Policy Alternatives Paper

Policy Alternatives Paper Student Name College/University Course Professor Name Due Date Educational policies help mitigate the emerging issues facing contemporary society, including but not limited to rapid digitalization, disruptions due to political shifts or pandemics, and the need to ensure equality. The current education system is increasingly multifaceted, reiterating the need for policymakers to develop relevant policies that meet the dynamic needs of the population. For extended timescales, people living with disabilities face discrimination and unfair treatment within the global education system. This undermines their ability to compete favorably with other individuals in the job market and entrepreneurial spaces, thus undermining their overall life quality. In order to mitigate educational disparities faced by individuals with disabilities, the United States (U.S.) enacted the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). This paper evaluates the IDEA policy by delineating the context of the policy, problems that the policy seeks to address, education research contribution in this policy, and its current implementation challenges and status quo. It also incorporates a discussion of the policy alternatives implemented in other countries. Background Information The United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) seeks to foster, safeguard, and guarantee optimal and equal opportunities for all to enjoy human rights. In this vein, the U.S. needed to enact policies that protect, promote, and ensure that these individuals enjoy their rights and full equality under the law. Many countries have ratified the CRPD and are working to align their education policies with its principles (National Disability Authority, 2024). The United States developed the (IDEA) policy emphasizing the importance of inclusive and equal access to education for individuals with disabilities. The IDEA statute authorizes releasing states’ formula grants as well as discretionary grants to institutions of higher learning, state educational agencies, and other non-profit organizations. The IDEA policy gives guidelines on handling education for individuals living with disabilities. All the states are required to provide affordable and appropriate public education for children living with disabilities from ages 3 through 21 in the least restrictive environment. Moreover, the states need to provide early intervention services for newborns till age two and assist their families in handling the situation (U.S. House of Representatives, n.d.). The U.S. government has also allocated provisions to support state personnel development, technology and parent training, technical assistance and dissemination, and information centers that support IDEA implementation. Problems Addressed The IDEA policy addresses problems that learners with disabilities face in the education sector. Key provisions in this policy that are critical in tackling these challenges are parental participation in education, placement in the least restrictive environment, and the right to a free and appropriate education. IDEA ensures access to quality education for students with disabilities by addressing structural inequities. Before the implementation of IDEA, there were inequities in identifying learners who needed special attention between white and minority populations. IDEA has addressed the issue of racial under-identification because everyone can access these services provided they meet the outlined criteria for IDEA. Second, IDEA addresses the problem of a lack of individualized learning support for students with disabilities. There are individualized education programs (IEPs) for each learning group in IDEA, as well as appropriate assistive technology devices for these children. Moreover, the policy helps mitigate the inadequate legal safeguards for pe...