Running head: IDEAs Immeasurable Impact

IDEAs Immeasurable Impact

Erin Rabenberg
Dakota State University

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IDEAs Immeasurable Impact
Abstract
The Individuals with Disabilities in Education Act (IDEA) has influenced many
aspects of education. This paper defines the six main principles of IDEA: zero reject,
free and appropriate education, least restrictive environment, nondiscriminatory
evaluation, procedural safeguards, and parent participation and shared decision
making, and then looks at the impact of each on either the educational system, the
educators within that system, or the individuals with disabilities. Other
requirements within the principles will also be examined. Briefly described will be
the individualized education plan (IEP) which is a requirement of a free and
appropriate education. How each aspect affects the students is always kept in mind
within this paper. Since it was passed IDEA has affected millions of educators,
students, and their families.

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Picture this: its time for kindergarten registration and a parent is taking their
child to sign up for school. Like most parents there are many emotions; nervous,
sad, anxious, and hesitant, that their child is growing up but also excited to be
starting a new stage. Now imagine this, the parent is told his or her child cannot
attend because they have a disability. It would be heartbreaking to be told your
child does not deserve to be educated with his or her peers. In addition, it would
raise many questions. Unfortunately, this was reality for over one million children
and their families prior to 1975 before the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act
(IDEA) was passed and without it could still be reality for these families
(Individuals, n.d.). The impact of IDEA has reached every level of the American
education system, changed educators roles within that system, and expanded the
opportunities for individuals with disabilities. There are six main principles laid out
in IDEA and each most directly impacts either the education system, the educators,
or the individuals. The principles are zero reject, free and appropriate public
education (FAPE), least restrictive environment (LRE), nondiscriminatory evaluation,
procedural safeguards, and parent participation and shared decision making
(Heward, 2013).
Zero reject means that no child with a disability may be denied a public
education regardless of the nature or severity of the disability (Heward, 2013).
Schools are required to educate all children with disabilities. This has opened many
opportunities for children with disabilities. Before IDEA, in 1967 about 200,000
individuals with disabilities lived in state institutions because they were not allowed
in schools. These institutions only provided the basics of food, clothing, and shelter
and there was no focus on educating and rehabilitating these individuals (Twenty-

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Five, 2007). Requiring schools to accept all children with disabilities has kept these
students out of institutions and therefore improved their lives by allowing them to
receive an education. Allowing students with disabilities to attend school has
resulted in more and more students with disabilities to attend college. The
percentage of college freshmen reporting a disability has more than tripled since
1978 (Twenty-Five, 2007). College gives students more opportunities in terms of a
career and a more fulfilling life. IDEAs impact has reached post-secondary
education and expanded the opportunities for children by giving them the right to
be educated.
Not only are students with disabilities allowed to attend school, it will be
provided without cost to the parents of the child. This is the childs right to free and
appropriate public education (FAPE). This includes any related services or assistive
technology that a child needing special education may benefit from. Physical
therapy, transportation, counseling and medical services are examples of services
that a student in special education is entitled to. The lack of adequate resources
within the public school system forced families to find services outside of the school
system (National Assessment, 2011). This has required schools to provide the
needed resources and forced schools to acquire them when not available. It has
allowed children with disabilities to attend the same school they would if they did
not have a disability. Included is the requirement of an individualized education
program (IEP) for each student. The IEP specifies the childs present levels of
performance, identifies measurable annual goals, and describes the specific special
education and related services that will be provided to help the child attain those
goals and benefit from education (Heward, 2013, p.17). IEPs have changed
education by directly involving the parents of the student working in cooperation

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with teachers and administration. IDEA requires that the parents of the child with a
disability attend meetings concerning their childs educational goals. This means
more planning, pooling of knowledge, goal setting, and communication takes place
as a result of IDEA requiring that all children receiving special education have an IEP
as part of their free and appropriate education.
Requiring students to be placed in the least restrictive environment has had
the largest impact on teachers by changing their role. IDEA requires that children
with disabilities and children without disabilities to be educated together to the
maximum extent appropriate and that students with disabilities be removed to a
separate classroom only when the nature or severity of their disability is such that
they cannot receive an appropriate education in a general education classroom with
supplementary aids and services (Heward, 2013, pp.16-17). Now teachers have
students with disabilities and students without disabilities in the same classroom,
and they have to meet the needs of all their students. This requires the teacher to
be a good manager of their students. Teachers have to possess the knowledge
about different disabilities and provide appropriate accommodations for all the
different learning styles in one classroom. Often times an IEP will require that a
student have a helper with them in the classroom. Now teachers have an added
resource to work with them to give the student the appropriate education. IEPs
also require not less than one regular classroom teacher (Heward, 2013 pg. 60) to
be a part of the IEP team. The classroom teacher now has to help set goals for the
student, know how to provide services, and know where the student is at in terms of
their education. This also means that the regular classroom teacher and the special
education teacher have to work together frequently in and out of the classroom
(Kelly, n.d.). By placing these students in the least restrictive environment it has

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changed the role of the regular classroom teacher by requiring them to have an
expanded knowledge and using that knowledge to better serve their students.
To determine if a student requires special education services an evaluation
must be administered. Methods of evaluation must be non-biased and
multifactored. The evaluation does not discriminate on the basis of race, culture, or
native language (Heward, 2013). Before, inaccurate tests lead to inappropriate
labeling and ineffective educating most children with disabilities (Twenty-Five). In
order to accommodate the student in the best way possible it is vital that an
accurate test is used to determine what disability they have. Educators have to
know what to help the student with before they can educate them. This element of
IDEA has the largest impact on the student. The tests reveal if a child could benefit
from special education. Before IDEA an undiagnosed disability prevented children
from having a successful education experience (National Assessment, 2011).
Students who need special education are in special education because the tests
revealed they have a disability. Nondiscriminatory evaluations give students who
need special education the opportunity to benefit from its services.
Schools must follow an extensive set of procedures to safeguard and protect
the rights and interests of children with disabilities and their parents (Heward,
2013, p. 19). Procedural safeguards are in place to benefit the student by giving
parents a voice in their education. Parents are protected when it comes to giving
their opinion and sharing their beliefs about what is best for the student. If a
dispute should arise there is a mediation where an impartial professional facilitates
communication between the parents and the school personnel (National
Assessment, 2011). Along with the procedural safeguards parents are to be an

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active participant and share in the decision making. Parents are provided resources
to increase communication (National Assessment, 2011). Parental consent must
be given before any evaluation or placement may take place. Parents know their
children and what is best for them.
In conclusion, IDEA has had the most influential impact on American
education than any other federal education mandate. It has affected millions of
students, parents, and educators by providing all involved the best educational
environment. The student is in the least restrictive environment, the parent has a
voice in their childs education, and the educator has a support system to aide in
the education of the student with a disability. Instead of being denied an education
the little boy or girl starting kindergarten who has a disability has a team of
professionals working on his or her behalf ensuring they receive an appropriate
education. They may grow up and even attend college one day all as a result of
IDEA.

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IDEAs Immeasurable Impact
References
Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund. (n.d.). Individuals with Disabilities
Education Act (IDEA). Retrieved from http://dredf.org/legaladvocacy/laws/individuals-with-disabilities-education-act-idea/#top
Heward, W. (2013). Exceptional Children: An Introduction to Special Education.
Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson.
Kelly, M. (n.d.). Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. Netplaces Retrieved from
http://www. netplaces.com.
National Center for Education Evaluation and Regional Assistance. (2011). National
Assessment of IEAD Overview. Retrieved from
http://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED522068.pdf
U.S. Department of Education. (2007). Twenty-Five Years of Progress in Educating
Children with Disabilities Through IDEA. Retrieved from
http://www2.ed.gov/policy/speced/leg/idea/history.html