By Theresa Kraft, Esq.
The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) was reauthorized in 2004 and renamed the Individuals with Disabilities Improvement Act, although the statute states that we can continue to call the reauthorized act IDEA. IDEA is considered the minimum a state must do when educating children with disabilities; each state can either follow IDEA or offer additional rights and protections. New Hampshire has always afforded children with disabilities more rights than required by IDEA. The state laws, or statutes, can be found at RSA 186-C. As the name implies, the New Hampshire Rules for the Education of Children with Disabilities (Ed. 1100) are the rules based on the state statutes that govern the education of children with disabilities.
Although the New Hampshire Rules for the Education of Children with Disabilities were revised in June 2008 and amended in June 2009, there are still some areas that need to be aligned with the IDEA. Therefore, the New Hampshire Board of Education agreed on October 14, 2009 to enter into rule making for Ed 1100. As part of rule making, the board must hold public comment sessions. A public session is scheduled for December 9, 2009 at 12:30 PM.
For more information visit the NH DOE’s website.
Attorney Theresa Kraft guides parents of children with disabilities through the special education process. This article also appears on Attorney Kraft’s website.
Tags: NH, Special Education Law, Theresa Kraft