Special Education IN THE NEWS

ASD and the Local School District: How Parents Can Best Advocate for an Appropriate School Setting​

In this article, Irina discusses how parents of students who are on the Autism spectrum can best advocate for an appropriate school setting for their child. Irina explains the difference between the recommended program and the school placement, and what this means for students with ASD. 

​Fixing Special Ed: Are New York City's Reforms on Target 

This article discusses how the ever-increasing numbers of students with IEPs is affecting the New York City Department of Education's ability to provide quality special education services.

Parents Fight to Shift IEP Burden of Proof

Parents in Baltimore's Howard County are hoping that a new bill before the State legislature will make it easier for parents to appeal a school's decision not to let their child leave a program they feel isn't working. The bill seeks to shift more of the burden of proof in due process hearings from the parents to the school.

State Could Pay for Special Needs Students to Transfer.

A new measure being proposed in Texas would hold the State responsible for paying for special needs students to change schools if they aren't being adequately helped in their current placement. The bill is deigned to ensure that special needs students with IEPs who are in consistently underperforming schools are able to transfer to schools that are better equipped to handle their needs. However some are raising concerns that the measure will absolve low-performance schools of their responsibility to improve their programming. 

​Are We Closing the School Discipline Gap?

New report by the Civil Rights Project highlights the disparities in the rates in which students with disabilities and students from disadvantaged backgrounds are suspended in public schools. Students with disabilities were found to be suspended at a rate of roughly two times higher than the general population in both elementary and secondary schools. Interestingly, when sorting for sub-groups the breakdown of students with disabilities into other minority categories, the report found that black males have the highest risk for suspension, followed by Latino males and black females. The report highlights how these disparities are a profound matter of civil rights and social justice that need to be addressed. 

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​​​Balancing Special-Education Needs with Rising Costs.

This NYTimes article analyzes how De Blasio's policy will impact public school budgets across the city, focusing on the cost of litigation and the Department of Education's seeming inability to manage the rising number of families seeking provisions for students with special educational needs.

Are NOLA Schools Failing Students with Disabilities?

​NPR highlights the systemic nature of the failure of New Orleans schools to support students with special educational needs.

​De Blasio Offers Easier Access to City Money for Special Education.

De Blasio's new policy encourages faster, easier settlements with families seeking reimbursement for private school placements for children with special needs. 

Why the Gap? Special Education and New York City Charter Schools

This fascinating study uses New York City data to analyze the gap in enrollment for children with special needs between charter schools and traditional public school options. 

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