The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), initially adopted in 1975 as the Education for all Handicapped Children Act, affirmed that students with disabilities must have access to the public education system and be provided appropriate special education and related services. The American Federation of Teachers fully supports the guiding principle of IDEA, which is that a student with a disability is entitled to a free appropriate public education.

As IDEA has evolved, it is more important than ever for the law to ensure that education services and supports are available to students with disabilities to facilitate their achievement in the classroom. This point is underscored by the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), which requires that students with disabilities participate as fully as possible in general education testing and accountability systems.

IDEA 2005 mirrors the accountability measures found in NCLB. There is increased focus on accountability and improving student performance, ultimately improving outcomes for students with disabilities. The AFT believes the recently authorized IDEA will facilitate appropriate delivery of services to students with disabilities, a reduction in onerous paperwork, greater access, and meaningful participation in general education settings.

As an active member of the IDEA Partnership, a federally funded collaborative from the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP), AFT has successfully collaborated with a number of national organizations to unify efforts on special education issues. Listed below are links to some of our key partners:

Council for Exceptional Children (CEC)
The Council for Exceptional Children is a professional organization dedicated to improving educational outcomes for students with disabilities and/or the gifted.

Center on Personnel Studies in Special Education (COPSSE)
COPSSE is supported by a cooperative agreement between the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) and the University of Florida. COPSSE is working to identify teacher preparation practices associated with beginning teacher competence as well as improved student outcomes.

Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO)—The Center for Teacher Quality (CTQ)
CCSSO, through its Interstate New Teacher Assessment and Support Consortium (INTASC), was awarded funding from the Office of Special Education Programs at the U.S. Department of Education to work with states on developing models for improving the preparation, licensing and professional development of both general and special education teachers of students with disabilities.

National Center for Culturally Responsive Educational Systems (NCCRESt)
NCCRESt provides technical assistance and professional development to close the achievement gap between students from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds and their peers and reduce inappropriate referrals to special education.

National Association of State Directors of Special Education (NASDSE)
NASDSE supports states and territories in delivering quality education to children and youth with disabilities through training, technical assistance, research, policy development and modeling of collaborative relationships with other organizations and all constituencies.