Discipline Provisions of IDEA: Misguided Policy or Tacit Reform Initiatives?

Abstract

The author examines the controversy surrounding the discipline provisions of the 1997 Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and suggests that the provisions may serve to encourage systemic reform capable of dramatically impacting the educational and postschool careers of students with emotional or behavioral disorders. The IDEA discipline provisions may assist in curbing traditional exclusionary practices and in developing alternatives to suspension and expulsion. Thus, they may fortify a pedagogically sound and efficacious approach to addressing problem behavior, enhance teacher effectiveness, and improve the schools’ accountability for all students. Such reform is capable of reconciling the competing goals of educational equity and excellence.