Special Education Research

Education news, analysis, and opinion about research focused on special education and gifted education

See also: Special Education, Special Education Policy, Special Education Law, Special Ed. Identification, Special Education Monitoring

Students in the online blended learning class at the ALLIES School in Colorado Springs, Colo., work with programs like ST Math and Lexia, both created for students with dyslexia, on April 7, 2023.
Under a new definition, students wouldn't need to have "unexpected" learning gaps to be identified for dyslexia services. Students in the online blended learning class at the ALLIES School in Colorado Springs, Colo., work with literacy programs created for students with dyslexia, on April 7, 2023.
Jaclyn Borowski/Education Week
Special Education What a New Dyslexia Definition Could Mean for Schools
An updated definition put forth by an international group of researchers could identify more students.
Sarah Schwartz, November 24, 2025
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5 min read
Illustration of people using revolving doors.
DigitalVision Vectors
Special Education What the Research Says Schools Have the Special Educators—But Keep Losing Them to General Ed.
A study across seven states finds educators for students with disabilities need more targeted support.
Sarah D. Sparks, November 13, 2025
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3 min read
close up pencil and alarm clock on answer sheets with yellow background, education concept
iStock/Getty
Special Education Does Extended Time on Tests Actually Help Students With ADHD?
Most students with ADHD receive extended time. Experts say better alternatives exist.
Elizabeth Heubeck, October 13, 2025
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5 min read
Cropped photo of a caucasian elementary school boy standing alone in a hallway holding his books and looking up at someone or something not shown.
Getty
Teaching ADHD Is Punished in Schools. How Teachers Can Flip the Script
These strategies can help manage the behavior of students with ADHD more effectively.
Elizabeth Heubeck, October 2, 2025
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7 min read
A student works a problem in a second grade math class at Place Bridge Academy, May 20, 2025, in Denver.
A student works a problem in a 2nd grade math class at Place Bridge Academy, May 20, 2025, in Denver. The math instructional strategies that teachers employ can vary depending on whether they trained as general or special educators—a divide researchers say could hurt struggling students.
Rebecca Slezak/AP
Mathematics How Should We Teach Math? General and Special Ed. Researchers Don't Agree
The divide makes it less likely that students who struggle will get access to proven strategies, researchers argue in a new study.
Sarah Schwartz, August 21, 2025
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8 min read
Image of special needs student working with tablet computer.
iStock
Special Education Principals Don't Always Understand Special Education. That's a Problem
Principals want more special education training. Here's how one state is offering it.
Jennifer Vilcarino & Olina Banerji, August 5, 2025
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5 min read
102523 IMSE Reading BS
Reading & Literacy Popular Reading Programs Feature 'Multisensory' Instruction. Does It Help?
Many elementary school classrooms incorporate touch and movement into reading lessons. But research on the practice is inconclusive.
Sarah Schwartz, June 19, 2025
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6 min read
Inclusive education in action, a boy and girl with Down syndrome participate in classroom activities, working side by side at a table as they complete their individual projects.
Courtney Hale/E+
Special Education How Trump's Policies Are Already Upending Special Education
The special ed. field is watching anxiously as the administration cuts grants and research contracts while threatening further disruption.
Mark Lieberman, May 20, 2025
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11 min read
Illustration of artificial intelligence and motherboard in the shape of a lightbulb with two head profiles on either side, both containing circuit imagery inside and a female sitting on top of one working on a laptop.
DigitalVision Vector
Special Education AI's Potential in Special Education: What Teachers and Parents Think
A report examines parents' and educators' perspectives on AI use for students with disabilities.
Lauraine Langreo, August 1, 2024
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3 min read
Blue conceptual image of five school kids walking away through school corridor, only one student in full color (isolated)
Liz Yap for Education Week + Getty
School Choice & Charters Here's How Charters Can Improve Experiences for Students With Disabilities
Charter schools must improve access and experiences for students with disabilities, advocates say.
Evie Blad, July 16, 2024
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3 min read
Full length side view of Black female instructor in mid 40s with hand on shoulder of a Black elementary boy as they stand in corridor and talk.
E+/Getty
Special Education What the Research Says One Group of Teachers Is Less Likely to Identify Black Students for Special Ed. Why That Matters
Researchers say their findings argue for diversifying the teacher workforce.
Sarah D. Sparks, March 6, 2024
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4 min read
Scrambled letter tiles on a blue background
iStock/Getty
Reading & Literacy What the Research Says 3 New Studies to Know on Screening Students for Dyslexia
More than 40 states now require screening for dyslexia.
Sarah D. Sparks, January 4, 2024
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3 min read
Miranda Pichardo, 6, reads with her mother, Karina, on Oct. 19, 2016, in Spring, Texas. Miranda's parents are fighting for Miranda, who has Down Syndrome, to be included more in "regular" classes where her parents feel she can develop much faster compared to the special education classroom. Students in special education have doubled in the last four decades, according to federal data.
Miranda Pichardo, 6, reads with her mother, Karina, on Oct. 19, 2016, in Spring, Texas. Miranda's parents are fighting for Miranda, who has Down Syndrome, to be included more in "regular" classes where her parents feel she can develop much faster compared to the special education classroom. Students in special education have doubled in the last four decades, according to federal data.
Brett Coomer/Houston Chronicle via AP
Special Education The Number of Students in Special Education Has Doubled in the Past 45 Years
The number of students in special education in the U.S. has doubled, from 3.6 million in 1976-77 to almost 7.3 million in 2021-22.
Eesha Pendharkar, July 31, 2023
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4 min read
The view over the shoulder of a high school student while he is holding a drone with the camera image showing on a laptop sitting on a nearby chair.
E+/Getty
Special Education To Prepare Students With Autism for the Working World, Drones Might Be a Good Start
Researchers are working with students to help them figure out how to navigate a workplace setting and explore STEM careers.
Alyson Klein, June 21, 2023
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3 min read
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