The Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act of 2004 (IDEIA, often called IDEA 2004) is the most recent reauthorization of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). It was signed into law on December 3, 2004, and its regulations took effect in 2006. IDEIA did not replace IDEA – it updated it. For the basics of the law, the 13 disability categories and the rights it guarantees, read our full guide to IDEA. This entry explains what the 2004 reauthorization changed.
Why IDEA was reauthorized in 2004
Congress wanted special education to match the goals of general education reform under the No Child Left Behind Act: higher expectations, better-trained teachers and more attention to results instead of paperwork. IDEIA also tried to reduce conflicts between parents and schools and to identify learning problems earlier.
Key changes in IDEA 2004
- Learning disability identification: Schools no longer have to use the IQ–achievement "discrepancy" model to identify a specific learning disability. They may use Response to Intervention (RTI) and other research-based methods.
- Early intervening services: Districts may use up to 15 percent of their IDEA Part B funds for students who are not in special education but need extra academic or behavioral support.
- IEP changes: Short-term objectives are only required for students who take alternate assessments. IEP teams may amend an IEP without a full meeting if parents and school agree, and meetings can be held by phone or video.
- Transition planning: Transition goals and services must be in the IEP in effect when the student turns 16, with measurable postsecondary goals. See individualized transition plan.
- Dispute resolution: A resolution meeting must be offered before a due process hearing, and parents generally have two years to file a complaint.
- Discipline: The rules for the manifestation determination review were rewritten, and schools may place a student in an interim setting for up to 45 school days for weapons, drugs or serious bodily injury.
- Accessible materials: The National Instructional Materials Accessibility Standard (NIMAS) helps students who are blind or have print disabilities get textbooks in accessible formats.
IDEA vs. IDEIA: is there a difference?
No, not in practice. IDEIA is the formal name of the 2004 version of the law, but the U.S. Department of Education, schools and parents still call it IDEA. When someone mentions IDEA today, they mean the law as updated in 2004.
