IEPs
Special Education
Webinar
Rebuilding Special Education Supports in the Pandemic
Students with disabilities have been one of the hardest hit groups of students during the pandemic. While many states have prioritized bringing these students back to in-person learning, ongoing closures have forced schools to adapt
Special Education
Schools Struggled to Serve Students With Disabilities, English-Learners During Shutdowns
The needs of students with IEPs and English-language learners were not often met after the pandemic struck, says a federal report.
School & District Management
Schools Seek Cover From Special Education Lawsuits, But Advocates See Another Motive
Special education advocates argue the push for liability protection is a veiled attempt to seek waivers from the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, the nation's primary special education law.
Student Well-Being
Remote Learning and Special Education Students: How Eight Families Are Adapting (Video)
When it comes to parenting students with learning differences, every family's experience is unique. And that reality has never been more true than it is now as millions of students are out of school due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Special Education
Q&A
Virtual IEP Meetings: A 6-Step Guide for Parents and Teachers
A new resource offers tips on how to keep Individualized Education Program meetings focused and on-schedule.
School & District Management
Special Ed. Administrators Press Congress for IDEA Waivers During Pandemic
The requests put the nation's special education administrators in conflict with disability rights advocates who fear waivers will place millions of special education students at risk.
Special Education
Just in Time: a Resource Hub on Remote Learning for Special Education Students
Nearly 30 disability rights and education advocacy organizations have launched a new resource hub and online network designed to help special educators during the coronavirus crisis.
Special Education
How to Handle IEPs During the Coronavirus Crisis? Some Expert Advice
Very carefully, experts say, while understanding that federal laws governing special education were not written with online education in mind.
College & Workforce Readiness
Teacher Prep Needs More Focus on Students With Disabilities, Report Says
To their detriment, teacher preparation programs 'do not center students with disabilities in their curriculum,' a new report from the Center for American Progress concludes.
Special Education
Our Most-Read Special Education Stories of 2019
The most popular special education stories of the year examined the broken promises of special education, the aftermath of the lead crisis in Flint, Mich., and how educators lack confidence in their ability to meet the needs of children with disabilities.
Special Education
Most Classroom Teachers Feel Unprepared to Support Students With Disabilities
A survey finds teachers lack confidence in their ability to meet the needs of children with disabilities, but want the training to improve.
Special Education
Overlooked: How Teacher Training Falls Short for English-Learners and Students With IEPs
Many English-learners and students with disabilities spend lots of time in the general education classroom, and yet teachers there often lack training in how to meet their needs
States
Oklahoma Orders Tulsa District to Review All Students' Special Education Plans
The decision comes after a state investigation of one Tulsa school found that the individualized education programs for students there frequently used generic educational goals.
Families & the Community
Video
Parent Changemaker: Helping Meet the Needs of Students with Disabilities
When Talibah Moore’s son was two years old, the pediatrician told her he had language delays. She began early-intervention services, which changed over to an IEP, an individualized education program, when her son started school. Under federal law, schools are required to set up an IEP for a student with disabilities. It is essentially an educational blueprint that lays out services and accommodations for the student, and sets annual educational goals.
Moore was happy with her son’s IEP and the services he was receiving, so she was surprised to learn that other parents felt otherwise. “After hearing so much pain these parents have and are continuing to go through to make sure their children with disabilities have a good education, I was pleased to offer some help,” said Moore.
She and a handful of other parents went door to door to survey parents about their children’s needs, and took an intensive class to understand all they could about IEPs. They now offer their time to walk parents through the process, or accompany them to school IEP conferences.
They’ve also worked to increase early intervention screening on Chicago’s Southside.
“It’s just been a great experience,” Moore said. “We are now able to help both the little children and the older children.”