Less than half of states in the country are meeting their obligations to appropriately serve students with disabilities under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). In its annual review, the U.S. Department of Education found that only 22 states – New Jersey, Delaware and Pennsylvania are among them – had met federal requirements in the 2015-2016 school year. That number is down from 24 states last year.
The findings come from an assessment of state compliance with the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act that looks at student performance and outcomes, as well as states’ compliance with procedural requirements. If a state fails to meet requirements for two or more consecutive years, the UDOE can take enforcement action, which might include redirecting or withholding funds, developing a corrective action plan or mandating other changes.
While no state received the more extreme designations of “needs intervention” or “needs substantial intervention,” 28 states were labeled, as “needs assistance.”
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