All of us are concerned about the performance of our student with disabilities; otherwise, would we be in this profession, (or reading this blog)? How do we continue to support our students academically and socially, improve their high school graduation rates, and ensure they experience meaningful post-school outcomes?

It’s clear that the more our students with disabilities participate in their IEP meetings, and the more they learn to self-advocate, the greater the possibility that they will be successful when they graduate high school. How do we as special educators encourage our students to engage in their own career planning and learn how to self-monitor their own IEP goals?

In mid-December, President Obama signed off on the new federal educational law: Every Student Succeeds Act. This new law replaces No Child Left Behind which was signed into law by George W. Bush fourteen years ago. This law is really the latest revision of the Elementary and Secondary Act of 1965.