Characteristics of Preschool Special Education Services and Educators

The federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) of 2004 governs how states and public agencies provide educational services to eligible infants, toddlers, children, and youth with disabilities. One piece of IDEA authorizes grants to states that provide special education services to children ages 3 through 5 with disabilities Section 619 of Part B of the Act; 20 U.S.C. 1419. But little is known about the nature of these preschool services funded by IDEA and provided by local school districts and schools. This set of tables presents national information from a study conducted by the National Center for Education Evaluation (NCEE). More details can be found in the attached technical appendix. The tables are grouped into 5 sections.