Special Education in Iowa
Serving children and families since 1974
Before the mid-1970s, many children with physical or mental disabilities did not receive public education. In 1974, the Iowa legislature removed those barriers, and the U.S. Congress soon pursued a similar goal with the enactment of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). The law requires schools to provide equal educational opportunities for all children, regardless of their diverse learning needs. Iowa developed area education agencies (AEAs) to provide support services required by IDEA.
AEAs have three major responsibilities in special education:
- Effective Child Find services (identification of children with disabilities)
- Quality support and related services
- Improved student outcomes to close the achievement gap
Services are provided for children from birth through the age of 21 and can be accessed through requests made by parents or educators. AEAs lead a collaborative process with districts and families to complete comprehensive evaluations that examine whether a student needs specially designed instruction due to an educational disability. Comprehensive evaluations are completed to determine both initial and continued eligibility for special education.
Students with disabilities may be provided with accommodations that give them access to the general education curriculum and its assessments. Some students with disabilities participate in alternate forms of assessment in order to demonstrate learning.AEAs also serve as educational leaders in planning and supporting free and equitable access to quality educational programs and supporting school district staff, parents and AEA staff in meeting special education requirements and improving outcomes for students in special education.