What should special education do?
Special Education according to IDEA regulations is as follows:”(3) Specially designed instruction means adapting, as appropriate to the needs of an eligible child under this part, the content, methodology, or delivery of instruction--(i) To address the unique needs of the child that result from the child's disability; and(ii) To ensure access of the child to the general curriculum, so that the child can meet the educational standards within the jurisdiction of the public agency that apply to all children (CFR 300.39(b)(3)).”
Therefore, if your child or student is receiving special education services with an Individual Education Plan
(IEP), then everything in the plan should be reasonably calculated to do two things according to the federal and state regulations. First, the IEP is required to address the unique needs of the child that result from the child’s disability. The word address means to think about and begin to deal with an issue or problem. Therefore, the IEP should improve the area of needs of a child with a disability. Second, the IEP is required to provide all the special education, related services, instruction to ensure that the child meets the same educational standards that is required of all students in the county, state and country. Students with disabilities should graduate from high school, be promoted to the next grade, and receive passing grades only when they have successfully fulfilled the expectations of the curriculum standards and/or annual IEP goals and objectives. If that is not happening for your child with a disability, then special education is not being rendered in accordance with federal regulations.
