IDEA Compliance and Implementation in Arkansas Schools

The Arkansas Advisory Committee to the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights is continuing its ongoing study of IDEA Compliance and Implementation in Arkansas Schools. The Committee seeks to better understand the extent to which students with disabilities are receiving the services to which they are entitled under relevant law and how the achievement of students with disabilities compares to the achievement of their non-disabled peers. The Committee is also reviewing the extent to which the provision of services to students with disabilities in Arkansas schools has resulted in disparities in both access to educational accommodations and their effectiveness based on race, color, sex, national origin, or religion.

The fourth panel discussion in this series will take place:

• Panel IV: Friday, March 4, 2022 from 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm CST
  • Public comment begins at 2:40pm CT
  • Online registration at: https://bit.ly/3BdiRyJ
  • Telephone access (audio only): 800-360-9505; Access code: 2760 162 7443

Members of the public will be invited to speak during an open comment period near the end of the meeting. As part of this ongoing inquiry, the Committee will also accept written testimony submitted to mwojnaroski@usccr.gov throughout the duration of the study.

Closed captions and ALS interpretation will be provided. Individuals requiring other accommodations should contact the regional program unit at (202) 618-4158 five business days prior to the meeting to make their request.

Committee Chair Rob Steinbuch said, “I'm very excited that the Arkansas Committee is undertaking this study. As a longtime academic, I share the interest of all the Committee members in focusing our attention on education in Arkansas. Nothing is more important for the state and the nation than ensuring that our youth be given all the opportunities to compete on the world stage.”

Records from the first three panels the Committee heard as part of this study are publicly available here: https://bit.ly/3Js0Z67 The Arkansas Committee will issue findings and recommendations in a report to the Commission after all testimony has been received.