February

We are commemorating the anniversary of a landmark education law: the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). When Congress passed the law, it promised to fund 40 percent of the additional costs of special education. That promise, as we know, has not been fulfilled. Our cover story, “IDEA Turns 45,” looks at how school districts use innovative ways to provide special education to their students, as well as how they deal with the challenges of meeting federal mandates without full funding.