ABSTRACT
The Role of the Federal Government in Funding Special Education When the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) was first made into law, it was expected that the federal government would fund 40% of the excess cost of providing special education services. The current federal share of the cost is approximately 17%. According to former assistant secretary of education Robert Pasternack, it is estimated that soon the federal government will spend $80 billion annually on special education in the upcoming year and 60% of students receiving special education services will be served under one category: specific learning disability. With that information in mind, prior to the 2004 IDEA reauthorization, the federal government was extremely interested in examining ways to prevent students from experiencing significant academic failure. RTI emerged as a viable method for preventing academic failure and reducing the learning disablility prevalence rate through universal screening for achievement difficulties, early intervention and prevention programs, and accountability for results through frequent progress monitoring.
