Executive Order 13227: President’s Commission on Excellence in Special Education
President: George W. Bush
Created a nine-member commission to collect evidence and recommend reforms to improve educational outcomes for children with disabilities under federal, state and local programs.
Status: Revoked.
Is Executive Order 13227 still in effect? No. Revoked September 30, 2003; commission completed its final report.
What does Executive Order 13227 do?
The order assigned these duties: President — Appoint nine members and designate the chair and vice-chair; Commission — Study programs, solicit evidence and recommend federal, state and local reforms.
Before and after
Before the order
IDEA oversight and reauthorization work existed, but there was no presidential commission with this focused review of identification, finance, accountability, research and educational results.
After the order
The commission held 13 hearings and meetings and delivered A New Era on July 1, 2002. Education officials cited its recommendations in monitoring and policy work, and Congress considered the report during IDEA reauthorization. EO 13316 revoked the completed commission order in 2003.
Who had to do what
| Agency / office | Action | Timing / position |
|---|---|---|
| President | Appoint nine members and designate the chair and vice-chair | At establishment |
| Commission | Study programs, solicit evidence and recommend federal, state and local reforms | Report by the amended July 1, 2002 deadline |
| Education Secretary | Provide funding, staff and administrative support and perform most FACA functions | During the commission’s work |
| Federal agencies | Provide information and assistance where lawful | As requested |
What happened next
EO 13227 signed.
EO 13255 moved the report deadline from April 30 to July 1.
The commission issued A New Era after 13 hearings and meetings.
EO 13316 revoked EO 13227 as amended after the commission’s work was completed.
Legal and source detail
How it works legally
The commission was advisory and could not itself amend the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act or alter a child’s rights. FACA governed its operation. Later agency or congressional action required independent legal authority, and no order-specific court judgment was located.
Sources by type
If a source is unavailable, first check the cited publisher or another official repository. The cited publisher remains the authority.
Primary and official sources
Orders, laws, court records and official implementation material.
- EO 13255 — report-deadline amendment (opens in a new tab) Official record
How we checked this
Last checked against the sources above on October 2, 2026. How we research →