The Disability Connection newsletter for August has a list of ten things to know before going back to school. The list includes such relevant topics as: bullying, test anxiety, service dogs and a number of other useful items- each filled with links to helpful resources. Here, for example, is number two concerning IDEA and §504:
- IDEA and Section 504. Some of the most important special education services are required by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. IDEA ensures that school-age children with disabilities receive a free and appropriate public education. It also provides for special education services, including an individualized education program (IEP). The IEP contains goals for the student and spells out the services that will be provided, which are decided by a team of individuals involved in the student’s education. A Section 504 plan can be an alternative to the IEP and outlines how a child’s specific needs can be met with modifications and services to remove barriers to learning. So, how are these two laws different? Section 504’s definition of disability is broader: a child is eligible if they have a mental or physical disability that limits major life activity, a record of the disability or is regarded as having a disability. There are also differences between IDEA and Section 504 in how funds are used, how students are evaluated and the process used that’s used if a parent disagrees with the identification, evaluation or placement of a student.
You can read the entire very informative list here.
Ah, back to school! While we are on the topic, here are some fun (and interesting) facts from our friends at the Census Bureau concerning the back to school season. NOTE especially the number of students who speak a language other than English at home!:
Students
77.2 million
The number of children and adults enrolled in school throughout the country in October 2014 — from nursery school to college. They comprised 25.6 percent of the entire population age 3 and older. Source: School Enrollment – Social and Economic Characteristics of Students: October 2014, Table 1 www.census.gov/hhes/school/
Pre-K through 12 Enrollment
48.3 million
Fall enrollment for elementary and secondary public school systems in 2013. Source: Public Elementary-Secondary School System Finances by Enrollment-Size Groups: Fiscal Year 2014, 2014 Annual Survey of School System Finances http://factfinder.census.gov/
$11,009
The amount of current spending per pupil for elementary and secondary public school systems in the United States in 2014. Source: Per Pupil Amounts for Current Spending of Public Elementary-Secondary School Systems by State: Fiscal Year 2014, United States, States, 2014 Annual Survey of School System Finances http://factfinder.census.gov/
79.3%
The percentage of children 3 to 6 years old who were enrolled in school as of October 2014. Source: School Enrollment – Social and Economic Characteristics of Students: October 2014, Table 3 www.census.gov/hhes/school/
80.5%
The percentage of children ages 3 to 6 enrolled in kindergarten who attended all day, as of October 2014. Source: School Enrollment – Social and Economic Characteristics of Students: October 2014, Table 3 www.census.gov/hhes/school/
25.6%
The percentage of elementary through high school students who had at least one foreign-born parent in October 2014. Source: School Enrollment – Social and Economic Characteristics of Students: October 2014, Table 1 www.census.gov/hhes/school/
Languages
11.8 million
Number of school-age children (5 to 17) who spoke a language other than English at home; 8.5 million of these children spoke Spanish at home. Source: 2014 American Community Surveyhttp://factfinder.census.gov/
Rewards of Staying in School
$83,417
Average earnings of full-time, year-round workers age 18 and older with a bachelor’s degree or higher in 2014. Workers whose highest degree was a bachelor’s had mean earnings of $72,896. Mean earnings for full-time, year-round workers with a high school diploma (includes GED certificate) was $42,094, while workers with less than a ninth grade education had $31,288 average earnings. Source: Income and Poverty in the United States: 2014, Table PINC-04 www.census.gov/data/tables/
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