Least Restrictive Environment (LRE)

Least restrictive environment (LRE) is a legal term found within 20 U.S.C. 1412(a)(5) of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). The LRE provision of the IDEA provides that: “To the maximum extent appropriate, children with disabilities, including children in public or private institutions or other care facilities, are educated with children who are not disabled, and special classes, separate schooling, or other removal of children with disabilities from the regular educational environment occurs only when the nature or severity of the disability of a child is such that education in regular classes with the use of supplementary aids and services cannot be achieved satisfactorily.” 20 U.S.C. § 1412(a)(5)(A). To put it in simpler terms, LRE means that a child with a disability must be educated within the same classroom as typical mainstreamed non-disabled peers to the fullest extent possible in order to ensure that a disabled child is receiving a free appropriate public education (FAPE). 

Four performance goals of LRE are:

•Decrease the percentage of students with disabilities who drop out of school.

•Increase the percentage of students with disabilities who earn a regular education diploma.

•Decrease the gap in performance of students with and without disabilities on statewide achievement tests.

•Increase the percentage of time students with disabilities receive instruction in the general education setting with appropriate supports and accommodations.