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The purpose of the commission is to "collect information and study issues related to federal, state, and local special education programs, with the goal of recommending policies for improving the educational performance of students with disabilities." The scope of the Commission is:
The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) requires accountability and high expectations for students with disabilities. The Commission is expected to consider President Bush's education agenda with its goal: No Child Be Left Behind.
The President appointed 19 Commissioners from around the country with diverse backgrounds. Commissioners represent:
The Commission has met three times as a group and conducted eight (8) Task Force hearings on Assessment and Identification, Research, Professional Development, Accountability, Systems Administration, Finance, Transition and Federal Administration. Full transcripts from the public hearing is available at the Commission's website.
Draft findings and recommendations discussed at the May 30 and 31, 2002 meeting of the Commission. The current plan is for the findings and recommendations to be posted on the commission website the following week. The Commission will meet on June 13 and 14, 2002 to finalize their findings and recommendations so that they can submit the report to the President, due July 1, 2002.
Commissioners and expert witnesses have repeatedly acknowledged that parents are key to success for students with disabilities. There has been much discussion and concern about what happens when parents and schools disagree and about the dispute resolution process. Though there are good models for community and parent outreach, many parents from lower income and underserved populations are still not involved in their children's education. Fellow Commissioners stressed the importance of the parent voice has been in their understanding some of the problems in special education and helping them become even more committed to their charge of improving results for students with disabilities. Since its inception in January, the Commission has received letters and other correspondence from the public on the Commission and its work. Until this month, comments needed to be submitted by mail or fax. The Commission has recently added an e-mail address to facilitate these communications. That address is PCESE@ed.gov.
More information about the President's Commission can be found on their website: http://www.ed.gov/inits/commissionsboards/whspecialeducation/about.html which can also be accessed through a link from PEATC's Home Page: www.peatc.org. Takemoto will continue making Commission updates available along with relevant announcements and other information of interest through PEATC's email list. To subscribe, visit our website at www.peatc.org.