House Panel to Hear Recommendations from President's Commission on Special Education 7/8/2002
From: David Schnittger or Heather Valentine, 202-225-4527, both of the House Committee on Education and the Workforce News Advisory: On Wednesday, July 10, the House Committee on Education & the Workforce will hold a hearing on "Reforming the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act: Recommendations from the President's Commission on Excellence in Special Education" at 10:30 a.m. in Room 2175 of the Rayburn House Office Building. Committee Chairman John Boehner (R-Ohio) will chair the hearing. This hearing is the fifth held this year in a series of hearings on the reauthorization of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). The President's Commission on Excellence in Special Education, created on October 2, 2001, and chaired by former Iowa Governor Terry Branstad, held 13 open meetings and hearings across the country between February and May, hearing from almost 300 special education experts, education and medical researchers, education finance experts, parents, children with special needs, and teachers and others with expertise in the field of special education. The Commission also received written statements and research from hundreds of other individuals and organizations. The hearing will focus on the recommendations for reforming the nation's special education system that were included in the Commission's recent report to the President. The report explores a series of reform issues relating to IDEA, including: -- Enhancing IDEA accountability and education quality; -- Reducing the IDEA paperwork burden; -- Implementing research-based early identification and intervention programs to reduce over-identification and misidentification of youth, including minorities; -- Reforming how special education is financed; -- Supporting special education teachers; and -- Encouraging innovative approaches and parental involvement. WITNESS LIST -- The Honorable Terry Branstad, chairman, President's Commission on Excellence in Special Education, Leland, Iowa |