The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA): Paperwork in Special Education

Publication Date: December 2003

Publisher: Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

Author(s):

Research Area: Education

Type:

Abstract:

Congress is currently considering reauthorizing the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). H.R. 1350, 108th Congress, was passed by the House on April 30, 2003. S. 1248 was reported out of committee by a unanimous vote on June 25, 2003. On November 21, 2003, a unanimous consent agreement providing for floor consideration of S. 1248 was adopted. Among the issues both bills address is the amount of paperwork special education teachers have to complete.

This report will discuss some of the requirements of the law that give rise to paperwork, the available statistics on the time special educators spend on paperwork, and selected issues in the House and Senate bills that are related to paperwork reduction. This report will be updated to reflect major legislative action.