118 STAT. 2651 PUBLIC LAW 108–446—DEC. 3, 2004 ‘‘(12)(A) Greater efforts are needed to prevent the inten sification of problems connected with mislabeling and high drop out rates among minority children with disabilities. ‘‘(B) More minority children continue to be served in special education than would be expected from the percentage of minority students in the general school population. ‘‘(C) African American children are identified as having mental retardation and emotional disturbance at rates greater than their White counterparts. ‘‘(D) In the 1998–1999 school year, African American chil dren represented just 14.8 percent of the population aged 6 through 21, but comprised 20.2 percent of all children with disabilities. ‘‘(E) Studies have found that schools with predominately White students and teachers have placed disproportionately high numbers of their minority students into special education. ‘‘(13)(A) As the number of minority students in special education increases, the number of minority teachers and related services personnel produced in colleges and universities continues to decrease. ‘‘(B) The opportunity for full participation by minority individuals, minority organizations, and Historically Black Col leges and Universities in awards for grants and contracts, boards of organizations receiving assistance under this title, peer review panels, and training of professionals in the area of special education is essential to obtain greater success in the education of minority children with disabilities. ‘‘(14) As the graduation rates for children with disabilities continue to climb, providing effective transition services to pro mote successful post school employment or education is an important measure of accountability for children with disabil ities. ‘‘(d) PURPOSES.—The purposes of this title are— ‘‘(1)(A) to ensure that all children with disabilities have available to them a free appropriate public education that emphasizes special education and related services designed to meet their unique needs and prepare them for further edu cation, employment, and independent living; ‘‘(B) to ensure that the rights of children with disabilities and parents of such children are protected; and ‘‘(C) to assist States, localities, educational service agencies, and Federal agencies to provide for the education of all children with disabilities; ‘‘(2) to assist States in the implementation of a statewide, comprehensive, coordinated, multidisciplinary, interagency system of early intervention services for infants and toddlers with disabilities and their families; ‘‘(3) to ensure that educators and parents have the nec essary tools to improve educational results for children with disabilities by supporting system improvement activities; coordinated research and personnel preparation; coordinated technical assistance, dissemination, and support; and tech nology development and media services; and ‘‘(4) to assess, and ensure the effectiveness of, efforts to educate children with disabilities.
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