CEC is pleased to unveil its Policy Insider, the successor to CEC's Policy Update. CEC's Policy Insider is your connection to special & gifted education policy information. This complimentary update is best viewed in html format.

On May 9, the U.S. Department of Education released the official IDEA Part C proposed regulations.  IDEA Part C provides early intervention services for infants and toddlers with disabilities ages birth through two years, and their families. 

According to the announcement for the proposed regulations, the Department of Education states that some of the highlights of the proposed regulations include:

• Restructuring of the current regulations,
• Reduced burden on states,
• Increased state flexibility and options,
• Much requested and needed clarification on complex provisions,
• Ensuring state accountability for child find and provision of early intervention, services, and
• Aligning Part C, where practicable, to the Part B regulations.

The public now has the opportunity to provide comments and input on the proposed regulations during a 75-day public comment period.  The close of that 75-day period will be July 23, 2007. 

The Department of Education will also be hosting four meetings to allow the public to provide comments to the Department in person.  The four sites for the public meetings are Portland, Oregon (4:00-7:30pm June 4); Oklahoma City, Oklahoma (4:00pm-7:30pm June 6); Indianapolis, Indiana (4:00pm-7:30pm June 11); and Washington, DC (3:00pm-7:30pm June 14).  The Department will announce specific locations within each of those cities in a separate Federal Register posting.

CEC is presently working with its Division on Early Childhood (DEC) and the Infant and Toddler Coordinators Association (ITCA) to develop a side-by-side comparison of the current, pre-1997 IDEA Part C regulations and the proposed regulations with analysis.  CEC, DEC, and ITCA are also working on developing comments on the proposed regulations and recommendations for the final regulations.  We will release this information in a timely manner to assist CEC members in providing comments to the Department at the four public meetings.

Read the IDEA Part C Proposed Regulations

This week, Alexa Posny, Director of the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) at the U.S. Department of Education announced she is to return to Kansas as the state's Commissioner of Education.  As the Director of OSEP, Posny implemented numerous initiatives that impact the lives of America's 6.9 million children with disabilities and their families such as the IDEA Part B and C regulations and the 2 percent regulations.  CEC has enjoyed collaborating with Ms. Posny throughout her tenure at the Department and most recently at CEC's Annual Convention where she addressed thousands of CEC members.  CEC wishes Ms. Posny well in her new position. 

House Education Committee Hears Testimony from Secretary of Education Spellings