"Straight A's: Public Education Policy and Progress" is a biweekly newsletter that focuses on education news and events both in Washington, DC and around the country. The following articles are included in this issue: (1) Congress Begins Budget Debate: House and Senate Budget Plans Accommodate President Obama's Education Proposals; (2)…

"Straight A's: Public Education Policy and Progress" is a biweekly newsletter that focuses on education news and events both in Washington, DC and around the country. The following articles are included in this issue: (1) Obama Outlines Education Agenda: President Calls for "World-Class Standards" and an End to the High School…

Private residential treatment programs for young people offer a range of services, including drug and alcohol treatment, confidence building, military-style discipline, and psychological counseling for a variety of addiction, behavioral, and emotional problems. Many of these programs are intended to provide a less-restrictive alternative to…

This publication presents changes and modifications for 2007-2008 to the "International Rules for Precollege Science Research: Guidelines for Science and Engineering Fairs." It is written to guide fair directors, teachers, scientists, parents, and adult volunteers as they pursue their work of encouraging students to explore and investigate their…

In response to calls for reform, the secretary of education has reevaluated a variety of federal programs, including bilingual education. The secretary has proposed legislative and regulatory changes which are discussed. (MT)

The author argues that the secretary of education's proposed changes involving bilingual education, along with looming budget cuts, threaten to roll back educational opportunities for language-minority children. (MT)

This issue of the "Quarterly Resource" focuses on Head Start's role in complying with federal regulation concerning Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) for young children with disabilities. The report spells out the responsibilities of the local education agency and of the Head Start program. It discusses membership on the…

This document provides answers to questions frequently asked by parents and practitioners about the mandates and requirements of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act Amendments of 1997 (IDEA). The 29 questions are organized into six sections: (1) background information on the IDEA (history of IDEA, and obtaining copies of IDEA and…

This guide explains the process of developing an Individualized Education Program (IEP) for a student with disabilities and is based on requirements of the original Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and the amended Individuals with Disabilities Education Act of 1997. Following an introduction, the first section outlines the…

In fiscal year 2004, lenders made about $65 billion in loans through the Federal Family Education Loan Program (FFELP) to assist students in paying for postsecondary education. The Higher Education Act (HEA), which authorizes FFELP, broadly defined eligible lenders, including schools. The Department of Education's (Education) Office of Federal…

This paper is designed to familiarize parents of children with disabilities about why and how Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 affects the education of children with disabilities, to illustrate the differences between Section 504 and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), and to provide a basic explanation of how…

The student version of a learning module for teacher training in bilingual education is one of three focusing on promoting parent participation in the school system, and concentrates specifically on the role of parents as counselors and co-participants in decisionmaking. An introductory section discussing the overall objectives of the materials is…

This handbook describes parent educational rights mandated under federal rules and regulations of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, including the amendments of 1997 (IDEA), and the Bureau of Indian Affairs/Office of Indian Education Programs special education eligibility document. Each main topic is preceded by a box that contains a…

This book is designed to give special educators, regular educators, and parents the confidence and know-how to develop Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) that are both legally correct and educationally useful. Chapter 1 highlights the five main components of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA): evaluation and…

This digest examines the mandates and requirements of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). (Its scope does not include the IDEA's Part H program.) The digest gives a brief history of the IDEA, procedures for obtaining a copy of the IDEA and its regulations, and procedures for obtaining a copy of an individual state's special…