IDEA
Individuals With Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)
On December 3, 2004, Congress signed into law the reauthorized Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act of 2004 (HR 1350). Just as with NCLB, states and school districts must now account for the adequate yearly progress of all students with disabilities.
The Act finds that "education of children with disabilities can be made more effective by –supporting the development and use of technology."
IDEA will continue to fund Department of Education grants and contracts that include "activities to promote the development, demonstration, and use of technology." These include: "training of special education and regular education teachers and administrators to effectively use and integrate technology into curricula and instruction, including training to improve the ability to collect, manage, and analyze data...to enhance learning by children with disabilities; and to effectively communicate with parents."
Changes in the law include:
- Align IDEA to be in concert with many requirements of NCLB. This includes accountability for student academic achievement and a focus on using scientifically based research.
- Expanded options for parents. Parents, along with the local education agency, may agree to change a students individualized education program (IEP) with a formal meeting.
- Extended timeline for new teacher certification. New special education teachers, teaching multiple subjects to students with disabilities, will have two years after their date of employment to prove competency in all core academic subjects.
- Reduced paperwork for teachers. A pilot program in fifteen states will make available the option of a multi-year (up to three) IEP.
Read the full text of IDEA and locate additional IDEA Resources.
Palm handhelds, smartphones and software solutions can help educators meet the goals of IDEA.With Palm solutions educators may:
- Link specific learning standards and benchmarks to assessments; track student attendance, demographics and performance, generate required reports and customize data according to individual needs
- Monitor progress and assess students on a continuous basis, rather than wait for the standardized test results. Handhelds may be used for formative and summative assessment (in-class notes, running records, electronic portfolios)
- Have immediate access to disaggregated data
- Complete Individualized Education Plans (IEPs) on the web and track requirements for special education students
- Develop and complete performance appraisals for professional staff
- Acquire hardware, software and peripherals to accomplish professional development goals
- Facilitate data collection through wireless access
- Keep parents informed about student progress through wireless access
Palm handhelds and software solutions can help students meet the goals of IDEA.With Palm solutions students may:
- Reinforce mathematical thinking skills and reading/language arts achievement
- Increase the size of text and images
- Use word prediction software
- Prepare for standardized tests
- Practice spelling and vocabulary skills
- Develop phonemic awareness, fluency, and comprehension skills
- Use graphic organizers and concept managers
- Use text-to-speech and voice recording capabilities that support learning the language in the context of words and pictures
Download NCLB/IDEA and Palm OS Education Solutions matrix for all NCLB/IDEA.
Palm in education
Palm handheld computers provide a productive and affordable solution for integrating technology in the classroom and are increasingly being considered for one-to-one initiatives in an effort to put computing in the hands of all children. Palm's leadership position in handheld technology ensures state-of-the-art products, with professional development for teachers, principals and administrators in concert with a rich and growing array of software solutions to meet the needs of all students.
Palm Treo smartphones are powerful administrative solutions that converge handheld computer technology with cellular capabilities. When combined with student information and management solutions, Treo smartphones enable educators to access data and communicate inside or outside the school or campus.
