U.S. Secretary of Education Rod Paige today issued the following statement on House passage of H.R. 1350 -- the Improving Education Results for Children with Disabilities Act of 2003:

"President Bush and I are committed to improving educational results for all students with disabilities so that no child is left behind. I applaud the House for passage of this important legislation.

"This bill significantly conforms the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) with the important principles of the No Child Left Behind Act, by promoting accountability for results, providing more flexibility and reducing paperwork burdens for states and school districts, enhancing the role of parents, and insisting on the use of approaches to improving student achievement that are based on sound research.

"I also believe that this bill will help reduce the misidentification of students with disabilities and relieve the paperwork burden on teachers, allowing them to spend more time doing what they do best: teaching our children.

"These reforms, combined with our historic increases in funding for special education, will help make sure our students with disabilities receive the education they need and are entitled to under the law.

"On behalf of America's students with disabilities, I applaud Chairman Boehner and Rep. Castle for their leadership on this legislation and for their untiring commitment to America's children."

###

Top

Back to April 2003