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The Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) provides this resource exploring the 50th anniversary of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), featuring reflections from CEC's partners including Goalbook on how this landmark legislation has shaped special education practice over five decades. Originally passed as the Education for All Handicapped Children Act in 1975, IDEA guarantees all children with disabilities the right to a free appropriate public education, and CEC played a central role in its development. This professional resource offers educators, administrators, and special education professionals valuable historical context and contemporary perspectives on IDEA's impact. Through partner reflections, practitioners gain insight into how IDEA has evolved and how organisations like Goalbook are supporting its implementation through tools for standards-aligned IEP development. CEC—the largest international professional organisation dedicated to improving educational outcomes for children and youth with disabilities and gifts and talents—has been at the forefront of special education advocacy since 1922, and this resource exemplifies their ongoing commitment to strengthening professional practice through knowledge-sharing and policy engagement.