What five major elements of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (I.D.E.A.) are relevant to multicultural

Question

education? Briefly describe each of these elements.

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

ANSWER: The four major elements of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)
relevant to multicultural education are as follows: (1) nondiscriminatory and
multidisciplinary assessment? (2) parental involvement in developing each child's
educational program? (3) education in the least restrictive environment? (4) a free and
appropriate public education? and (5) an individualized education plan.
Two precedents that are prominent in IDEA were established in the case of Diana v.
State Board of Education. They were (1) that children tested for potential placement in
special education must be assessed in their native or primary language and (2) that
children cannot be placed in special classes on the basis of culturally biased tests. In
order to prevent discriminatory evaluation practices, IDEA includes several safeguards
against discriminatory assessment. To comply with the law, students must be tested in
their native or primary language whenever possible. The evaluation procedures used
must be selected and administered to prevent cultural or racial discrimination, and
assessment tools must be validated for the purpose for which they are being used.
Finally, evaluation should involve a multidisciplinary team using several sources of
information to formulate a placement decision. To place these safeguards in a proper
context, it is necessary to discuss the assessment process generally and examine how
cultural bias can occur.
Parental involvement in the educational process is specifically provided for by IDEA,
and parents have the right to a variety of levels of participation. However, it should be
noted that these rights are based on certain assumptions. Perhaps the most fundamental
assumption is that parents are proactive and inclined to challenge the school if their child
is not being treated properly. While this is true for many parents of children in special
education, the assumption is not universally a good one. Many parents are reluctant or
afraid to interact with the educational system in any way but a passive manner. Most
professional educators agree that parental involvement in the educational process is
beneficial. This is one reason that legislators included such participation as a major
Copyright Cengage Learning. Powered by Cognero. Page 27
element in IDEA. What is not considered in this perspective, however, is that all parents
do not view the educational system in the same way. For whatever reasons, some
parents may not interact effectively with the schools. It is possible that some parents
may be misinterpreting behaviors that reflect differing cultural mores. People from
divergent cultures view the world from a variety of perspectives, and participation in
matters such as planning their child's education may not be viewed similarly by all
cultures.
Education in the least restrictive environment (LRE) involves a wide variety of
placement options. The guiding principle is that instruction should take place in an
environment that is as similar to that of the educational mainstream as possible. IDEA
required that students with disabilities be taught in settings with non-disabled peers to the
maximum extent appropriate. For the child who is culturally diverse who is also
receiving appropriate special education services, the same is true. However, some
unique circumstances arise that require additional attention. Exceptional children who
also have language differences may well require further consideration, since they may
also receive assistance from bilingual education staff. In some cases, the language
instruction may be incorporated into other teaching that focuses on remediation of a
learning problem. In situations where the disability is more severe or the language
difference is extreme (perhaps little or no English proficiency), the student may be
placed in a separate setting for a portion of the instructional time.
IDEA requires the development of an individualized education plan (IEP) for each
student with a disability. Most school districts have considerable experience in this
process. However, addressing the needs of a child with cultural and/or linguistic
differences will present an additional challenge. Depending on the student's background
and capabilities, he or she may need remediation for a specific learning disability, catchup
work in academic subjects, and instruction in English as a second language. The IEP
must consider cultural factors, such as language differences, as well as learning and
behavior problems. FAPE is ensured when the other elements are appropriate.