The nation is showing some signs of improvement in educating students with disabilities, though federal officials say nearly half of states continue to need help.
For the 2010-2011 school year, 30 states met a series of goals for their special education programs, according to an analysis of new U.S. Department of Education ratings that was done by Education Week. That’s up from 28 the year prior.
Each year, the Education Department assesses how well states live up to their plans to meet the needs of students with disabilities under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. States are given one of four labels — “meets requirements,” “needs assistance,” “needs intervention” or “needs substantial intervention.” The assessments consider factors like how long it takes a child to be evaluated for special education, whether or not students with disabilities are disproportionately suspended or representative of certain racial groups and how well students are prepared for the post-high school world, among other issues.
Though the number of states achieving the highest rating did increase, so too did the proportion the Education Department determined “needs intervention.” Nine states fell into that category for the 2010-2011 school year compared to three the previous year.
For each of the last two years of data, federal officials determined that all other states fell into the “needs assistance” category. No state was deemed to “need substantial intervention” in either year.
The District of Columbia has the worst track record, according to the Education Week analysis, having failed to meet requirements for six years in a row.
I have an idea – disallow the use of special education funds to pay for attorneys, unless it is to pay back parents who have had to hire attorneys to get needed services for their children. Special education funds should go for EDUCATION.
I am in complete agreement with Linda.
It is both intriguing and frustrating that over the years the District of Columbia, home of the Congress that has been setting expectations for special education in the nation since 1974, continues to be an example of failure to meet expectations under the law. Congress has never funded special education as promised under IDEA. D.C. is an example of inadequate funding and resources, inadequate programming, inadequate professional development, and an inadequate level of caring and compassion for students with disabilities that PL 94-142 and its successors was intended to provide. This is shameful and inexcusable. Services mandated by Congress should be provided in D.C. in a manner that is a model of best practice; at this time, tragically, the services in D.C. provide a model of how NOT to meet the needs of students with disabilities.