Which federal law mandates that all students with disabilities receive free appropriate public education?

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) is the federal law that mandates all students with disabilities receive a free appropriate public education (FAPE). This law is crucial as it ensures that students with disabilities have access to educational services that meet their unique needs, allowing them to benefit from public education alongside their peers. IDEA outlines the process for creating an Individualized Education Program (IEP), which is a tailored plan designed to help students achieve specific educational goals.

It is important to recognize that while other laws, such as the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, provide protections against discrimination and offer some level of access to educational opportunities, they do not specifically require the provision of FAPE in the same manner as IDEA. The No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) focuses primarily on improving educational standards and accountability but does not specifically address the rights of students with disabilities to receive a free appropriate public education.