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Act 173: Individuals with Disabilities Education Act

With the reauthorization of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), congress articulates its belief that “disability is a natural part of the human experience and in no way diminishes the right of individuals to participate in or contribute to society. Improving educational results for children with disabilities is an essential element of our national policy of ensuring equality of opportunity, full participation, independent living, and economic self-sufficiency for individuals with disabilities.”

IDEA governs how states and public agencies make available a free appropriate public education to eligible children with disabilities and ensures special education and related services are delivered to those children.

The purpose of Act 173 of 2018 is to support all students who struggle, including students who qualify for an IEP under IDEA. Act 173 preserves the entitlement created by IDEA and redesigns the Vermont special education funding system, to encourage a system of best practices in the general education classroom and intervention as needed over the course of a student’s educational experience