Consortium for Citizens with Disabilities (CCD) Updates
July 2022
As members of the CCD Education Task Force, CLD has signed the CCD Ed Task Force Response to 504 Regulations Letter
May 2022
CLD has signed CCD’s Assistive Technology Act Letter, which has also been sent to the Senate.
November 2021
The following is a letter that was signed as part of the CCD in response to disability needs and the Build Back Better (BBB) Act. It passed the House on Friday 11/19/21. The document contains a thank you for members of the House and a call to members of the Senate to pass, as well as for Congress to finalize the bill with suggested provisions and funding. Build Back Better Act
The next letter was signed as a part of CCD in response to the FY22 Appropriations. The proposed appropriations for individuals with disabilities and their educators are significantly higher than in recent years, and we need to urge our members of Congress to honor these. Suggested funding amounts are included in the letter. To email your members of Congress, search the member’s name in your search engine. Most members have a form you can complete to share your thoughts with them by email. If you are not certain of their names, you can search the US House of Representatives and put your zip code in to locate their names and contact information. For the US Senate, you can search with the name of the state. FY22 Appropriations
ACTION ALERT!
The Keeping All Students Safe Act has been introduced in both the House and Senate. Follow this link to find out how you can help get this bill passed!
Covid 19 Legislative Updates:
CCD Principles for School Reopening
COVID-19 and Students with Disabilities: Interpreting IDEA in Current Climate
July 8, 2019 – CCD’s Position Statement on LRE
To read CCD’s position statement and principles for meeting the Least Restrictive Environment (LRE) requirement within federal education laws and regulations, click here to access the document.
June 20, 2019 – CCD’s Principles and Recommendations for the Reauthorization of the Higher Education Act
To read CCD’s recommendations for the reauthorization of the Higher Education Act, click here to access the document.
March 7, 2019 – CCD Statement on Recent Court Decision
The Consortium for Citizens with Disabilities’ Education Task Force, of which CLD is an active participant, issued a statement supporting the recent court decision ruling against the U.S. Department of Education’s delay of regulations to reduce disproportionate special education identification, placement, and discipline for students of color. Click here to access the statement.
March 26, 2019–CCD Infosheet for 116th Congress
For access to the CCD Infosheet for the 116th Congress click here.
January 10, 2019–CCD Education Task Force Report on 2018 Activities
For access to the CCD Education Task Force Report on 2018 Activities click here.
September 8, 2017–House Judiciary Committee Passes the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Education and Reform Act of 2017 H.R.620.
Please, see the CCD “Save ADA” website for more information on the act. There is a movement to protect ADA by opposing the ADA Education and Reform Act of 2017. This act would weaken ADA, so we would like to give our members an opportunity to sign the petition.
Please click the link below to sign the petition.
Change.org – “Don’t Tread on My ADA” petition .
June 29, 2017–IDEA Regulations Technical Changes.
The CLD Liaison chairs participated in an invitation-only conference call on June 29th about changes to IDEA Regulations to align with ESSA. Please click here to read the details.
March 22, 2017–Supreme Court Ruling on Endrew F. v. Douglas County School District
The Supreme Court found in favor of the parents in the Endrew F. v. Douglas County School District case. They ruled that “de minimis” service is not in keeping with the requirements of IDEA. Please find the Supreme Court ruling here.
Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA)
February 10, 2017–Letter to the Chief State School Officers
In a letter delivered to chief state school officers, U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos provided clarity on Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) implementation, in light of the actions related to the postponement of the accountability regulations and the Congressional Review Act. The letter emphasizes that States should continue to move forward and that the Department will work to ensure that states education leaders have the state and local flexibility that Congress intended. States should continue to follow the timeline for developing and submitting their plans for review and approval, building on the work they have already completed. The department will provide further guidance on the state plan requirements by March 13, 2017.
“States have been working diligently on ESSA plans, and today’s letter makes clear that the Department remains committed to faithfully implementing the law as Congress intended. I remain committed to working alongside local education leaders to ensure they have the flexibility to craft education plans that make the most sense for the parents and students they serve.”
The full letter is attached here.
Reauthorization of the ESEA as the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA)
The U.S. Department of Education has released the final regulations for The Every Student Succeeds Act of 2015 (ESSA). CLD’s Liaison Committee co-chairs Roberta Strosnider and Debi Gartland attended an ED Department meeting on Dec. 1 in which the ESSA regulations were highlighted.
Click here Fact Sheet for the recently released Fact Sheet and remember to bookmark the following to keep up with ESSA: http://2.ed.gov/policy/elsec/leg/essa/index.html.
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Both the House and the Senate have passed a rewrite of the No Child Left Behind Act. The reauthorization of the Elementary Secondary Education Act (ESEA) passed the House in the Student Success Act by a slim margin, and the Every Child Achievement Act passed the Senate by a large majority. Both bills continue accountability measures and grant more flexibility to the states in how the accountability measures look in each state, however, there is likely to be disagreement during conference over many of the parts of each bill. The next step is for the House and Senate to come to an agreement regarding a final bill that would then go to the President for his signature. See more below.
- ESSA: Notice of Proposed Rule Making and State Plans
- CCD Recommendations on Perkins Reauthorization
- CCD Response to ESSA Recommendations – August 1, 2016
Reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act
Click here to read the background and summary of congressional activity regarding this act. We have outlined actions for you to take to support these measures.
October 2015–From OSERS:
The Office of Special Education and Rehabilitation Services (OSERS) has received communications from stakeholders, including parents, advocacy groups, and national disability organizations, who believe that state and local educational agencies (SEAs and LEAs) are reluctant to reference or use dyslexia, dyscalculia, and dysgraphia in evaluations, eligibility determinations, or in developing the individualized education program (IEP) under the IDEA.
This policy guidance letter clarifies that there is nothing in the IDEA that would prohibit the use of the terms dyslexia, dyscalculia and dysgraphia in IDEA evaluation, eligibility determinations, or IEP documents.
Letter from CCD to Secretary Duncan regarding the 2% Change:
U.S. Department of Education ruling, August 2015