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ABSTRACT
November 29, 2000, marked the 25th anniversary of the signing into law of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). This seminal law has improved the educational opportunities for students with disabilities in the United States. In this article we briefly review the IDEA's first 25 years and speculate on the direction the IDEA may take in the future. Our purpose in this article is to (a) present the litigative and legislative developments that led to the passage of IDEA, (b) examine the law itself and the litigation interpreting the IDEA, and (c) discuss the direction that IDEA may take over the next 25 years.
TODAY I JOIN MILLIONS OF AMERICANS in celebrating the 25th anniversary of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)-a landmark law that opens the doors to education and success for more than six million American children each year. As we recognize this milestone, we know that education is the key to our children's future, and it is the IDEA that ensures all children with disabilities have access to a free appropriate public education. We have seen tremendous progress over the past 25 years-students with disabilities are graduating from high school, completing college, and entering the competitive workforce in record numbers-and we must continue this progress over the next 25 years and beyond. -Speech by President Bill Clinton, November 29, 2000
November 29, 2000, marked the 25th anniversary of the signing of the Education for All Handicapped Children Act of 1975 (EAHCA). The EAHCA, renamed the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) in 1990, has resulted in numerous accomplishments and changes in the ways in which we serve students with disabilities. Former President Clinton's remarks on the anniversary of the signing of this law evoke memories of the many accomplishments and developments in special education, and speak to the necessity of continuing this progress as we move into the new millennium. Our purpose in this article is to briefly review the IDEA's first 25 years. We first examine the historical developments that led to the passage of this monumental piece of legislation. Next, we examine the major provisions of the law. We end by offering our thoughts regarding the future direction of special education.
THE HISTORY OF THE...