20 U.S.C. § 1450 : US Code - Section 1450: Findings

Search 20 U.S.C. § 1450 : US Code - Section 1450: Findings

Congress finds the following:
(1) The Federal Government has an ongoing obligation to support
activities that contribute to positive results for children with
disabilities, enabling those children to lead productive and
independent adult lives.
(2) Systemic change benefiting all students, including children
with disabilities, requires the involvement of States, local
educational agencies, parents, individuals with disabilities and
their families, teachers and other service providers, and other
interested individuals and organizations to develop and implement
comprehensive strategies that improve educational results for
children with disabilities.
(3) State educational agencies, in partnership with local
educational agencies, parents of children with disabilities, and
other individuals and organizations, are in the best position to
improve education for children with disabilities and to address
their special needs.
(4) An effective educational system serving students with
disabilities should -
(A) maintain high academic achievement standards and clear
performance goals for children with disabilities, consistent
with the standards and expectations for all students in the
educational system, and provide for appropriate and effective
strategies and methods to ensure that all children with
disabilities have the opportunity to achieve those standards
and goals;
(B) clearly define, in objective, measurable terms, the
school and post-school results that children with disabilities
are expected to achieve; and
(C) promote transition services and coordinate State and
local education, social, health, mental health, and other
services, in addressing the full range of student needs,
particularly the needs of children with disabilities who need
significant levels of support to participate and learn in
school and the community.
(5) The availability of an adequate number of qualified
personnel is critical -
(A) to serve effectively children with disabilities;
(B) to assume leadership positions in administration and
direct services;
(C) to provide teacher training; and
(D) to conduct high quality research to improve special
education.
(6) High quality, comprehensive professional development
programs are essential to ensure that the persons responsible for
the education or transition of children with disabilities possess
the skills and knowledge necessary to address the educational and
related needs of those children.
(7) Models of professional development should be scientifically
based and reflect successful practices, including strategies for
recruiting, preparing, and retaining personnel.
(8) Continued support is essential for the development and
maintenance of a coordinated and high quality program of research
to inform successful teaching practices and model curricula for
educating children with disabilities.
(9) Training, technical assistance, support, and dissemination
activities are necessary to ensure that subchapters II and III
are fully implemented and achieve high quality early
intervention, educational, and transitional results for children
with disabilities and their families.
(10) Parents, teachers, administrators, and related services
personnel need technical assistance and information in a timely,
coordinated, and accessible manner in order to improve early
intervention, educational, and transitional services and results
at the State and local levels for children with disabilities and
their families.
(11) Parent training and information activities assist parents
of a child with a disability in dealing with the multiple
pressures of parenting such a child and are of particular
importance in -
(A) playing a vital role in creating and preserving
constructive relationships between parents of children with
disabilities and schools by facilitating open communication
between the parents and schools; encouraging dispute resolution
at the earliest possible point in time; and discouraging the
escalation of an adversarial process between the parents and
schools;
(B) ensuring the involvement of parents in planning and
decisionmaking with respect to early intervention, educational,
and transitional services;
(C) achieving high quality early intervention, educational,
and transitional results for children with disabilities;
(D) providing such parents information on their rights,
protections, and responsibilities under this chapter to ensure
improved early intervention, educational, and transitional
results for children with disabilities;
(E) assisting such parents in the development of skills to
participate effectively in the education and development of
their children and in the transitions described in section
1473(b)(6) of this title;
(F) supporting the roles of such parents as participants
within partnerships seeking to improve early intervention,
educational, and transitional services and results for children
with disabilities and their families; and
(G) supporting such parents who may have limited access to
services and supports, due to economic, cultural, or linguistic
barriers.
(12) Support is needed to improve technological resources and
integrate technology, including universally designed
technologies, into the lives of children with disabilities,
parents of children with disabilities, school personnel, and
others through curricula, services, and assistive technologies.