Special Education and Section 504

What I need to know

The BeginningRehabilitation Act of 1973

prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability in programs run by federal agencies; programs that receive federal financial assistance; in federal

employment; and in the employment practices of federal contractorsSection 504 and the Department of Education

Public Law 94-142Public Law 94-142 guaranteed a free, appropriate public education to each child

with a disability in every state and locality across the country.The four purposes of the law articulated a compelling national mission to improve

access to education for children with disabilities. (See side bar: Four Purposes of PL 94-142.) Changes implicit in the law included efforts to improve how children with

disabilities were identified and educated, to evaluate the success of these efforts, and to provide due process protections for children and families. In addition, the law

authorized financial incentives to enable states and localities to comply with Public Law 94-142.

Education for All Handicapped Children’s Act of 1975

Where we are Today

Education for ALL 1975~(PL 94-142) --IDEIA 2008

Section 504 of the Rehabilitation ACT of 1975~The first U.S. federal civil rights protection for people with disabilities~ Americans with Disabilities ACT 1990 (ADA)

IDEA and Section 504 Needs

Why is There A Need For IDEA & Section 504 Statutes Addressing Educational Rights of Students with Disabilities? IDEA is the funding statute that helps provide resources for the education

of the more seriously disabled students. It focuses its resources fairly specifically to a subset of disabled persons. Section 504, however, is a broader, unfunded, nondiscrimination civil rights law emphasizing equal opportunity in any program receiving federal funding. While IDEA students enjoy the extensive IDEA protections and services, they also are entitled to the non-discrimination protection extended by Section 504.

http://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/504faq.html

IDEA (Individuals with Disabilities Act)Ages 3-21

Early Childhood InterventionAGE 3-5 IFSP

School Age StudentsDevelopment of the IEP required annually

Individualized Transition Plan requiredPersonal Graduation Plan required

Special Education

Section 504School age Students

Plan RequiredGeneral Education

Services and Supports through Special Education (IDEA) The IEP sets learning goals for a child and describes

the services the school will give her. It’s a written document.

Here are some of the most important things the IEP must include:

--The child’s present levels of academic and functional performance—how student is currently doing in school

--Annual education goals for the child and how the school will track progress

Support cont’d

The services the child will get—this may include special education, related, supplementary and extended school year services

The timing of services—when they start, how often they occur and how long they last

Any accommodations—changes to the child’s learning environment

Any modifications—changes to what the child is expected to learn or know

How the child will participate in standardized tests How the child will be included in general education classes and

school activities

Eligibility Categories under IDEA Autism, Deaf-blindness, Deafness, Emotional disturbance, A hearing impairment, Intellectual Disability, An orthopedic impairment, Other health impairment, A specific learning disability, A speech or language impairment, Traumatic brain injury, A visual impairment including blindness, Multiple disabilities.

Section 504 Rehabilitation Act of 1973

This is a federal civil rights law to stop discrimination against people

with disabilities.The Section 504 regulations require

school districts to draw upon a variety of sources in interpreting evaluation

data and making placement decisions

Services and Supports through Section 504 A 504 plan generally includes the following:

--Specific accommodations, supports or services for the child

--Names of who will provide each service--Name of the person responsible for ensuring

the plan is implemented

Section 504 Qualifications

An eligible Section 504 student is one with physical or mental impairment that substantially limits learning or another major

life activity

State testing AccommodationsTEA Triangle

STAAR Testing Critical InformationTest Options and Eligibility Requirements

STAARSTAAR A

STAAR ALT

http://tea.texas.gov/Student_Testing_and_Accountability/Testing/Student_Assessment_Overview/Accommodation_Resources/2016_Accommodations_for_Students_with_Disabilities_Taking_State_Assessments

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Citations and References

http://www2.ed.gov/policy/speced/leg/idea/history.html https://www.disability.gov/rehabilitation-act-1973/ http://www4.esc13.net/section504/faqs-section504/ http://school.familyeducation.com/special-education/ada/38439.html https://tea.texas.gov/Student_Testing_and_Accountability/ https

://www.understood.org/en/school-learning/special-services/504-plan/the-difference-between-ieps-and-504-plans