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The Impact of IDEA on U.S. Education, Teachers, and Students

The impact of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) on the U.S.
education system, and consequently, the instructors and students is multi-faceted. The most
recent revisions of IDEA (2004) and implementation have had a profound impact on learning in
every school and have changed the roles and responsibilities of general and special educators,
school administrators, parents, and students with disabilities in the educational
process (Heward, 2013 pg. 16). This law reflects the desire and goal of society to give people
with disabilities the same rights and privileges as nondisabled citizens (Heward, 2013). While
IDEA is layered and affects many aspects of education looking at a few broad components of
IDEA offer a sense of its diverse and wide-ranging impact. Through its creation in 1975 and
subsequent revisions, a few main components of IDEA have survived. These components place
more responsibility on the schools and instructors to meet the needs of a student with disabilities
so the students can receive a fair and appropriate education (Heward, 2013).
The U.S. education system has seen a great change since the passing of IDEA. Each
school within the system has more responsibility for assisting, locating, accommodating, and
creating a fair and appropriate education plan for each student. These responsibilities change the
workflow, staffing needs, and classroom setting, for example, in schools. First, regardless of
the severity of the disability, school systems must educate all students with disabilities and
cannot exclude anyone from a public education (Heward, 2013 pg. 16). The right to a free
appropriate public education (FAPE) ensures all students have the opportunity to be educated
within the public school system (Heward, 2013). Schools must provide any related services and

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assistive technology that a child with a disability may need to access and benefit from special
education (Heward, 2013 pg. 17). In this regard, schools are impacted by IDEA in that they
must evaluate their resources and plan accordingly to meet the needs of the student. From this,
the cost of special education is significant for most school districts (ATLAS, 2015). While the
total cost will vary for each district, studies show that IDEA is underfunded and force the district
to make up the difference (McCann, n.d.a). It can be costly for the district to obtain additional
resources for children with special education needs especially since, under IDEA, more children
are identified to have special education needs (McCann, n.d.b). This increase in the amount of
students seeking assistance impacts children of all ages.
More children are receiving higher quality special educations services and early
intervention because of IDEA (US Dept of Education, n.d). Schools must offer education for all
students aged 6-17 and must provide education for students with disabilities aged 3-5 and 18-21
if the school offers education for students within those ages that do not have a disability
(Heward, 2013). This added responsibility means the school system must not only provide an
education but it must locate, identify, and evaluate all children, from birth to age 21, residing in
the state with disabilities or who are suspected of having disabilities (Heward, 2013 pg. 16-17).
These provisions mean the district must add classrooms, transportation, technology, services, and
staffing to meet the needs of children with disabilities at all schools. For some schools, they must
restructure their classroom settings, add service alternatives, and hire more staff. IDEA has
forced the schools to make needed and appropriate changes to the physical make-up of the
school. It has also forced the school to add instructional changes, including a fair evaluation
process.

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The school must not discriminate when evaluating each student for a disability (Heward,
2013). Each school must provide non-biased, multi-factored methods of evaluating that do not
discriminate based on race, culture, or native language for each child to determine if he/she has
a disability (Heward, 2013 pg. 17). Therefore, the schools must take the time to evaluate their
special education tests, create new tests when needed, and determine staffing needs to administer
the tests. This places more responsibilities on the administration and instructors in a school. After
testing and if a student has a disability, the instructor and the appropriate committee must
determine a plan for the students education. According to IDEA, parents must give consent
before a student is tested for special needs. If a parent disagrees with and evaluation, placement,
or services, the school must offer an independent test or due process hearing (Heward, 2013).
All of these tests and observations create a lot of narratives about a student. Therefore, as
a student moves through the special education process, IDEA has forced schools to safeguard all
student information. The school must uphold the necessary procedural safeguards to protect the
confidentiality and evaluation process of the students (Heward, 2013). All the information
gathered about a student assists the instructors in determining the best plan of action for each
student. IDEA has impacted how a student is determined to have a disability but it has also
required schools to create an individualized plan to assist the student in their educational goals.
Building on the schools responsibilities, the instructor must carry out the principles of
IDEA and holds a very important role in the education process. Specifically, the instructor and a
committee must create an Individualized Education Plan (IEP) for each student determined to
have a disability and carry out that plan (Heward, 2013). These plans assist the instructor and

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student with implementing the needs of each student with a disability (Heward, 2013). IDEA also
protects the child and ensures he/she is receiving an adequate education. Since IEP provides a
guide for educational goals, IDEA has placed more emphasis on the role of the instructor to
provide a well-rounded education that meets the need of the child while taking into consideration
any adaptive technology necessary.
Not only is the IEP assisting the childs education but it also helps determine any assistive
technology the child may need. IDEA and its policies require the school and instructors to
provide and use technology such as communication devices, low-vision aids, and mobility
devices to assist the student (Heward, 2013). This is another example of the impact of IDEA and
the responsibilities placed on the school and instructors to meet the needs of the child.
Under IDEA, more children receive a general education curriculum and learn wider range
of skills (US Dept of Education, n.d.). The role of the instructor is not only to educate the
students and create the best plan of action for special needs students (with the assistance of a
committee) but to also determine the least restrictive environment (LRE) for each student. The
least restrictive environment must allow the student to be in the general classroom as much as
possible (Heward, 2013). The general classroom should always be the first choice for a student.
From this, the student receives a general education, interaction with his/her peers, and a broader
education that can impact their success in life.
The instructors role within the education system has shifted greatly with the
implementation of IDEA. In this regard, the school must implement the necessary principles of
IDEA by providing the staffing, services, and classroom settings but the instructor holds the

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greatest responsibility to the student. The role of the instructor is directly related to the success of
the student; the instructor creates the IEP and LRE that allows the student to meet (and exceed)
their educational goals. IDEA has charged the instructors with the role of implementing and
upholding the most important aspect of IDEA, education. A student with a disability feels the
impact of IDEA through the school system and instructor.
The role of the instructor under IDEA is to provide scientifically based instruction for the
child with special needs (Heward, 2013). IDEA requires that the instructor use research based,
peer-reviewed instructional activities therefore ensuring the student receives a good education.
To ensure a student with disabilities does not receive a watered-down education, IDEA
requires teachers to meet the standards of state agencies (ATLAS, 2015). Additionally, IDEA has
impacted the education of special needs children by offering better educational materials.
To benefit the student, the universal design for learning (UDL) provides diverse learning
materials for children (Heward, 2013). Children learn in different ways and the UDL offers
educational materials in numerous mediums and formats. For example, students can respond
using voice or voice-operated switches and they can learn information through print or video
(Heward, 2013). This portion of IDEA also increases students motivation by applying a
students interests to their education (Heward, 2013). IDEA has impacted students lives by
making education more accessible, personalized, and well-rounded. It has forced schools and
instructors to restructure their teaching methods to better serve special education students.
The lives of individuals with disabilities have been deeply impacted by IDEA. Students
are given the opportunity for an appropriate free public education, a safe learning environment,

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nondiscriminatory evaluation processes, and IEP and LRE so they can learn to the best of their
abilities and succeed in life. On a basic level, IDEA can provide answers to why a student is not
succeeding in school by determining a student needs special education. However, the stigma of
labeling can pay a large role in a students life. Students and parents may not want a child to be
treated different in social situations because of a special education label. However, the
opportunity for success in school and life can trump a socially stigmatizing label.
IDEA ensures that the student, teachers, and parents work together for the better of the
students education. Schools must collaborate with parents and students when planning and
implementing special education and services (Heward, 2013 pg. 20). The IEP, services,
educational goals, and LRE placement should always take into consideration the desires of the
parents, and if possible, the student (Heward, 2013). Sometimes a students desires are not
considered because of the severity of a disability or because of the age of the student. IDEA has
impacted children very early in life by implementing early childhood special education services.
IDEA has influenced the lives of young children who may have a disability. IDEA
provisions state that preschool children, aged 3 to 5, who may have a disability can receive
special education services (Heward, 2013). Additionally, IDEA encourages states through grant
programs to serve infants and toddlers in early intervention programs and services (Heward,
2013). This is not a mandated program but IDEA encourages the early intervention and works
with stat agencies to provide assistance and services (Heward, 2013). School-aged children as
well as young children are greatly impacted by the passing of IDEA policies. Students who are

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identified as special needs and benefit from IDEA mandated services, especially at an early age,
could see more success later in life.
While these are very broad impacts of IDEA on the U.S. education system, instructors
roles, and students lives, IDEA has had a deep influence on all aspects of education. While there
are plenty of opponents and points of concern over IDEA and its influence, the students should
remain the focus and the most importance aspect of IDEA and its future amendments.

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References
ATLAS (March 26, 2015), Individuals with Disabilities Education Act Overview. Retrieved from
http://atlas.newamerica.org/individuals-disabilities-education-act-overview#toc-ideacost-impact-on-local-school-districts
Heward, William. (2013). Exceptional Children: An Introduction to Special Education. Boston:
Pearson.
McCann, Clare. (n.d.a). Idea Cost Impact on Local School Districts. Retrieved from
http://www.edcentral.org/edcyclopedia/individuals-with-disabilities-education-act-costimpact-on-local-school-districts/
McCann, Clare. (n.d.b). IDEA Funding. Retrieved from
http://www.edcentral.org/edcyclopedia/individuals-with-disabilities-education-actfunding-distribution/
United State Department of Education. (n.d.). Thirty-Five Years of Progress in Education
Students with Disabilities through IDEA: National Impact of IDEA to Date. Retrieved
from www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/osers/idea35/history/index_pg6.html