disabilities along with nondisabled students to the maximum

extent appropriate. Students with disabilities are only to be removed to separate classes when the

severity of their disabilities stops them from receiving an appropriate education in a general

education classroom with additional aids and services. The next principle, procedural safeguards,

ensures the enforcement of IDEA. This principle requires schools to comply with and follow a

vast set of procedures which protect the children with disabilities and their parents. The final

principle of IDEA is parental participation, requiring schools to collaborate with parents in the

development and delivery of their childs special education program (Saleh, 2016). These six

chief principles encompass IDEA, focusing on students rights and the duties of public schools to

children with disabilities. The drive behind IDEA is that every child in America deserves the

opportunity to receive free public education equal to the education provided to the students who

do not suffer from a disability.

The IDEA has had an enormous impact on the American education system. Prior to the

establishment of IDEA, public schools had few obligations to children with disabilities, and

many of these children were either kept out of public schools or segregated from their peers who

were not disabled. The IDEA spurred significant national progress towards ensuring the civil

rights and the provision of equal access to education for all children (Thirty-Five Years of

Progress in Educating Children with Disabilities Through IDEA, 2010). Special education
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services have increased significantly since the original law was passed, with 6.5 million children

between the ages of 3 and 21, or 13 percent of all public-school students, receiving the special

education services necessary for them to succeed in their educational careers (Children and

Youth with Disabilities, 2016). One of the most significant impacts on the education system is

the level of achievement children with disabilities can attain with the assistance of the programs

and services provided by the IDEA. In addition, more young children with disabilities receive

early interventions which help to reduce or prevent the need for services in the future. Data

disclosed by IDEA shows a steady increase in the past decade in rates of identification for young

children with disabilities. For children ages 3-5, the number receiving services increased by

almost 23 percent. This increased percentage signifies both improved identification at earlier

ages and an improved ability to help these young children and make sure they enter school

prepared and equipped to learn. Furthermore, a study backed by the U.S. Department of

Education assessed 3,000 preschoolers receiving special education services, and found that

around 16 percent of these children no longer required special education services after a two-year

period. IDEA has also reported evidence that more children with disabilities are attending

neighborhood schools and receiving access to the general education curriculum while also

learning and developing a wide range of academic skills. This increase has contributed to a

reduction in the achievement gap, from 50 points in 2000, to 34 points in 2009. Data also

indicates more students with disabilities graduate from high school, which is accompanied by a

decrease in the percentage of students dropping out of school. Additionally, the rate of youths

with disabilities enrolled in postsecondary education programs has increased from 15 percent in

1987 to 32 percent in 2005 (Thirty-Five Years of Progress in Educating Children with

Disabilities Through IDEA, 2010). It is evident that IDEA has had an enormous impact on the
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academic success of children with disabilities, as the work of IDEA completely changed the

prospects for student with disabilities in America.

While the aforementioned statistics and accomplishments are a large contribution to

IDEAs impact on the American education system, its impact goes even further. The work of

IDEA transformed the educators role in the classroom. Educators are able to see students with

disabilities in a different light, and to concentrate on the students abilities and strengths, rather

than merely on their disabilities. That being said, IDEA requires High Qualified Teachers (HQT)

to teach students with disabilities in order to ensure students have access to quality instruction

and challenging curriculum. If students with disabilities are going to be successful in school, they

need to have access to teachers who know the general education curriculum, as well as teachers

trained in instructional strategies and techniques needed to address their individual learning

needs. Congress found that the education of students with disabilities is most effective if all

school personnel working with children with disabilities undergo high quality, intensive

professional development and training. This training ensures they are equipped with the

knowledge and skills essential to providing each child with a quality education (Steedman,

2016). Beyond the listed requirements of the IDEA for HQT, there are other qualities a teacher

must possess to foster academic success in students with disabilities. Teachers of students with

disabilities must avoid stereotyping these students, and instead counteract these low expectations

by creating academic and functional goals. Educators must respect students with disabilities and

their capabilities, while also approaching instruction in a similar way they would other students

in their classroom. IDEA has increased the responsibility of regular education teachers, requiring

they participate in IEP meetings, collect information about students, and implement the

necessary accommodations and modifications (Sprayberry, 2015). The role of an educator is to

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comply with each childs IEP to the best of their ability, and to help each child obtain and

surpass their individual academic goals. IDEA serves as a guide for educators interactions with

and the education of students with disabilities, but it is the educators responsibility to uphold the

requirements of the IDEA and ensure all children receive a quality education.

As an educators role was transformed by the IDEA, so were the lives of students with

disabilities. Every child, of any diagnosis of disability, deserves access to free and quality

education. Additionally, students no longer have a risk to their access to a free and equal

education being impeded by means of segregation because IDEA protects students against

discrimination. IDEA protects students not only from discrimination by the school system and

educators, but also other peers within the education environment, ensuring all students a

promising future (Sprayberry, 2015). Special education is designed to meet the needs of diverse

learners, and aid them toward achieving academic success, as well as productivity and self-

determination skills needed post-education. The work of IDEA has transformed the lives of

individuals with disabilities by providing them with the opportunities needed to attain success

both in their academic careers, and post-education lives.

The commitment to correcting the educational inequalities facing students with

disabilities brought the formation of IDEA. This act was revolutionary for the field of special

education, and its services addressed the inadequacies in the public-school system regarding

students with disabilities. The work of the IDEA transformed not only the individuals with

disabilities, but also the role of educators and the American education system as a whole. The

IDEA has been extremely successful in providing all students with equal and quality education,

and will continue to improve and provide students with disabilities with the highest quality

educational experience possible.

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References

Children and Youth with Disabilities. (2016, May). Retrieved November 14, 2016, from

http://nces.ed.gov/programs/coe/pdf/Indicator_CGG/COE_CGG_2013_01.pdf

Saleh, M. (n.d.). Your Child's Rights: 6 Principles of IDEA | Smart Kids. Retrieved November

14, 2016, from http://www.smartkidswithld.org/getting-help/know-your-childs-

rights/your-childs-rights-6-principles-of-idea/

Steedman, W. (n.d.). 10 Tips: How to Use IDEA 2004 To Improve Education for ... Retrieved

November 14, 2016, from http://www.wrightslaw.com/idea/art/10.tips.steedman.pdf

Sprayberry, T. L. (2015, March 1). The Impact of I.D.E.A. for Students With Disabilities and

Education Equality: 40 Years Later. Retrieved November 13, 2016, from

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/trisha-lynn-sprayberry/idea-for-students-with-

disabilities_b_6312830.html

Thirty-five Years of Progress in Educating Children With Disabilities Through IDEA. (2010,

November 22). Retrieved November 13, 2016, from

http://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/osers/idea35/history/index_pg12.html