CHANGES TO SPECIAL EDUCATION LAW EXPLAINED

Changes in federal special education law were the subject of a teleconference attended by nearly 75 people at Cape Girardeau Central High School Thursday afternoon.

Parents, area teachers and school officials, college faculty members and other professionals who provide services to students with disabilities attended the conference, which was sponsored by the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.

DESE representative Velma Gammon said the teleconference was scheduled to provide information about some changes to the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act signed by President Clinton on June 4.

Many of the changes were designed to encourage greater cooperation between special education and general education teachers and to include special education students more fully in the regular school curriculum, Gammon said.

"We are looking at changes and how they will input IEPs (Individual Education Plans), parent rights, and even the evaluation process," she said. "Many people feel that these are some of the greatest changes since IDEA'S inception. The emphasis is really on having the parents become more involved."

Participants watched videotapes outlining changes in special law before participating in group discussion. Although funding reauthorization and some policy changes went into effect during the summer, Gammon said there are no actual regulations to date.

"Everything we discuss is based upon statutory language," Gammon said. "Please remember that what we discuss today could change tomorrow."

Julie Schuckman, administrator of special education for Poplar Bluff public schools, said she believes the law changes will mean more paperwork for special education professionals and more stress for everyone involved.

"I think here are positive changes and I think there are also changes which have created more red tape and paperwork, which obviously has a negative effect," she said. "I think there's a big emotional price tag because the stress level would change, both for parents, teachers and students."