The Impact of Federal Public Policy on Curriculum and Instruction for Students With Disabilities in the General Classroom

Abstract

The promise that all children will achieve higher levels of academic performance is the foundation of the current educational reform movement. Standards-based reform began with financial assistance to the states for the development of content and performance standards, improved teacher quality, and increased school accountability. The reform movement has evolved to federal corrective action under the No Child Left Behind Act (2001) and the Individuals With Disabilities Education Act of 2004 for schools and states that fail to make adequate yearly progress. In this article, the authors briefly examine (a) the history of the federal role in standards-based reform over the past two decades, (b) the role of federal policy in ensuring access to the general curriculum and research-based instruction for students with disabilities, and (c) future policy issues pertaining to achieving higher levels of academic performance for all students.

Keywords:

• disability reform
• education
• policy
• standards