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 This blog is no longer being updated, but you can continue to explore these issues on edweek.org by visiting our related topic pages: students with disabilities, gifted education, and homeless.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
Study: Special Educators Accept Wide Swings in Special Education Enrollment
Most teachers and principals feel that their state classifies the "correct" number of students as needing special education, even when those percentages are higher or lower than the national average, says a new survey.
Special Education
Reading and Math Disabilities: Two Sides of the Same Coin?
At a conference sponsored by the National Science Foundation, researchers talked about the latest findings in the connection between dyslexia and other types of learning disabilities.
Education Funding
DeVos Says Federal IDEA Mandates 'Piled On,' Don't Match Funding
In an exclusive interview with Education Week, Education Secretary Betsy DeVos said that Congress has not funded the special education law at the level it committed to back when the legislation passed.
Special Education
Minority Students Still Missing Out on Special Education, New Analysis Says
Black and Hispanic students otherwise similar to white students in reading are underenrolled in special education, says a study that runs counter to accepted wisdom and federal policy.
Teaching Profession
Washington State Taps Paraeducators to Fill Special Education Teacher Shortage
A new law creates a streamlined path for instructional aides, who already have deep experience working with students with disabilities, to gain teaching credentials.
English Learners
Minority Students Missing Out on Speech and Language Services, Study Finds
Black and Hispanic children are not receiving speech and language therapy at the same rate as similar white peers, which could set them up for academic problems later on, says new research.
Special Education
New York City Faces Lawsuit Over Special Education-Related Services
The city's school district is accused of shirking its responsibility to provide necessary therapy to students by requiring some parents to find providers on their own.
Teaching Profession
What Should Special Education Teachers Know and Be Able to Do?
Two education groups are encouraging teacher-preparation programs to build in "high-leverage practice" that will ultimately help the academic achievement of students with disabilities.
Equity & Diversity
DeVos To Special Educators: Families 'Shouldn't Have to Sue' For School Options
U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos said a recent U.S. Supreme Court case offers an example of why parents of students with disabilities need school choice options.
Special Education
Betsy DeVos Invited to Address Annual Special Education Conference
The U.S. secretary of education is scheduled to address a conference sponsored by the office of special education programs, where experts discuss federal topics related to students with disabilities.
Special Education
Special Educators Head to Capitol Hill With 'Sense of Urgency'
Members of the Council for Exceptional Children and the Council for Administrators of Special Education want Congress to preserve Medicaid and allocate more money for special education and gifted education.
Special Education
Philadelphia Approves Scaled-Back $10 Million Special Education Program
The program will be an option for 100 students with complex behavioral needs, with the goal of reducing private school placements.
School Choice & Charters
What Can New Voucher Studies Tell Us About Students With Disabilities?
One study shows that students with disabilities may see drops in academic achievement when they use private-school vouchers, and a second notes that students are more likely than peers to drop a special education label.
School Climate & Safety
Parents Awarded $900K After Hidden Cameras Capture Student Restraint
Parents of a child with autism filed lawsuits against the Clark County, Nev. district, after video evidence showed him being restrained repeatedly.