NEA Resources

'Truth in Labeling: Disproportionality in Special Education'

NEA's Truth in Labeling: Disproportionality in Special Education provides educators with basic information about disproportionality - what it is, what causes it, and what the implications are for students, schools, and the community.  It offers recommendations on addressing disproportionality at the classroom, school, and community levels.  And, it includes helpful research references and resources.

An NEA policy brief, "Disproportionality: Inappropriate Identification of Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Children," also is available

Guide Will Help Educators with 'Puzzle of Autism'

Across the country, the number of children diagnosed as having autism has increased substantially and many of these students are in general education classrooms. How can general education teachers and other education professionals address their complex communication, social and learning needs?

To assist educators in their daily work, NEA has produced a new resource in collaboration with the Autism Society of America, the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, and the National Association of School Psychologists.

"The Puzzle of Autism" is a succinct informational guide for all education personnel who work with students with Autism Spectrum Disorders. The guide explains common autistic characteristics and suggests effective classroom strategies for improving the communication, sensory, social, and behavioral skills of children who have autism.

Complimentary copies are no longer available, but it is available for purchase from the NEA Professional Library. Or, you can download a copy of "The Puzzle of Autism" (PDF, 925KB, 44 pages) at any time. March 2006 (Updated Dec. 14, 2006)

NEA and NAGC Release New Guide

Meeting the needs of students who are both academically gifted and disabled is a challenge for educators, school districts and parents across the country. In an effort to raise awareness and provide guidance, the National Education Association and the National Association for Gifted Children joined forces to develop a new guide for educators. 

The "Twice-Exceptional Dilemma" outlines proper identification, delineates the roles and responsibilities of school districts and educators, and suggests accommodations and resources for addressing the needs of these unique students. The "Twice-Exceptional Dilemma" is available for purchase through the NEA Professional Library. You can also download a copy of the "Twice-Exceptional Dilemma" (PDF, 906KB, 36 pages) at any time.

Special Ed Teachers: Find Out if You're 'Highly Qualified'

If you're a special education professional and you're having trouble figuring out how the newly reauthorized IDEA's "highly qualified" provisions apply to you, you are not alone. Our interactive online quiz will shed some light on the problem. Answer the questions and follow the chart to find out the path to being deemed "highly qualified" under the law.

"Our members have been struggling with how to interpret the IDEA's new special education teacher 'highly qualified' provisions," said Patti Ralabate, special education expert in NEA's Student Achievement Department, "and this quiz is a clear, graphic way to demonstrate how special education teachers can be deemed highly qualified."

The quiz is based on a chart  ( PDF, 48.9 KB, 1 page)  that was developed by staff in NEA's Student Achievement and Teacher Quality Departments as an addendum to the manual, "IDEA and NCLB: Intersection of Access and Outcomes," produced jointly by NEA and the National Association of State Directors of Special Education. (See next item.)

A separate interactive quiz designed by NEA helps guide all teachers along the complex path to being "highly qualified" under the requirements of the federal "No Child Left Behind" law.

Manual Offers Guidance on IDEA and ESEA

The National Education Association and the National Association of State Directors of Special Education have  joined together to produce "IDEA and NCLB: Intersection of Access and Outcomes" to provide guidance to states and local school district leaders who will be responsible for the implementation of both laws.

Free Online Tool Helps Write Individualized Education Programs

NEA is offering all educators a free online tool for writing Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) as part of a Teacher Toolkit. The IEP and other tools can help teachers meet requirements of both IDEA and "Highly Qualified Teacher" provisions in the federal so-called "No Child Left Behind" Act.

Patti Ralabate, NEA special education expert, said, "We hope it will be especially helpful in demonstrating that a comprehensive, student-focused IEP that is aligned to state standards can be done in seven steps."

Included in the Teacher Toolkit suite  are: classroom tools, IEP tools, curriculum tools, and assessment tools.

NEA Today Reports on Assistive Technologies

A feature in NEA Today reports on how "assistive technologies" are helping  students with disabilities function more fully in general education classrooms. Keep scrolling down the page to find out about Universal Design for Learning.

NEA Offers 'IDEA Briefs' to Help Explain Law

NEA's "IDEA Briefs" is a new series of documents that are issued to explain developments about and aspects of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). "IDEA Briefs," which use a question-and-answer format, offer detailed information important to educators, administrators, parents, and others who are interested in serving the educational needs of students with disabilities.

Congress is in the process of reauthorizing the landmark IDEA, so the first "IDEA Brief" explains why this law is important to all educators -– and parents, too. The second explains the impact of newly-issued Department of Education regulations granting increased flexibility for testing students with disabilities under the requirements of the federal Elementary and Secondary Education Act (also known as "No Child Left Behind").

NEA Policy Supports Inclusion

By official policy, NEA supports "appropriate" inclusion of students with disabilities in regular classrooms. The policy, which was adopted by the NEA Representative Assembly in 1994, defines "appropriate" by spelling out specific characteristics such programs must have. The full policy statement is available here.

NEA Members Serve on IDEA Resource Cadre

The NEA IDEA Special Education Resource Cadre was appointed in February 2000 to assist NEA members nationwide with obtaining information about IDEA and its implementation.

The Resource Cadre reflects NEA's diverse membership and includes general and special educators as well as education support professionals, elementary through high school levels. There are cadre members in each of NEA's six geographic regions across the country. The Resource Cadre has received intensive training on IDEA issues and is available to deliver presentations and resources on IDEA.

For more information, please e-mail or call Patti Ralabate, NEA Professional Associate for Special Needs, at (202) 822-7373.

NEA Recommends Changes in IDEA Discipline Provisions

Educators face significant and persistent challenges as they address the severe behavior problems of some students. In fact, the behavior of a handful of students can dramatically impact other students, school personnel, families and the climate within a school. But simply removing students from the classroom without another alternative just moves their problems from the classrooms into the streets. NEA believes school systems must provide alternative settings with appropriate educational supports.

Planning Sheet Helps Parents with Teacher Conferences

Parent-teacher conferences are held at least once a year in nearly every school district in the country. While they are an excellent way for parents and teachers to communicate with one another, they are typically one of the most stressful events of the year -- for teachers and parents alike. When a child is struggling, has behavior problems in the classroom or has disabilities that affect his or her learning, meeting with the teacher can create unanticipated tensions for parents, according to Meeting the Challenge: Special Education Tools That Work for All Kids. (June 2002) by Patti Ralabate, NEA Professional Associate for Special Needs. Completing this "Conference Planning Sheet for Parents" can help you have a more productive meeting with your student's teacher.