[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 109 (Friday, June 30, 1995)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1384]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


           IMPROVING EDUCATION FOR CHILDREN WITH DISABILITIES

                                 ______


                          HON. DALE E. KILDEE

                              of michigan

                    in the house of representatives

                          Friday, June 30, 1995
  Mr. KILDEE. Mr. Speaker, today, I am honored to introduce the 
administration's proposal for improving education for children with 
disabilities under the Individuals With Disabilities Act [IDEA].
  Since enactment of Public Law 94-142, the Education for all 
Handicapped Children Act of 1975, results for children with 
disabilities have improved greatly. Before the enactment of that 
groundbreaking law, 1 million children with disabilities were excluded 
from school altogether, and several were in dehumanizing institutions. 
Today, one of the basic goals of the IDEA has been met--children with 
disabilities have access to education.
  The Department of Education has undertaken a very thorough process in 
preparing this legislative proposal. They consulted with parents, 
educators, and hundreds of others concerned with improving the 
education of children with disabilities, including congressional staff 
from both sides of the aisle. They asked for public comment in the 
Federal Register and received over 3,000 responses. During more than 1 
year of consultation, they heard about the strengths of the law, 
including its focus on individualized approaches, its protection of the 
rights of children and their families, and its support for innovative 
approaches for teaching.
  The administration's proposal makes improvements to the IDEA to 
ensure that the fundamental objectives of the law are more likely to be 
achieved, while preserving existing rights and protections for children 
and their families. This proposal is based on six key principles that 
are designed to improve results for students with disabilities:
  1. Align the IDEA with State and local education reform efforts so 
students with disabilities can benefit from them.
  2. Improve results for students with disabilities through higher 
expectations and meaningful access to the general curriculum, to the 
maximum extent possible.
  3. Address individual needs in the least restrictive environment for 
the student.
  4. Provide families and teachers--those closest to students--with the 
knowledge and training to effectively support students' learning.
  5. Focus on teaching and learning.
  6. Strengthen early intervention to ensure that every child starts 
school ready to learn.
  As Congress undertakes its review of this legislation, I am certain 
we will reaffirm our commitment to the basic purposes of the IDEA and 
the recognition of the Federal role in ensuring that all children with 
disabilities are provided with the equal educational opportunity that 
the Constitution guarantees. We now have the opportunity to take what 
we have learned over the past 20 years and use the administration's 
proposal to update and improve this law. I commend the administration 
for their bold initiative and look forward to working with the 
committee in seeing it through to its final passage.


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