On Special Education
Explored the opportunities and obstacles educators encounter while serving students with special needs, including children with disabilities, gifted students, and those who are homeless or incarcerated. This blog is no longer being updated, but you can continue to explore these issues on edweek.org by visiting our related topic pages: students with disabilities, gifted education, and homeless.
Teaching Profession
Is Special Education Paperwork Really a Problem?
Spoiler alert: Yes, many think so. But a federal report says district leaders also acknowledge paperwork's importance, and say state and local requirements impose their own burdens.
Early Childhood
Preschool Special Education Would Get Small Boost Under Federal Budget Plan
Although federal special education spending for school-aged children would hold steady, much-smaller programs for younger children would see a small boost under the presidents
Education
Group Urges Presidential Candidates to Take Stand on Disability Issues
RespectAbility, a 3-year-old advocacy organization, hopes to get presidential candidates thinking and talking about topics that affect people with disabilities.
School & District Management
Farsightedness Associated With Literacy Problems in Preschoolers
Children with moderate farsightedness, or hyperopia, performed worse on a test to gauge their early-literacy skills, according to a recent federally funded study.
Equity & Diversity
Special Education Parents File Complaint Against New York City Charter Network
The Success Academies, a network that educates 11,000 children, is the subject of a complaint over its disciplinary practices, which some allege unfairly target students with disabilities.
College & Workforce Readiness
Special Education Graduation Disparities Highlighted in New Report
Advocates pushing for a 90 percent graduation rate by 2020 say that goal cannot be achieved without better performance by students with disabilities, as well as students from other groups.
Law & Courts
Supreme Court Seeks Input on Special Education Service Animal Case
The case revolves around a Michigan student with cerebral palsy who was told she could not bring her service dog to school under the terms of her individualized education program.
School Climate & Safety
Alleged Gagging, Binding of Student Is Not Constitutional Violation, Court Rules
An Ohio teacher's alleged actions, "albeit misguided," could be pedagogically justified, according to a three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 6th Circuit, in Cincinnati.
Special Education
Special Education Aide Arrested After Striking Student
The 26-year-old aide was filmed pinning the student to the ground and also striking him in the face. She was charged with felony child abuse.
Special Education
Hillary Clinton's Autism Policy Proposal Takes Birth-Through-Adulthood Approach
Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton reached out to advocacy groups in formulating policy priorities around supporting children, youth and adults with autism. The proposal was released Tuesday.
Special Education
Hillary Clinton Unveils Autism Support Proposal
Clinton's plan would address the use of restraint and seclusion and expand the use of early screenings, among other proposals.
Special Education
Special Education Is Really Tough: A Roundup
Recent high-profile pieces in NPR, the Atlantic and Humans of New York outline the difficult side of teaching students with disabilities.
Every Student Succeeds Act
Your Favorite Special Education Posts of 2015
A wide variety of posts engaged readers of this blog in 2015, including posts about federal guidance, teaching, and special education law.
Special Education
Many New York City Elementary Schools Fail to Meet ADA Requirements
An investigation found that 83 percent of the city's elementary schools are not fully accessible to children with physical disabilities.