1. The President’s Commission on Excellence in Special Education Federal Regulations, Monitoring, Paperwork Reduction, and Increased Flexibility Accountability, Flexibility, and Parental Empowerment Teacher and Administrator Preparation Special Education Finance Assessment and Identification

2. Federal Regulations and Monitoring, Paperwork Reduction and Increased Flexibility. Replace Federal Monitoring Practices with a Focused Approach Improved Utilization of Staff and Resources to Implement Federal Special Education Law Intra-Agency and Inter-Agency Coordination Recommendation: Focus on Student Results

3. Special Education Finance What We Currently Know About Special Education Finance Excess Special Education Costs The Most Expensive Special Education Students Threshold Percentage of Excess Costs Increased Federal Funding Should Hold SEA’s More Accountable

4. Accountability, Flexibility, and Parental Empowerment Set High Expectations For Special Education Hold LEA’s Accountable for Results Increase Parental Empowerment and School Choice Prevent Disputes and Improve Dispute Resolutions

5. Teacher and Administrator Preparation Issues with Teacher Preparation Programs Teacher Recruitment and Retention Training Methods

6. Assessment and Identification Identify and Intervene Early Simplify Identification Evaluation and Assessment Other Health Impairment and Specific Learning Problems Minorities in Special Education Universal Design Principles

7. Final Questions Should IDEA be changed to meet the goals of “No Child Left Behind?” What would be the benefits? What would be the challenges? Will state special education funding decrease as federal funding increases? What will constitute new training initiatives for the LEA’s? How will limited assessment and identification effect due process rights of individuals?