Disability Advocacy Coalition Criticizes ESEA Waivers

A coalition of groups representing people with intellectual and developmental disabilities outlined its concerns with the waivers from certain requirements in the No Child Left Behind law that the U.S. Department of Education has granted to states.

The Collaboration to Promote Self-Determination released its letter Thursday, the same day a Senate committee held a hearing on the waivers, which have been issued using the education secretary's broad waiver authority—and without much Congressional oversight. The collaboration, formed in 2008, includes groups such as the National Down Syndrome Society, the Autism Society, the National Fragile X Foundation, and the Muscular Dystrophy Association.

Among its concerns are that states haven't made a strong effort to get meaningful from people who represent the disability community; the waivers diminish subgroup accountability by allowing states to consolidate them into so-called "super-subgroups;" and that states are failing to address in detail how they plan to transition severely cognitively disabled students who are taking alternate assessments to common college- and career-ready standards.

Read more of Christina Samuels' On Special Education article HERE.

Collaboration To Promote Self Determination (CPSD) report

The Collaboration to Promote Self Determination (CPSD) is a coalition of national
organizations that advocates for innovative public policy reform focused on promoting
the effective transition of students with intellectual and developmental disabilities into
adulthood by preparing them to pursue and obtain optimal outcomes in the areas of
employment, economic advancement, and independent living. Based on extensive
research and data, we strongly believe that all students with disabilities, including those
with intellectual and developmental disabilities, should have access to the grade-level
general education curriculum, attain the academic standards set forth by states and
participate in fully inclusive general education classrooms and other school settings.
CPSD also believes strongly that public policies should promote students with disabilities
as part of the general education population and not as a segregated subpopulation.  


See the CPSD ALL KIDS COUNT, September 2012 report HERE.