Similarities and Overlapping Ideas Within EAHCA and IDEA
There were many overlapping ideas between the EAHCA and IDEA. The 2004 legislation was more of an expansion and refinement of existing ideas. First, the basis for both acts is to provide FAPE (Free Appropriate Public Education) for all handicapped students. This was all encompassing and covered physical, emotional, and intellectual disabilities. Goals were to be established and reported via the Individualized Education Plan, which is the means of achieving the goals. Additionaly, it was required that it should be explained to parents why students were not being included …show more content…
In both acts, the main goal is to mainstream students to the greatest extent possible. Both legislations provided for due process, if parents disagreed with any steps taken in providing for their child's education, or measuring their progress. The LEP (local education provider) is required under both acts to provide appropriate support for all handicapped children, in order to provide them with a quality education. Each piece of legislature defines the IEP team, and how the meetings and implementation should be conducted. Finally, the PLOP (present levels of performance), in both acts, will be a yearly meeting in which parents and students will be advised on how performance is measured and what the next steps in the educational plan will be.
Differences Between EAHCA and IDEA There are a few differences between EAHCA and IDEA. The Education for All Handicapped