On Aug. 14, 2006, the Part B Final Regulations implementing the 2004 reauthorization of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) were published in the Federal Register.

To provide the public with an overview of the regulations, the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS) will be hosting a series of community-based public meetings. These public meetings will serve two major purposes. First, the meetings will provide the public with an opportunity to learn about the major concepts and principle changes in the new regulations. Second, the meetings will serve as a mechanism for the public to learn about and obtain some of the many resources and supports available from OSERS to assist in the implementation of these regulations. These resources and supports include a dedicated Web site which contains an array of information on the Part B Final Regulations as well as video tapes, topical briefs, a list of OSERS-supported technical assistance centers, and a list of conferences and other meetings in which information on the implementation of the regulations will be available.

Each meeting will begin with a reception at which OSERS Assistant Secretary John H. Hager and OSERS Office of Special Education Programs Director Alexa Posny will be available to meet with the attendees on an informal basis. The reception will be followed by a presentation about the regulations, which will include a taped welcome from Secretary Margaret Spellings, information about the regulations and the Web site, as well as an opportunity to ask questions about the regulations and OSERS' implementation plans.

A list of the meetings and available information on the locations and times that have been finalized appears below. Check the main schedule page or click on the individual locations for further details.

Each participant will receive a copy of the regulations on a CD ROM, as well as a copy of the Tool Kit on Teaching and Assessing Students With Disabilities, also on CD ROM. In addition, other material will be available in print form, including copies of the three model forms required under the reauthorization: Individualized Education Program (IEP), Notice of Procedural Safeguards, and Prior Written Notice.

All members of the community are encouraged to attend these meetings: parents, teachers, family members, community service representatives, local school administrators, related service providers, advocates, technical assistance administrators and others with an interest in education. These meetings are regional in scope and individuals from adjacent states are encouraged to attend.

There is no advanced registration for these public meetings, nor any cost. Interpreters will be available for individuals with hearing impairments. For further information, please contact Tanya Kosinski at Tanya.Kosinski@ed.gov or 202-245-7407.

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