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It is every parent's wish to have their child become a member of the community and to have the best chance possible to succeed in life. The 1997 Amendment to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA, PL 105-17) went a long way towards facilitating this. While stopping short of mandating full inclusion of students with disabilities, it went further than ever before in implementing both Least Restrictive Environment and Individualized Education. Additionally, it contained provisions to make the parent an active member of the Individualized Education Program (IEP) team, and helped to insure accountability by requiring the IEP team to address statewide or districtwide testing. Finally, a large portion of PL 105-17 addresses discipline for students with disabilities. This section contains resources to assist administrators, teachers, parents, related services providers, and advocates in making decisions concerning inclusion, and the collaborative process in educating students with disabilities.
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