La. Graduation Flexibility Law Creates ‘Significant Concerns’ for Ed. Dept.

A new law in Louisiana that gives teams of parents and teachers the power to craft graduation requirements for students with disabilities may violate federal special education law and the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, and the law could put the state’s waiver at risk, says a letter from the U.S. Department of Education to John White, the state’s school superintendent.


AcceliFeature: Results-Driven Accountability – The New Paradigm That’s Shaping Special Education

What is the revised accountability system under IDEA – Results-Driven Accountability (RDA) – and what does it mean for your Special Education program? To learn more about RDA, sign up for our informational webinar, Results-Driven Accountability – What it means for you, featuring Dr. Alan Coulter, an architect of RDA, and Dr. Robert Pasternack on July 30th, 2014 at 10am ET. Click here to register to attend.

New Initiative to Provide All Students Access to Great Educators

As part of its efforts to ensure that all students have equal access to a quality education, the U.S. Department of Education announced the launch of the Excellent Educators for All Initiative. The initiative will help states and school districts support great educators for the students who need them most.

Unanimous D.C. Council Panel Advances Special-Education Overhaul

The D.C. Council’s Education Committee on Thursday unanimously supported special-education legislation intended to speed services to children and give parents more leverage in disputes.

FCC Approves Spending Billions To Put Wi-Fi In Schools And Libraries

The Federal Communications Commission approved a plan to spend $1 billion per year to provide Wi-Fi service in schools and libraries.

Federal Special Ed Funding Formula Needs Repair

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), which governs federal special education law, was last reauthorized in 2004, and its now-$11.5 billion financing mechanism hasn’t changed since 2000. While Congress has spent months drafting the recently released Higher Education Act reauthorization bills (last reauthorized in 2008), IDEA has been pushed to the back burner.

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