Special Education Blog

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 This blog is no longer being updated, but you can continue to explore these issues on edweek.org by visiting our related topic pages: students with disabilities, gifted education, and homeless.

Education Funding Special Education Spending Flexibility Focus of GAO Report
The "maintenance of effort" provisions built into the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act are hampering innovation, says the U.S. Government Accountability Office.
Christina A. Samuels, October 19, 2015
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3 min read
Special Education Reducing Special Education Lawsuits May Mean Focusing on Certain States, Not IDEA
A report finds that a relatively small group of states and jurisdictions are responsible for most of the legal actions under federal special education law, and the authors suggest that reforms be focused on those areas.
Christina A. Samuels, October 15, 2015
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2 min read
Special Education Gifted Education for Underrepresented Students Gets $4 Million Federal Boost
The Education Department grant program will help school districts in 11 states tackle diversity in gifted education programs.
Christina A. Samuels, October 14, 2015
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3 min read
Special Education Justice Department Weighs in on Kentucky Restraint Case
A court must determine if an officer's use of cuffs on two elementary school students was reasonable based on the threat they posed, says the Justice Department.
Christina A. Samuels, October 9, 2015
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1 min read
Special Education Young Adults With Disabilities: Moving from 'Struggler' to 'Navigator'
A recent study from the National Center for Learning Disabilities finds that self-confidence, a supportive home live and community connections were closely tied to success for young adults with learning and attention issues.
Christina A. Samuels, October 8, 2015
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3 min read
Special Education Seattle Settles Lawsuit Over Ed-Tech Accessibility
The National Federation of the Blind, a co-plaintiff in the lawsuit, says the agreement to make the Seattle district's online materials accessible is a "model for the nation."
Michele Molnar, October 1, 2015
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3 min read
Teaching Profession Chicago Plans New Round of Special Education Staff Cuts
The proposed staff reduction will cut about 70 teachers and aides, and has some principals worried that they won't be able to provide adequate services for their special education students.
Christina A. Samuels, September 29, 2015
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1 min read
Student Well-Being & Movement Donald Trump, Vaccines, Autism and Political Theater
Autism prevalence and vaccines are in the spotlight after the most recent Republican presidential candidates' debate, held in California on Thursday.
Christina A. Samuels, September 17, 2015
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2 min read
Early Childhood Inclusive Preschools Focus of New Federal Guidance
States and early-education providers should adopt policies making it easier for preschoolers with disabilities to enroll in inclusive classrooms, says guidance from two federal departments.
Christina A. Samuels, September 14, 2015
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1 min read
Special Education States Vary in Proportion of Students With Disability-Related '504' Plans
The recent Civil Rights Data Collection by the Education Department offers greater insight into this student population, who have disabilities but are not covered under the IDEA.
Christina A. Samuels, September 11, 2015
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2 min read
School & District Management ADHD Evaluations Driven Mainly by Parents, Not Educators, Says CDC Report
About two-thirds of the time, parents are the first ones to have the initial concern that a child may have attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, according to a CDC household survey.
Christina A. Samuels, September 4, 2015
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3 min read
U.S. Rep. John Kline, head of the House Education and the Workforce Committee, meets with school board leaders and superintendents at a round-table session in his Minnesota district. The congressman often tests local sentiment on how federal policies are playing outside Washington.
U.S. Rep. John Kline, head of the House Education and the Workforce Committee, meets in 2013 with school board leaders and superintendents at a round-table session in his Minnesota district.
Jenn Ackerman for Education Week
Education Funding Rep. John Kline to Retire; Lawmaker Supported Increased IDEA Funding
Kline, a Republican from Minnesota, has been the top Republican on the House Education Committee since 2009.
Lauren Camera, September 3, 2015
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4 min read
Special Education Accessibility Concerns Delay $30M Amazon E-Book Contract in N.Y.C.
New York City schools postponed action on an Amazon contract for creating an online storefront where educators will buy e-books, after the National Federation of the Blind raised questions about it.
Michele Molnar, August 28, 2015
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4 min read
Special Education Education Department Alters Testing Requirement for Students with Disabilities
The U.S. Department of Education has taken a politically symbolic step: It's officially said that states can offer alternate assessments only to the 1 percent of students who have severe cognitive disabilities.
Lauren Camera, August 25, 2015
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1 min read
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