BIA Special Education Coordinated Services Plan.

Overview & Synopsis

Provisions in the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) Amendments of 1997 called for improved collaboration and coordination among tribal, federal, state, and local agencies in providing special education and related services to Indian children with disabilities. To meet these requirements, input was elicited from public meetings, a steering committee composed of relevant stakeholders, a Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) Special Education Advisory Board, surveys of BIA staff, a focus group of stakeholders, a roundtable discussion at the National Indian Education Association's legislative summit, and 10 tribal consultation meetings. Findings and recommendations focused on: (1) developing strategies to ensure that students in BIA-funded schools are not inappropriately referred to special education; (2) engaging national Indian education organizations and the Council for Exceptional Children in support of full funding of early childhood intervention programs for at-risk children, full funding of IDEA, and increased funding for research, preparation of American Indian personnel, technical assistance, and other supports to institutions of higher education (especially tribal colleges and universities), BIA education personnel and parents; (3) establishing agreements with other federal agencies to collect data on student postsecondary employment and education in order to ensure greater accountability for post-school results and facilitate transition planning for special education students; and (4) encouraging agreements among federal, state, and tribal agencies with authority over alternative education services or coordinated services for Indian children with disabilities. Appendices present an inventory of agencies and service providers and sample memoranda of agreements. (TD)