Advocacy
Resources Shared by: COPAA Website
http://www.copaa.org/about-copaa/
Advocacy
Institute is a non-profit, tax-exempt organization dedicated to
the development of products, projects and services that work to improve the
lives of people with disabilities.
IDEAmoneywatch.com is a community of
advocates keeping an eye on the use of more than $11 billion IDEA funding made
available to local school districts across the country by the American Recovery
and Reinvestment Act (ARRA).
Our Kids Count project tracks activities
regarding the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act
(ESEA), currently known as No Child Left Behind, the nation’s major federal
education law, with a focus on issues affecting special education students and
alerts you to issues of concern.
The
National Center on Dispute Resolution in Special Education encourages the use of
mediation and other collaborative strategies to resolve disagreements about
special education and early intervention programs.
Office of Civil Rights (OCR) Electronic Complaint Form
OCR’s
authority to resolve complaints extends to allegations of discrimination based
on race, color, national origin, sex, age or disability in public and private
programs that receive Federal funds from the U.S. Department of Education.
These include most schools and colleges and some other entities such as
vocational rehabilitation agencies and libraries. OCR also has authority to
resolve complaints of disability discrimination by public education entities,
and complaints filed under the Boy Scouts of America Equal Access Act. If you
believe you have been discriminated against on any of these bases by a covered
entity, you may file a complaint using this form.
Wrightslaw
contains
accurate, reliable information about special education law, education law, and
advocacy for children with disabilities. Wrightslaw is home to the The
Special Ed Advocate, a free online newsletter. Each issue includes
information about special education law, new decisions, research, internet
links, and other special education topics.
The Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act
Public Law 108- 446: IDEA 2004 President
Bush signed the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (Public
Law 108- 446: IDEA 2004) on December 3, 2004. This law promotes accountability
for results, enhances parent involvement, uses proven practices and materials,
provides more flexibility, and reduces paperwork burdens for teachers, states
and local school districts. Many sections of the new law took effect on July 1,
2005. The regulations took effect on October 13, 2006. The law is organized
into four parts: Part A: Administration; Part B: school age and preschool
programs for children with disabilities; Part C: birth to 3 years –infants and
toddlers; and Part D: national studies, technical assistance investments,
personnel preparation investments, and research investments.
IDEA 2004: Policy & Guidance
OSEP State SPED Monitoring Reports
This page contains the most recent Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP)
monitoring reports from approximately 35 states and territories. All future
reports will be posted on this page.
Index of OSEP Policy Documents on the Education of Infants,
Toddlers, Children and Youth with Disabilities Section 607 of the Individuals
with Disabilities Education Act amendments of 1997 requires that the
Secretary of Education, on a quarterly basis, publish in the Federal
Register a list of correspondence. This is correspondence from the
Department of Education received by individuals during the previous quarter
(calendar year = CY) that describes the interpretations of IDEA or the
regulations that implement IDEA.
Universal
Design for Learning UDL is
a set of principles for curriculum development that give all individuals equal
opportunities to learn.
Articles
of Interest:
ADA
Standards (2010)
– The Department of Justice published revised regulations for Titles II and III
of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 “ADA” in the Federal Register
on September 15, 2010. These regulations adopted revised, enforceable
accessibility standards called the 2010 ADA Standards for Accessible Design
“2010 Standards” or “Standards”. The 2010 Standards set minimum requirements –
both scoping and technical – for newly designed and constructed or altered
State and local government facilities, public accommodations, and commercial
facilities to be readily accessible to and usable by individuals with
disabilities.
Excusing IEP Team Members: Why, When,
Who, and How (By Candace Cortiella, The Advocacy Institute,
Exceptional Parent Magazine)
Supreme Court Rules: “Parents Have Independent, Enforceable
Rights”
by Pete Wright, Esq. and Pamela Wright, MA, MSW
Questions and Answers On Procedural Safeguards and Due
Process Procedures For Parents and Children With Disabilities ~ June 2009. This is the
most recent OSEP Q & A document on Procedural Safeguards.
General Resources and Links
Disclaimer:
The COPAA web site is not engaged in rendering professional advice services.
The information provided through COPAA’s web site or any links from COPAA’s
site is provided solely as a public service. The inclusion of any resource or
link on COPAA’s web site does not imply endorsement or a recommendation.
|