Value of Yearly Special Ed. Reviews Questioned

Just as it has every June since 2006, the U.S. Department of Education last month delivered a rating to each state and territory based on the performance of its special education programs.

The ratings, intended to fulfill the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act’s requirement that “measurable” and “rigorous” targets be met on the 6.7 million school-age students enrolled in special education, are derived from reams of information that each state submits on a yearly basis. The data covers everything from student dropout rates in special education, to the percentage of children who were evaluated for special education needs within federally mandated timelines, to whether students with disabilities found work after they graduated.

But when you ask state and federal officials if the effort has led to better education for students with disabilities, the answer that comes back...