Office of Spec Ed, Meeting to seek comments , 2/15, Atlanta, GA

[Guest guest]

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services,

Individuals With Disabilities Education Act, as Amended by the

Individuals With Disabilities Education Improvement Act of 2004

ACTION: Notice of Public Meeting to seek comments and suggestions on

regulatory issues under the Individuals with Disabilities Education

Act (IDEA), as amended by the Individuals with Disabilities Education

Improvement Act of 2004.

SUMMARY: The Secretary announces plans to hold the fifth of a series

of public meetings to seek comments and suggestions from the public

prior to developing and publishing proposed regulations to implement

programs under the recently revised Individuals with Disabilities

Education Act.

Date and Time of Public Meeting: Tuesday, February 15, 2005, from

3:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. and from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

ADDRESSES: Atlanta Public Schools, Frederick s High School, 225

Hamilton E. Holmes Drive, NW., Atlanta, GA 30318.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Troy R. Justesen. Telephone: (202)

245-7468.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

On December 3, 2004, the President signed into law Public Law 108-

446, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act of

2004, amending the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).

Copies of the new law may be obtained at the following Web site:

http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/osers/osep/index.html

Enactment of the new law provides an opportunity to consider

improvements in the regulations implementing the IDEA (including both

formula and discretionary grant programs) that would strengthen the

Federal effort to ensure every child with a disability has available a

free appropriate public education that--(1) is of high quality, and

(2) is designed to achieve the high standards reflected in the No

Child Left Behind Act and regulations.

The Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services will

be holding a series of public meetings during the first few months of

calendar year 2005 to seek input and suggestions for developing

regulations, as needed, based on the Individuals with Disabilities

Education Improvement Act of 2004.

This notice provides specific information about the fifth of these

meetings, scheduled for Atlanta, GA (see ``Date and Time of Public

Meeting'' earlier in this notice). Other meetings will be conducted in

the following locations:

Laramie, WY; and

Washington, DC.

In subsequent Federal Register notices, we will notify you of the

specific dates and locations of each of these meetings, as well as

other relevant information.

Individuals who need accommodations for a disability in order to

attend the meeting (i.e., interpreting services, assistive listening

devices, and material in alternative format) should notify the contact

person listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT. The meeting

location is accessible to individuals with disabilities.

Dated: January 24, 2005.

H. Hager,

Assistant Secretary for Special Education and Rehabilitative Services.