House Approves Special Education Bill

The House approved legislation (HB 1908) on Tuesday that virtually re-writes the special education laws currently addressing the education and testing of exceptional children. Reps. Rick Glazier (D-Cumberland), Jean Farmer-Butterfield (D-Wilson), Laura Wiley (R-Guilford), and Jean Preston (R-Carteret) sponsored the groundbreaking legislation which was created out of a necessity for state law to comply with Federal law and regulations, but went far beyond those requirements to ensure that children with special needs receive a better education. A resolution was also passed to further encourage Congress to pass the new changes to Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) regulations and to give local school systems sufficient time to implement the final regulations.

North Carolina has had a statewide testing program in reading and mathematics since the 1992-93 school year. However, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and the subsequent passage of the No Child Left Behind program have caused changes to occur in the statewide testing program.