Children & Youth Action Network
(CAN) Reports

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Karen Rooney, CAN Coordinator for the Division for Learning Disabilities, provides brief reports for TeachingLD.org so that visitors can keep informed about important developments in policies affecting students with learning disabilities and their teachers. TeachingLD.org is pleased to offer this page as a place for people concerned with learning disabilities to keep up to date.

2 July 2003

On April 30, 2003, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill (HR 1350) to reauthorize the IDEA. DLD had opposed the legislation at our CEC conference in Seattle for many reasons but the following issues were key concerns:

• Absence of mandatory full funding,
• Use of Response-to-Intervention for identification of specific learning disabilities,
• Requirement that special education teachers who teach core academic subjects be certified in each content area taught to be considered highly qualified,
• Transfer of Part D to the Institute of Education Science, and
• Elimination of discipline requirements for functional behavioral assessments, positive behavioral support plans and manifestation reviews.

On June 25, 2003, the Senate passed a bipartisan bill to reauthorize IDEA, which was an improvement but still needed input and change. After meeting with the offices of Senators Clinton, Warner, and Allen, two windows of opportunity were mentioned to continue to have impact on the Senate bill. After being passed, the bill goes to conference, which means representatives from both parties will be appointed to negotiate consensus on a final version that will be presented to both the House and Senate for a full vote.

At this time, your Senators and Representatives are in their home states for the Fourth of July recess. Now is the time for you to contact your local Senators and Representatives to voice your opinion in favor of the Senate Bill while recommending that identification of learning disabilities should continue to be based on comprehensive evaluations until data on alternative measures of identification can be obtained.

The Summaries and Responses are available on the CEC Public Policy website to provide you with more in-depth information.