In the 20 years since P.L. 94-142 was enacted, we have learned a great deal about how to improve educational results for children with disabilities and how to intervene early with infants and toddlers to help children to be ready to learn. We now have a chance to improve the law to put into practice what we have learned about effective teaching and learning. American education is changing, and exciting improvements are taking place in states and communities around the nation. The principles we have developed are aimed at allowing special education to be seen as a service that should be integrated into the education reform efforts in each state. We have an opportunity to align the IDEA with these efforts so that children with disabilities can be included in them in their local communities.
Special education is an important asset in overall school improvement efforts.
Our proposals will assist these efforts. We have based our reauthorization proposal on six key principles that clearly define our mission to improve results for students with disabilities. Align the IDEA with state and local education improvement efforts so students with disabilities can benefit from them. Improve results for students with disabilities through higher expectations and meaningful access to the general curriculum, to the maximum extent appropriate. Address individual needs in the least restrictive environment for the student.