The Individuals With Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) expresses a strong preference for educating every child with a disability in the regular education environment and requires that children with disabilities not be removed from education in age-appropriate regular classrooms solely because of needed modifications in the general curriculum.

State education agencies (SEAs) such as the Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE) have a statutory obligation to ensure that this mandate is met and that the state’s funding mechanism does not result in placements that are not inclusive to the maximum extent appropriate.

OSSE's Inclusion Policy will be available for public comment for 45 days.  Please direct any comments to Edith Coakley, Special Assistant to the Acting Assistant Superintendent for Special Education, via email at edith.coakley@dc.gov or telephone (202) 724-2294.  The closing date for comments is January 30, 2009.

View the Policy*.