The US Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP), would like to change the way it monitors states’ compliance with provisions of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). Currently, the system measures dropout rates, suspension and expulsion rates, percent of time spent in the general education classroom, parental involvement and other indicators. OSEP would like to move to a monitoring system that looks at student outcomes. OSEP has created a website where it has posed a series of questions and wants input from stakeholders. Individuals may share their ideas for how to ensure that students with disabilities do well in school.
Monthly Archives: October 2012
Report from the Department of Justice on Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act
The Department of Justice released a report on the federal government’s compliance with Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act, which requires federal agencies to ensure that the electronic and information technology (EIT) they procure, develop, maintain, and use is accessible to people with disabilities. The last report on Section 508 compliance was issued in 2004; the current report covers fiscal year 2010. Overall, the report found that agencies of the federal government continue to experience challenges in fully complying with Section 508. Only slightly over 50% of agencies had policies in place to implement the accessibility requirements. The great majority of agencies that developed software, videos, or multimedia products did not have a process to ensure accessibility of those products. Agencies also reported great difficulty in ensuring that federal contractors and programs that receive federal funds provide EIT that is accessible.