Special Education Research

Education news, analysis, and opinion about research focused on special education and gifted education
Technology assistive device for persons with visual impairment
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Special Education What the Research Says Braille and Language Development: What Teachers Should Know
A more nuanced understanding of Braille among educators could lead to better literacy instruction for students with impaired vision.
Sarah D. Sparks, March 14, 2023
4 min read
Second graders Drayden Ayers, left, and Breeanna Runde work with Megan Johannsen, a teacher of deaf and hard-of-hearing students in Dubuque, Iowa on Sept. 25, 2015.
Second-graders Drayden Ayers, left, and Breeanna Runde work with Megan Johannsen, a teacher of the deaf and hard of hearing with the Dubuque Community School District, at Carver Elementary School in Dubuque, Iowa on Sept. 25, 2015.
Jessica Reilly/Telegraph Herald via AP
Special Education What the Research Says How Do You Sign 'Pi'? New Sign-Language Terms Could Boost Scientific Literacy
Scientists are developing a sign-language lexicon of scientific terms for deaf and hard-of-hearing students.
Sarah D. Sparks, March 9, 2023
3 min read
Illustration of data analysis.
sesame/DigitalVision Vectors
Special Education Q&A Why Special Education Research Is So Important Now
The outgoing commissioner of the National Center on Special Education Research outlines the challenges ahead.
Sarah D. Sparks, December 16, 2022
5 min read
A student visits a sensory room at Williams Elementary School, on Nov. 3, 2021, in Topeka, Kan.
A student visits a sensory room at Williams Elementary School in Topeka, Kan.
Charlie Riedel/AP
Special Education Special Education Funding Is 'Fundamentally Broken,' Researcher Says
Federal funding for special education services has stayed largely flat over the past two decades.
Lauraine Langreo, December 9, 2022
3 min read
Special Education K-12 Essentials Forum How Schools Are Helping Special Education Students Recover From the Pandemic
Join us to learn about the pandemic’s impact on students who sometimes receive less attention in conversations about special education.
November 16, 2022
Group of diverse students embracing teacher at school corridor.
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Special Education What the Research Says 3 Out of 4 Gifted Black Students Never Get Identified. Here's How to Find Them
Most attend schools where they never get a chance to be recognized, a new Purdue University study finds.
Sarah D. Sparks, June 3, 2022
4 min read
A paraprofessional guides a student back to his gym class while participating in remote learning at his home in Wharton, N.J.
Paraprofessional Jessica Wein guides Josh Nazzaro back to his gym class while participating in remote learning at his home in Wharton, N.J., in 2020. New research adds to long-standing critiques of federal funding for special education.
Seth Wenig/AP
Special Education What the Research Says Federal Special Ed. Funding Is Woefully Inequitable, New Studies Show
Outdated funding formulas continue to widen gaps that shortchange students with disabilities and other vulnerable groups, researchers say.
Mark Lieberman, June 1, 2022
5 min read
Image of a child writing the letters "ADHD" on a chalkboard.
Getty
Special Education Attention Deficit Rates Skyrocket in High School. Mentoring Could Prevent an Academic Freefall
Twice as many students are diagnosed with ADHD in high school as in elementary school, yet their supports are fewer, a study says.
Sarah D. Sparks, August 23, 2021
4 min read
Special Education What Employers Can Teach Schools About Neurodiversity
The benefits of neurodiversity have gained traction in business, but college and career support for students with disabilities falls short.
Sarah D. Sparks, July 12, 2021
8 min read
Image shows a multi-tailed arrow hitting the bullseye of a target.
DigitalVision Vectors/Getty
School & District Management Opinion Education Researchers Should Think More About Educators: Notes From AERA
Steve Rees, founder of School Wise Press, posits AERA reflects a community of researchers too focused on what they find interesting.
Rick Hess, May 6, 2021
4 min read
Special Education Webinar Examining the Evidence: Supporting Students With Disabilities
The nearly seven million students with disabilities in the United States are among those most at risk of regressing significantly amid COVID-related distance learning. Under federal law, schools are required to provide services to meet
November 20, 2020
Special Education Test Supports for Students With Disabilities Vary From Year to Year
For students with disabilities, test accommodations can make the difference in their ability to show what they know. But a new study suggests a getting such supports one year is no guarantee of help the next year.
Sarah D. Sparks, January 23, 2019
2 min read
School & District Management Research on Special Education, Career-Tech Ed., and Research Partnerships Sought by Education Department
The Institute of Education Sciences, the research agency for the U.S. Education Department, put out calls for a bevy of new research projects for fiscal 2019,
Sarah D. Sparks, June 1, 2018
2 min read
English-Language Learners Don't Underestimate, Shortchange ELLs With Disabilities, Researcher Argues
A researcher found that some educators though bilingualism was "too lofty a goal" for English-language learners with disabilities.
Corey Mitchell, March 30, 2018
2 min read