Historically, many state education agencies (SEAs) have formally or informally used risk pools to provide extra funds to local education agencies (LEAs) serving students with high cost special education needs. With the 2004 reauthorization of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), SEAs have been encouraged to formalize their…

The number of children and youth identified with autism has grown exponentially over the past decade and a half. During 1992-93 (the first required reporting year for the category of autism) only 7,168 students with autism ages 6-21 were served under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) (U.S. Department of Education, 1994). This…

As part of the 2004 reauthorization of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), states are required to comply with the National Instructional Materials Accessibility Standard (NIMAS) beginning July 19, 2006. NIMAS is defined as "the standard established by the Secretary to be used in the preparation of electronic files suitable…

According to data collected by the National Early Childhood Technical Assistance Center (NECTAC), states are increasingly offering what they describe as a "single certificate" for early childhood and early childhood special education (i.e., certification that covers children both with and without disabilities). This document describes…

Requirements under the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act of 2001 and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act of 2004 (IDEA) for teachers to be highly qualified in specific content areas in which they are teaching has resulted in an increase in the availability of state-approved "alternative routes to certification"…