Page 8: Legal Standards

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) requires that special education practices be
included in standards-based reform. To specify how a student will access the general education
curriculum, a student’s individualized education program (IEP) must include:

 A statement of the child’s present levels of educational performance, including how the
child’s disability affects his or her involvement in the general curriculum.
 Measurable annual goals related to meeting the child’s needs.
 Descriptions of modifications or supports that the child will need to:
o Advance toward attaining the annual goals.
o Progress in the general curriculum.
o Participate in extracurricular or other nonacademic activities.
o Participate in activities with other children with and without disabilities.

These requirements apply to all children with disabilities, regardless of their educational setting.

For Your Information

In the past, students with disabilities were isolated from general education. Assessments for these
students tested immediate and discrete skill deficits. IEPs were collections of isolated skill objectives
that led to isolated instruction. The IEP too often became the curriculum for the student, rather than
a tool for defining how to implement a general education curriculum. The mandate to link the IEP to
the general education curriculum and standards reflects the higher standards that should be
expected of students with disabilities.