Senate Passes Bill to Help Children with Disabilities

• IDEA: Senate Consideration Next Week?
• Senate Passes Grassley, Kennedy Bill to Help Children with Disabilities
• Tracy Justesen to Direct President's New Freedom Initiative
• OSEP Publishes Part Two of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) Resource for School and Home
• Federal Register Opportunities
• Ongoing Feature -- Presidential Candidate Positions for 2004
  
  IDEA: Senate Consideration Next Week?
  
  The Senate has scheduled consideration of S. 1248, its bill to reauthorize the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), during the week of May 10, following debate on the FSC/ETI bill. This means IDEA could come up by Wednesday or Thursday of next week. But as always, this is subject to change.
  
  Take Action: Please go to CEC¹s Legislative Action Center and send a message to your Senators, urging them to bring S. 1248 to the Senate floor for consideration. Go to: http://capwiz.com/cek/issues/alert/?alertid=3674131&type=CO and enter your zip code to send your messages TODAY!!!!
  
  
  Senate Passes Grassley, Kennedy Bill to Help Children with Disabilities
  
  Following are portions of a press release issued by the Senate Finance Committee.
  
  The Senate this week passed S. 622, the Family Opportunity Act, a bill to amend title XIX of the Social Security Act to provide families of children with disabilities with the opportunity to purchase coverage under the Medicaid program for their children. The bill was sponsored by Senator Chuck Grassley, Chairman of the Committee on Finance, and Senator Edward Kennedy, Ranking Member of the Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions.
  
  ³Medicaid works well for a lot of people,² Grassley said. ³The problem is some families fall through the cracks. Many parents of disabled children have to drop out of the workforce or keep themselves in a low-paying job just to remain eligible for Medicaid. In effect, the government is forcing parents to choose between near-poverty and their children¹s health care. We need to fix that. This is an important step. I hope the House will follow suit.²
  
  Last September, the Finance Committee on a voice vote passed the Family Opportunity Act, which has attracted widespread bipartisan support in each Congress since the senators authored it in 1999.
  
  The Family Opportunity Act allows states to create options for families with disabled children to buy into Medicaid while continuing to work. Parents would pay for Medicaid coverage on a sliding scale. Medicaid is critical to the well-being of children with multiple medical needs because it covers many services that these children need, including physical therapy and medical equipment, the senators said. Private health plans often are much more limited in what they cover. And many parents can¹t afford needed services or multiple co-payments out-of-pocket.
  
  In 2002, the Finance Committee passed the bill on a voice vote, without controversy. The full Senate never considered the bill, although at the time the legislation had 74 Senate co-sponsors and more than 235 co-sponsors in the House (of a counterpart bill).
  
  Grassley and Kennedy said the Family Opportunity Act is pro-work because it lets parents work without losing their children¹s health coverage, pro-family because it encourages parents to work and build a better life for their children, and it¹s pro-taxpayer because it means more parents continue to earn money, pay taxes and pay their own way for Medicaid coverage for their children.
  
  Medicaid is a medical assistance program jointly financed by the federal government and state governments for eligible low-income individuals. It also covers health care expenses for the needy elderly, the blind and the disabled receiving cash assistance under the Supplemental Security Income Program.
  
  CEC Says: This is truly a victory for children with disabilities and their families! We know that many of you have sent letters and made calls to your members of Congress, urging them to pass this important legislation. We want to thank you for all of your efforts; they really paid off!!
  
  To read the full text of the release, or a summary of the Family Opportunity Act, go to: http://finance.senate.gov/press/Gpress/2004/prg050604.pdf
  
  
  Tracy Justesen to Direct President's New Freedom Initiative
  
  Tracy R. Justesen recently joined the White House staff as Associate Director for the Domestic Policy Council. Tracy will handle the President's New Freedom Initiative and issues important to individuals with disabilities. He comes to the White House after serving as an Attorney in the Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice. He served as a technical advisor to the President's Commission on Excellence in Special Education and as the President and Chief Executive Officer of one of the nation's premier centers for independent living.
  
  Tracy will return to his position as an attorney with the Department of Justice upon completion of this assignment to the White House.
  
  He holds a Master of Science in Education, a Juris Doctorate, and an LL.M. in international law with a focus on civil rights issues affecting individuals with disabilities. He also holds an Honorary Doctorate for his public service. Tracy may be reached by email at TJustesen@opd.eop.gov.
  
  
  OSEP Publishes Part Two of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) Resource for School and Home
  
  Source: What's New in OSEP - April 22, 2004
  
  The Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) announces a new publication, Teaching Children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: Instructional Strategies and Practices. The report, designed for teachers, other school staff, and families, describes an overall strategy for successfully instructing students with ADHD. Suggestions of research-based academic instruction, behavioral interventions and classroom accommodations are provided. Available at http://www.ed.gov/teachers/needs/speced/adhd/adhd-resource-pt2.pdf.
  
  Federal Register Opportunities
  OSERS Seeks Applications For Technology and Media Services
  
  The U.S. Department of Education¹s Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services has issued a Notice Inviting Applications for New Awards for Fiscal Year (FY) 2004 for Technology and Media Services for Individuals With Disabilities.
  
  The purpose of this program is to: (1) Improve results for children with disabilities by promoting the development, demonstration, and use of technology; (2) support educational media activities designed to be of educational value to children with disabilities; and (3) provide support for some captioning, video description, and cultural activities.
  
  Applications became available on May 4, 2004 and are due on June 7, 2004.
  
  Eligible applicants include State educational agencies (SEAs); and local educational agencies (LEAs); institutions of higher education (IHEs); other public agencies; nonprofit private organizations; outlying areas; freely associated States; Indian tribes or tribal organizations; and for-profit organizations.
  
  An Estimated 4 Awards will be made of approximately $300,000 per year.
  
  For more information, go to http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/14mar20010800/edocket.access.gpo.gov/2004/04-10003.htm
  
  
  Presidential Candidate Positions for 2004
  
  As you know, 2004 is a Presidential election year. Americans will have the opportunity to choose between President Bush, whomever the Democratic Party nominates, and any other major candidates for President. Below, CEC is presenting an education-related plan from Senator John Kerry, the front-running Democratic Presidential candidate. Over the next few weeks, we will continue to update you with any relevant information, including campaign-related Internet links, which the leading Democratic candidates may provide on issues involving education, special education, or disability.
  
  Since President Bush will be the Republican nominee for President, please see the following Administration Websites to learn more about his positions on these issues http://www.whitehouse.gov/infocus/newfreedom/, http://www.whitehouse.gov/infocus/education/
  http://www.ed.gov/index.jhtml
  
  * CEC is bipartisan and does not endorse any candidate running for government office. We are sharing the candidates¹ positions on special education and disability issues for your information only.
  
  Sen. John Kerry Introduces Plan to Reduce High School Dropout Rates
  
  On Wednesday, Sen. John Kerry unveiled a new plan to increase the number of high school graduates by 1 million over the next five years. Kerry's five-point plan includes earlier proposals such as an Education Trust Fund and increased mentoring and college partnerships, but also adds provisions on strengthening high school education and increased accountability for students, states, and districts.
  
  "We can't afford as a nation to lose as many children as we're losing today, because they're dropping out of school, and nobody's going after them to find out what the problem is or making certain that there's some kind of alternative school setting for them to learn," Kerry said. "Education is about more than books and tests - it's bigger than that. It's about investing in life-long human talent. If we don't invest in education today and make real reforms, we will mourn the loss of human talent for decades. It's time to invest in every child so that our kids have the knowledge and information they need to enlighten the world."
  
  Strengthening High School Education
  
  In an effort to strengthen high school education, Kerry proposed breaking up troubled large high schools into career academies, alternative schools, and other innovative schools. His plan would also support efforts to build smaller schools and help to create learning environments where students can feel more at home. To fund these efforts, Kerry proposed increasing funding for the Smaller Learning Communities program by $150 million a year.
  
  Kerry's plan also would fund a national initiative to align high school academic standards with the knowledge and skills required in postsecondary education and the workforce. States would receive incentives to ensure that their curricula meet these broad standards. He would also provide $50 million a year for tutors and teacher training to improve literacy for middle and high school students who lack basic skills and struggle to meet these standards.
  
  Accountability for Students and Schools Alike
  
  Several states across the country already deny a driver's license to students who drop out of high school. Kerry's plan would support state legislation that incorporates such a program. Preliminary evidence has shown that these programs achieve positive results.
  
  Citing reports from Houston and New York City where dropouts were dramatically underreported, Kerry said he would enforce the accountability for graduation rates that is currently found in the No Child Left Behind Act. In keeping with the language of the Act, he would require uniform and accurate data on graduation rates from all schools and districts and require disaggregation of data along subgroups in order determine which groups are achieving and which are struggling.
  
  For further analysis of the Kerry proposals, go to: http://www.all4ed.org/publications/ThePresidentialCandidates/index.html#New. There, you will find an update of the Alliance's policy brief comparing the proposals of the two major presidential candidates that relate to secondary school education. The Presidential Candidates: Proposals to Increase High School Graduation Rates was originally released in April 2004; it will be continually updated to reflect new proposals by the candidates as they are announced.
  
  © 2004 ConnSENSE Bulletin