Part B of IDEA: Services for School-Aged Children

Current as of October 2018

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Since the enactment of the original legislation in 1975, children and youth (ages 3-22) receive special education and related services under Part B of IDEA. Part B is so named because it’s the second part of the law itself. Its four parts are:

• Part A – General Provisions
• Part B – Assistance for Education of All Children with Disabilities
• Part C – Infants and Toddlers with Disabilities
• Part D – National Activities to Improve Education of Children with Disabilities

For school-aged children with disabilities (including preschoolers), Part B is the foundation upon which special education and related services rest.

Looking for a summary of Part B?
You can find out all about Part B of IDEA and read summaries of its requirements regarding the entire special education process, from evaluation to service delivery, in the section of our site called “Children (3 to 22)”, at:
https://www.parentcenterhub.org/schoolage/

Looking for Part B’s exact words–meaning, IDEA’s regulations?
You’re on the right page to start. Each of the options below leads you to a subpart of IDEA’s final regulations at the moment.

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How Part B is Organized

Here, in this area of our site, we’re concentrating on IDEA’s exact words.  Part B has eight (8) subparts. We provide you with direct access to these subparts and the verbatim language of the regulations.  You can read all the regulations in one place by downloading a copy of the law’s regulations. The regulations themselves start on page 46756.  All the pages before that are an analysis of comments received from the public and an explanation as to why certain changes to the regulations were made or not made.

You can also read IDEA’s subparts here online. Just use the links below to jump to the area of your interest. Because of the length of each subpart, we’ve divided them into separate webpages, as you can see by the guiding links below.

Subpart A: General Provisions
Read the purposes of IDEA and find out how IDEA defines important terms, including child with a disability, related services, and special education.

Subpart B: State Eligibility
To be eligible to receive funding under IDEA, States must assure that a wide range of procedures and processes are in place. Find out what States are required to do with respect to concerns such as FAPE, LRE, dispute resolution, children with disabilities in private schools, and much more.

Subpart C: LEA Eligibility
What must a local educational agency (LEA) do to establish its eligibility for funding under IDEA? How may it use the funds it receives? Find out here.

Subpart D: Evaluations, Eligibility, IEPs, and Placement
Very important part of IDEA here! Find out what IDEA requires in evaluation, eligibility determination, IEPs, and educational placement.

Subpart E: Procedural Safeguards
IDEA includes procedural safeguards to protect the rights of parents and children. Find out about the prior written notice, the procedural safeguards notice, parents’ right to participate in meetings, and the range of dispute resolution options.

Subpart F: Monitoring and Enforcement
The State is responsible for monitoring implementation of IDEA and for enforcing its regulations. Come here to find out the specifics of those responsibilities.

Subpart G: Use of Funds
How is a State’s funding for special education and related services determined? How much can be used for administrative purposes? Here’s where to find out.

Subpart H: Preschool Grants
This subpart of IDEA describes how States establish eligibility for preschool grants for children with disabilities, ages 3 to 5, and how those monies may be spent.

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