CEC Letter of Endorsement

APPENDIX B.6 LETTER OF ENDORSEMENT

OMB #XXXX-XXXX

OMB Expiration Date:

Dear Colleague:

On behalf of the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC), I am writing to ask for your cooperation with an important study of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) being conducted by the U.S. Department of Education.

CEC is the leading professional association of educators dedicated to advancing the success of children and youth with exceptionalities through advocacy, standards, and professional development. CEC is a stalwart champion of IDEA, which revolutionized education rights for individuals with disabilities.

Nearly 7 million children in the United States receive services under IDEA. Through this policy significant progress has been made towards ensuring civil rights and providing equal access to education for children with disabilities. More children and youth with disabilities than ever before receive early intervention services and are attending neighborhood schools, completing high school, enrolling in post-secondary education, and finding employment. Understanding IDEA implementation is key to ensuring these trends continue.

IDEA was last authorized more than a decade ago, and the most recent national study of the implementation of the policy was conducted in 2009. The current effort will collect critical information from states, districts, and schools to understand how policy implementation has changed since the previous study and can inform how we serve children and youth with disabilities.

Your participation is critical. Thank you in advance for your participation in this important study. Sincerely,

Alexander T. Graham Executive Director