Disability Policy Analysis

As iDEC staff lead SEAs and LEAs through the steps, a strategic plan is developed so that current initiatives and mechanisms can be leveraged in a way that  moves equitable policy and practices forward. This is done in a way that leverages the expertise across the education community to establish a strong network that can be   mobilized once final choices and implementation steps are reached.

Turnbull and Stowe’s (2017) 12 Steps to Analyzing Disability Policy provides a methodical approach to investigating how an educational institution’s policies align with federal civil rights protections in the context of the current educational landscape.  Turnbull and Stowe’s steps are a comprehensive approach to ensuring that policymakers consider contextual factors presented by the current learning environment that were unanticipated during the most recent reauthorization of IDEA (2004). iDEC researchers  have found this process extremely helpful for institutions interested in ensuring state  and local governing entities are equipped with a firm knowledge base necessary to make critical policy decisions.