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Exemplifying how long the process can take to change state law/rules in response to changes in federal law, the final TEA rules on special education finally became effective on November 11, 2007, almost three years after Congress reauthorized the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. On December 3, 2004, President Bush signed into law the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEA 2004) Amendments of 2004, which contain many changes to the federal law pertaining to the education of students with disabilities. On October 13, 2006, the United States Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs, published final federal regulations.
The Texas Education Agency then held stakeholder meetings of parents, advocates, and educator groups, of which TCTA was a participant, in November 2006 and January 2007. The TEA proposed rules were then developed, with the public comment period on the proposed rules beginning on April 20, 2007, and ending June 19, 2007. TCTA was involved from the beginning of the process to the end, submitting input to Congress when IDEA was in the process of being reauthorized, submitting input to the U.S. Dept. of Education when the accompanying federal regulations were being drafted, participating in TEA stakeholder meetings when state education rules were being developed, and commenting on the proposed state rules when they were issued. Read more on this issue.
Reviewed: 09/29/08
