6 Key Principles of IDEA

Free Appropriate Public Education

1st Prinicpal

FAPE

• Every child with a disability is entitled to FAPE
• IDEA requires schools to develop a IEP
• “meaningful educational benefit”
• Focusing on raising student expectations

• Provides services from the ages of 3 to 21
• Preschool to High School
• Provides necessary means according to IEP

Appropriate Evaluation

• Team of knowledgeable and trained evaluators will evaluate
• Children who are suspected of having a disability
• Using evaluations with a specific goal for the child’s future success in education and future instruction
• Evaluation in suspected areas of disability

Appropriate Evaluation

• Parents:
• permission is needed for evaluations and for services
• have the right to an outside evaluation if they disagree with the original evaluation

Appropriate Evaluation

Individualized Education Plan (IEP)

Prinicple 3

IEP

• Ensure the child receives free appropriate public education
• Written by an IEP team, using the evaluations done to meet the “child’s unique educational needs”
• IEP includes:
• Present level of education performance
• Annual goals and benchmarking objectives
• goals that can be measured
• Services and supplementary aids to be received
• Detailed explanation of instances where a student is not participating in the general classroom and why
• IEP is also required to include information regarding consistent reporting on student progress as well as “transition” to adult life
• IEP account for the planning concerns of the parents and child, the strengths of a particular child, and the specific “academic, developmental, and functional needs” of the child.

Least Restrictive Environment

Prinicple 4

• IEP team determines the most least restrictive environment to integrate children with a disability in the mainstream classroom to the maximum extent, with appropriate supports
• Classroom modifications
• Supplemental aids and services
• Alternative instructional methods
• If the mainstream classroom in unsuited to help a child succeed, then another education setting is to be considered

Least Restrictive Environment

• Justification is required for placement in another classroom outside the mainstream classroom
• Accomadations to be made for extracurricular activities, school field trips, and other

Parent Participation

• The IDEA has a special provision which states that parents are entitled and equal rights participation:
• in the process of IEP and supports
• to be notified of evaluations
• education placement
• transition planning

Procedural Safeguards

• Protects the rights of the children and their parents
• Safeguards protect parental access to information pertaining to placement and transition planning
• Procedures are put in place to resolve disagreements between parents and schools regarding placement of a student
• Parents are given rights to all information pertaining their child, receive notice of child’s meetings (evaluation, placement, IEP, or identification)

Reference

• Saleh, M. Your Child's Rights: 6 Prinicples of IDEA. Smart Kids with Learning Disabilities. Retrieved from http://www.smartkidswithld.org/getting-help/know-your-childs-rights/your-childs-rights-6-principles-of-idea/.
• Six Prinicples of IDEA: The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. (2013). Ask Resource Center: Access for Special Kids. Retrieved from http://askresource.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/Six-Principles-of-IDEA.pdf.