NAEAnews. “SPECIAL NEEDS,”December, 2004, Vol. 46 (6) - CEC Public Policy & Advocacy News.

Do you ever feel that you're on information overload but you don't get the information you need? This column won't attempt to sort out what radio pundits ponder, the print media publishes, or television's “talking heads” banter about for our consumption. It will, however, guide you to a quick, easy way to get current information about students with special needs. Learn how schools, states, and other countries deal with inclusion or the testing of special education students under No Child Left Behind (NCLB) or those “unfunded mandates.” The Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) offers this information (and more) on its website <http://www.cec.sped.org>. Click on “Public Policy & Advocacy News.”

Current and relevant information about issues affecting education can be found there. For example, did you know that “inclusion,” the controversial educational policy that places students with special needs in general education classrooms, has run into trouble in England? The “Daily Telegraph” notes that “England's inclusion policy is failing large numbers of children in numerous areas including reading instruction and funding.” This information is to be published in a report by England's Office for Standards in Education. Did you know that principals who need updated information about the changing requirements of special educational laws, the issues around the evaluation of students with disabilities, and classroom adaptations for these students could quickly access that information? They can find it in the “Principal's Guide to Special Education.” And, did you know that there is a current, comprehensive listing of over 7,000 nationwide resources that deal with learning disabilities?   All this information and other current issues appear in condensed overviews with links to the full articles. The CEC site also gives an ongoing update and overview of special education legislation. You may wonder why art educators should keep up with special education legislation? One good reason is that this legislation affects the student composition of the classes art teachers teach.

Here's a mini history of some of that legislation, from the beginning. The special education law that had an impact on almost everyone who teaches in the public schools was Public Law 94-142, originally passed in 1975. This law became known as the “mainstreaming” law even though it did not use that term. Among its provisions, it mandated a free, appropriate education (FAPE) for all children and established a due process procedure that parents and schools could use to resolve their differences. P.L. 94-142 also required an Individual Education Plan (IEP) to help focus on what was deemed appropriate to teach each child with special needs.

The provisions of P.L. 94-142 also required a periodic review and reauthorization by Congress. In each of the three times that Congress has reauthorized this broad special education law, the law was amended to add new categories and to refine its language. For example, preschool children with disabilities and students who are gifted were added to this comprehensive special education legislation during one of Congress' reviews. The reauthorization by Congress in 1990 (P.L. 101-476) changed its name to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and expanded services to give appropriate supports to those with autism or traumatic brain injury. For the past several years the issues generated by the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) mandates have made it difficult to focus on other education legislation. Members of Congress have slowly been addressing the current reauthorization of IDEA for some time. The Public Law they finally approve and what the President ultimately signs will affect our classrooms.  

CEC posts the Congressional actions (or sometimes, lack of) on their site. They also placed their recommendations for IDEA for all to read. You can also find the CEC position on another piece of legislation that may impact your classroom, the reauthorization of the Assistive Technology Act. Some of you may remember William Norton's presentation of the “Olivia Project” at NAEA's national convention. Norton, who taught at Menomonie High School in Menomonie, Wisconsin, described his long and difficult journey to find funding for Olivia, one of his students who has cerebral palsy. Olivia needed adaptive technology; special headgear, and the program that made it all work so she could make art using a computer. One can only wonder about Norton's time and efforts if the legislative supports had been in place and he had access to this information.

See our web site for information about Norton's presentation. Click on “CEC Special Interest Group for Teachers of the Arts.” Click on the “Spring, 2002 newsletter - NAEA in NYC.” E-mail suggestions for topics you would like addressed in this column or to add information to our Special Needs website <www.southernct.edu/~gerber/SEDarts/>.

If you would like to become a member of the NAEA Special Needs Issues Group, please contact Susan Loesl, Milwaukee Public Schools, 4153 N. 62 nd St., Milwaukee, WI 53216 or e-mail loeslsd@milwaukee.k12.wi.us .