OSEP Director Seeks Input on Undefined IDEA Terms

In her March 2023 monthly update, OSEP Director Valerie Williams highlighted the fact that many terms appear throughout IDEA, but to date, words as commonly used as “regular education” or “regular classroom” have yet to be defined. Fortunately, the guiding principle of IDEA is quite clear – that children with disabilities are educated with nondisabled children to the maximum extent appropriate. Keeping this in mind, Director Williams explained, “I am interested in discussing and sharing what makes an inclusive setting meaningful for all. I am interested in increasing the success of students with disabilities in these settings. I want the field to think carefully about how we provide more than just physical access to a classroom, but meaningful access to the general education curriculum.” Ensuring so requires discussions about how the special education field can support their general education colleagues.

In achieving this goal, Director Williams seeks input from the field and invites thoughts on the topic by emailing idea@ed.gov.