Teaching & Learning

Special Education

IEPs. Learning disabilities. Inclusion. IDEA. Response to intervention. Gifted education. Explore all EdWeek coverage of special education

See also: Students with Disabilities, Special Education Research, Special Ed. Identification

Explainer

Glossary abstract concept open book with special education iconography
A Guide to Special Education Terms
The number of students in special education has increased steadily in the last four decades. Here are some of the common terms used.
View Explainer

Featured Special Reports

Special Report Understanding Learning Differences
This special report explores neurodiversity and some key issues shaping the experiences of students with learning and thinking differences.
October 7, 2024
Silhouettes of diverse students, each growing a different type of plant. Neurodiversity represented by biodiversity.
Nix Ren for Education Week
Special Report Special Education: Adapting to Challenging Realities
Exploring how special education services are adapting to unprecedented challenges and opportunities in education, from teacher shortages to technological advancements.
May 13, 2024
Student standing in front of a school that's distorted, hinting at changing realities.
Nicole Xu for Education Week
Special Report Special Education and the Pandemic: Making Up for Lost Time and Lost Opportunities
Schools focus on pandemic recovery for the youngest special education students and those on the cusp of leaving K-12.
October 17, 2022
Job coach Kristin Snell, right, walks with Rebecca Newlon as she pushes a cart to collect papers to shred at Valley View Elementary.
Job coach Kristin Snell, right, walks with Rebecca Newlon, 19, as she pushes a cart at Valley View Elementary School in McHenry, Ill. Newlon, who has Down syndrome, has a job-skills internship at her former elementary school.
Taylor Glascock for Education Week

  • The Latest

    Wed., October 28, 2026, 2:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. ET
    This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
    Sponsor
    Special Education Webinar     Special Education Disputes & Rising Costs: Protecting Your District
    Special education costs and risks are rising. Learn how stronger IEP and Medicaid processes help districts protect funding and compliance.
    Content provided by Relay
    Register
    Elaine Wilson, left, and Lois Curtis are shown in this April 10, 1999 file photo. States may have to place people with mental disabilities in homelike settings if they can fare just as well there as in state hospitals, the Supreme Court said Tuesday, June 22, 1999. The decision did not provide the final word in the legal battle of the two Georgia women who sued Georgia to get out of a state mental hospital in Atlanta. Elaine Wilson and Lois Curtis had been approved for community-based care but faced long waiting lists. Now in group homes, both women attended the Supreme Court arguments for their case in April.
    Plaintiffs Elaine Wilson and Lois Curtis, shown here on April 10, 1999, during their Supreme Court battle, were the two Georgia women whose lawsuit established the landmark <i>Olmstead</i> decision requiring community-based care for adults with disabilities. The U.S. Department of Justice in July issued new guidance that said it will no longer rely upon the <i>Olmstead</i> decision in its enforcement of the Americans with Disabilities Act.
    John Bazemore/AP
    Special Education Q&A How New Federal Guidance on Disability Could Impact K-12 Special Education
    New federal DOJ guidance deemphasizing independent living skills could affect special education transition plans.
    Caitlynn Peetz Stephens, October 14, 2026
    •
    4 min read
    Students get waffle mix for a chicken and Waffles cooking day in the classroom of Gabrielle Carpenter at the Daniel Webster School in Indianapolis, Friday, Oct. 2, 2026.
    Students prepare waffle mix in Gabrielle Carpenter's special education classroom on Oct. 2, 2026, at Daniel Webster School 46 in Indianapolis. Carpenter uses the biweekly cooking lessons to teach the students independence, along with skills like counting and measuring.
    AJ Mast for Education Week
    Special Education Little Chefs, Big Gains: Students With Disabilities Cook Toward Independence
    Cooking helps the elementary students learn counting, build fine motor skills, and practice emotional regulation.
    Caitlynn Peetz Stephens, October 5, 2026
    •
    3 min read
    This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
    Sponsor
    Special Education Whitepaper     Supporting Students With Dyslexia: A Practical Guide
    Explore research-informed approaches to dyslexia support, from early recognition and accessible learning to literacy instruction, MTSS an...
    Content provided by Everway
    A photo showing a CCTV security eye style camera monitoring students in a classroom. The classroom is blurred in the background while the camera is in focus.
    iStock/Getty
    Special Education Cameras in Special Ed. Classrooms: Safety Measure or Privacy Invasion?
    Cameras don't address insufficient teacher training, inadequate staffing, and poor behavior policies.
    Caitlynn Peetz Stephens, September 25, 2026
    •
    7 min read
    Special Education Spotlight Beyond the Diagnosis: Helping Students With Dyslexia Thrive
    Explore what educators need to know about dyslexia—and how the right support can help students build confidence and thrive.
    September 16, 2026
    Lois Curtis, left, addresses a group at the state Capitol in Hartford, Conn., to observe the 10th anniversary of a U.S. Supreme Court ruling that qualified patients have the right to receive community-based care rather than to be institutionalized. Curtis was one of the to plaintiffs in the suit, Olmstead v. L.C. and E.W.
    Lois Curtis, left, addresses a group at the Connecticut state Capitol in 2009 to mark the 10th anniversary of <i>Olmstead</i> v. <i>L.C.</i>, a U.S. Supreme Court ruling stemming from a lawsuit in which she was a lead plaintiff that established qualified patients' right to community-based care over institutionalization. In June, the U.S. Department of Justice stated it “will not rely upon the <i>Olmstead</i> Guidance in its enforcement” of the Americans with Disabilities Act, a move that advocates fear could upend transition planning for K-12 students who have disabilities.
    Bob Child/AP
    Special Education New Federal Guidance Could Roll Back Special Ed. Transition Services
    New DOJ guidance threatens high school transition programs meant to help disabled students live independently.
    Caitlynn Peetz Stephens, September 1, 2026
    •
    3 min read
    A classroom image with aspects of the struggles of disability rights woven through it.
    Vanessa Solis/Education Week + Getty
    Special Education Opinion Disability Studies Is a Rich Discipline That Builds Empathy. How to Teach It
    A more inclusive world starts with teaching all students the long history of disability rights.
    Brittany R. Collins, August 28, 2026
    •
    5 min read
    Jessica DiMaggio, an education for students with disabilities paraprofessional, watches a Structured Academics and Interpersonal Learning or SAIL student put the tips of his index fingers together at Watkins Elementary on Nov. 4, 2025 , in Wylie, Texas.
    Jessica DiMaggio, an education for students with disabilities paraprofessional, watches a Structured Academics and Interpersonal Learning or SAIL student put the tips of his index fingers together at Watkins Elementary on Nov. 4, 2025 , in Wylie, Texas. Most teachers don't feel confident in their ability to adapt instruction to differentiate instruction to meet the needs of students with learning disabilities, according to a new survey by the National Center for Learning Disabilities and West Ed.
    Angela Piazza/The Dallas Morning News via TNS
    Special Education How Teachers Feel About Adapting Instruction for Students With Disabilities
    Both general and special education teachers need more time and support to build confidence in differentiating instruction.
    Caitlynn Peetz Stephens, August 27, 2026
    •
    3 min read
    A paraprofessional assists a student in a special education program fill out a ballot during an Election Day lesson at Watkins Elementary on Nov. 4, 2025, in Wylie, Texas.
    A paraprofessional assists a student in a special education program in filling out a ballot during an Election Day lesson at Watkins Elementary on Nov. 4, 2025, in Wylie, Texas. Determining the supports students with disabilities need to succeed in school starts with deciding whether they will be best served by an individualized education program or a 504 plan.
    Angela Piazza/The Dallas Morning News via TNS
    Special Education Download How Is an IEP Different From a 504 Plan? At-a-Glance Guide
    The support plans are crucial for students with disabilities to access the same curriculum, educational experiences as their peers
    Caitlynn Peetz Stephens & Gina Tomko, August 20, 2026
    •
    1 min read
    IEP 504
    Collage by Laura Baker/Education Week + Canva
    Special Education Explainer The Differences Between IEPs and 504 Plans: A Special Education Explainer
    What educators need to know about the special education plans.
    Caitlynn Peetz Stephens, August 13, 2026
    •
    8 min read
    dipalermo esy illinois 12
    Dominic Di Palermo for Education Week
    Special Education Video Inside a Summer School Program for Special Education Students
    Academic support offered between school years is especially important for students with learning differences.
    Marvin Joseph, July 17, 2026
    •
    1 min read
    Special Education Spotlight Spotlight on the Future of Special Education: Compliance, Data, and Transformation
    Special ed is evolving fast, driven by compliance, data, accessible tech, and smarter supports for students with disabilities.
    July 15, 2026
    20250329 AMX US NEWS OSCEOLA PARENTS FEAR DISASTROUS FALLOUT 1 OS
    Melanie Thomas plays with her autistic son, Luke, at their home in St. Cloud, Fla., on March 25, 2025. The local school district implemented changes that would merge more students with disabilities into mainstream classes. A new report from the U.S. Government Accountability Office found that the number of students who have disabilities and spend at least 40% of their school day in general education classes rose about 25% between the 2012-13 and 2023-24 school years.
    Stephen Dowell/Orlando Sentinel via TNS
    Special Education More Students With Disabilities Are in General Education Classes. How's That Working?
    New report examines states' efforts to educate students with disabilities in mainstream classrooms.
    Caitlynn Peetz Stephens, July 14, 2026
    •
    1 min read
    Asia Screen, special education compliance monitor, center right, greets a student at Edward T. Steel School on the first day of school on Aug. 25, 2025, in Philadelphia.
    Asia Screen, special education compliance monitor, greets a student at Edward T. Steel School on the first day of school on Aug. 25, 2025, in Philadelphia. A new report from Congress' nonpartisan watchdog finds students with disabilities are spending more time in mainstream classrooms, though the progress toward achieving that goal in federal law varied by state.
    Jessica Griffin/The Philadelphia Inquirer via AP
    Special Education Students With Disabilities Are Spending More Time in Mainstream Classes
    Under federal law, students with disabilities are supposed to learn in the least restrictive environment.
    Caitlynn Peetz Stephens, July 7, 2026
    •
    6 min read