• CEC IDEA Workshops Enlighten Attendees on New Regulations
• Success Stories Needed!
• U.S. Department of Education Solicits Public Input For IDEA Part D

CEC IDEA Workshops Enlighten Attendees on New Regulations
For the last month, CEC staff has been crisscrossing the United States to share new IDEA 2004 regulations recently released by the U.S. Department of Education. These new regulations cover a range of topics impacting all who work on behalf of students with disabilities, including:

New IEP provisions, such as including a statement of both academic AND functional goals; and including measurable postsecondary goals based on transition assessments
New discipline provisions, including new criteria for manifestation determination; and new timelines
New procedural safeguards provisions including a new dispute resolution process called “resolution session”; new timelines; and new regulations regarding attorney’s fees
New evaluation provisions, including a new 60-day timeline for an initial evaluation starting from time of parental consent
New private school provisions, including a change in the LEA with jurisdiction over child find for private school students with disabilities
Much more!
Upcoming workshops are being held in Philadelphia (12/6), and Washington, DC (12/7). In addition to hearing from leaders in the special education advocacy field, workshop attendees receive Understanding IDEA 2004 Regulations, a 300-plus-page document that contains CEC’s side-by-side analysis and comparison of the IDEA 2004 regulations to the IDEA 1997 regulations, CEC’s IDEA 2004 Regulations PowerPoint. These materials are also provided on CD for your convenience to use as a professional development training tool for your colleagues!

Register Now!

For more information click here or visit www.cec.sped.org

Success Stories Needed!

As you may know, every year CEC publishes its Federal Outlook for Exceptional Children as a way to provide members of Congress, their staffs, officials at the Department of Education with CEC's funding recommendations for federal special and gifted education programs. To give these facts and figures a human touch, we include stories of children who have benefited from IDEA and the Javits program for students with gifts and talents. The Outlook is a vital grassroots tool that CEC staff and advocates use regularly on Capitol Hill.

Each year we put out a call for stories of students with disabilities, gifts and talents, or both who have benefited from IDEA or the Javits grant program. Please don't miss this chance to have a student you know be an advocate for increased federal funding for IDEA or Javits! The deadline for submitting stories is January 15, 2007.

Please consider submitting a story on how funding from IDEA and the Javits program have benefited students and/or educators. As Congress continues to drastically under fund special and gifted education, we are hoping stories can highlight the impact of federal funding (or lack thereof) on schools across the country.

Stories should be only 250 words long, and a template is available online to assist in writing these stories.

More information.

Submit a story today by emailing kimk@cec.sped.org !

U.S. Department of Education Solicits Public Input For IDEA Part D
On November 27, the U.S. Department of Education issued a request for public comments and recommendations on the Proposed Comprehensive Plan for IDEA Part D National Activities. This request, which was published in the Federal Register, seeks public input on changes or clarifications to help improve the Comprehensive Plan for IDEA Part D.

The Comprehensive Plan will assist in the implementation of activities authorized under IDEA Part D, subparts 2 and 3 (personnel preparation, technical assistance, model demonstration projects, dissemination of information and supports to improve results for children with disabilities).

The Comprehensive Plan addresses the following (IDEA Part D, subparts 2 and 3):

- Personnel Development to Improve Services and Results for Children with Disabilities

- Technical Assistance, Demonstration Projects, Dissemination of Information and Implementation of Scientifically Based Research

- Parent Training and Information Centers and Community Parent Resource Centers

- Technology Development, Demonstration, and Utilization; Media Services; and Instructional Materials

- Studies and Evaluation

You may access the Comprehensive Plan by visiting:

http://www.ed.gov/legislation/FedRegister/other/2006-4/112706d.html.

Comments on the Comprehensive Plan should be submitted to the Department of Education no later than January 11, 2007. Please share with CEC your views on the Comprehensive Plan by emailing pubpol@cec.sped.org by January 5, 2007. CEC will be issuing formal comments and recommendations to the Department before the deadline.