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The President's New Freedom Initiative: The 2007 Progress Report

CHAPTER 2

Expanding Educational Opportunities for Children with Disabilities

The President believes that all children, including those with disabilities, deserve to be taught by highly-qualified teachers in environments appropriate to their skills and achievement level.  For too long, children with disabilities were forgotten in the system, contributing to a lower high school graduation rate, lower secondary education rates, and lower employment rates.  In order to ensure that no child with a disability is left behind in our schools, the President has emphasized the importance of including youth with disabilities in accountability systems under the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB), which ensures these students receive more attention and targeted instruction.

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Enhancing the Special Education Service Delivery Structure

On December 3, 2004, the President signed into law the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act of 2004 (PL 108-446), which amended IDEA.  The new IDEA made several significant changes designed to help redefine how States and schools identify children with disabilities, set assessment standards, strengthen the contents of students’ Individual Education Plans, and adopt NCLB’s highly qualified teacher standards.  It also refocused special education programs on student achievement and required States to establish performance plans and implement programs to achieve performance goals. 

Accomplishments:

Next Steps:

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Preparing Children with Disabilities for the Future

Accomplishments:

Next Steps:

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Enabling Youth with Disabilities to Enter the Workforce or Post-Secondary Education

In order to help provide for a smooth transition for students with disabilities from secondary educational settings either to work or post-secondary education, the Administration has embarked on a series of collaborative partnerships that brought together stakeholders from around the country to address ways to enable students to reach their greatest potential. 

Accomplishments:

Next Steps:

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Providing Post-Secondary Students with Meaningful Internship Opportunities

The Administration has emphasized the importance of empowering students with disabilities making the transition from secondary education to life at a college, university, vocational/technical school, or an adult education program.

Accomplishments:

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Upholding the Civil Rights of Students in Grade School and in Post-Secondary Education

The Department of Education Office for Civil Rights (OCR) ensures that students both enjoy the rights to which they are entitled and understand the responsibilities that accompany those rights.  The Department has engaged in an aggressive effort to promote voluntary compliance with applicable civil rights laws.

Accomplishments:

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