Report to the Ranking Minority Member, Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions, U.S.

 

Report to the Ranking Minority

Member, Committee on Health,

Education, Labor, and Pensions,

U.S.
During the 2001-2002 school year,
more than 400,000 special
education teachers provided
instructional services to
approximately 6 million students
with disabilities in U.S. schools.
Two federal laws contain teacher
qualification requirements that
apply to special education
teachers: the No Child Left Behind
Act (NCLBA) and the Individuals
with Disabilities Education Act
(IDEA).
Given the committee’s interest in
issues related to highly qualified
special education teachers, we are
providing information about (1) the
state certification requirements,
including the use of alternative
certification programs, for special
education teachers, and how they
relate to NCLBA requirements;
(2) the factors that facilitate or
impede state efforts to ensure that
special education teachers meet
NCLBA requirements; and (3) how
different offices in the Department
of Education (Education) assist
states in addressing NCLBA
teacher requirements