Individuals with Disabilities Education Act of 1990

Terrence Fitzgerald

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) of 1990 was enacted to decrease the overrep-resentation of minorities in special education, which had occurred previously within public education. In reality, however, it has failed at its legislative intent and become a gateway for introducing school-age minorities, more specifically, Black males, into special education at rates disproportionate to those of their White counterparts. This entry looks at the law, its application, and its impact. The reauthorized IDEA was enacted into law by President George W. Bush on December 3, 2004, to strengthen IDEA of 1990, which was derived from the federal policy, Education for All Handicapped Children Act. The original intent and continued responsibility of the acts is to provide all students with special needs access to a “free and appropriate” public education, to protect the rights of parents and their school age children, to assist state and local education agencies in ...

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