CLE is quoted in a report on the exclusive analysis by The 74 of 2022-23 IDEA data reveals stark disparities among students already subject to disproportionate punishment in school. Read more here.
Jun 30
Jun 30
After seeing what accountability looks like in a private school setting, our Interim Executive Director, Jennifer Coco, knew she had to share her story. After spending the last two decades in special education law and advocacy, she recently lived through the work through an entirely new perspective — as a parent. A private school of choice told her they would not serve her son. So much of our work is personal, and this experience only reinforced for Jennifer that CLE’s work and advocacy have never been more important. As Congress considers an unprecedented $20 billion private school voucher program in the “One Big Beautiful Bill,” there was real throughline with her professional advocacy and private journey as a parent of a child with a disability. This compelled Jennifer to pen an op-ed in The 74 explaining why giving up on the promise of IDEA and disinvesting in public schools is not the answer — and neither is lowering the bar for services and expecting better results. For the full piece, see here.
May 14
The Center for Learner Equity (CLE) vehemently objects to the tax package proposed by the House Ways and Means Committee.
May 12
The Civil Rights Data Collection (CRDC) is the only nationwide comprehensive look at access and opportunities for all students, including students with disabilities. For more than five decades, CRDC has captured data on students’ equal access to educational opportunities. The critical insights provided by the data has helped schools understand and adhere to essential civil rights laws, whose implementation and enforcement is led by the Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR). With recent efforts to dismantle the Department of Education (ED), continuing to uplift this data has taken on a new urgency. As a leading voice on behalf of students with disabilities in all public schools — and lead author of the only reports available on the experiences of students with disabilities in charter schools — CLE understands the tremendous value of the CRDC data in informing research, policy, and best practice. Leveraging CRDC data can help schools and advocates better understand the experiences of their students with disabilities — and direct their attention towards improving areas of inequity to create the conditions for students to thrive. With the release of two new reports, CLE analyzed what CRDC data reveals regarding students with disabilities’ experiences in schools, and […]
May 12
CLE’s Analysis of the Civil Rights Data Collection The Center for Learner Equity is proud to release our sixth secondary analysis of the U.S. Department of Education’s Civil Rights Data Collection (CRDC)’s January 2025 release, this time regarding the 2021-2022 school year. We have prepared two reports that offer an in-depth look at the experiences of students with disabilities in public charter schools and traditional public schools. Our analyses of CRDC data continue to reveal persistent disparities in enrollment, disciplinary practices, and access to college preparatory opportunities for students with disabilities. In our “Fast Facts” brief, we examine national trends in enrollment, placement, discipline, and postsecondary access for students with disabilities in both traditional and charter public schools. We also offer a separate brief on the topic of specialized charter schools, where we explore the growth and characteristics of charter schools that specialize in educating students with disabilities. CLE continues to urge elected officials and the U.S. Department of Education to protect and invest in the Civil Rights Data Collection. This data is critical to national transparency around protecting students' civil rights, informing inclusive policies, and ensuring all students with disabilities receive the opportunities and supports they deserve. Key Findings [...]
May 08
CLE’s Analysis of the Civil Rights Data Collection In September 2024, the Center for Learner Equity (CLE) completed its fifth analysis of the U.S. Department of Education’s Civil Rights Data Collection (CRDC) on access and opportunities for students with disabilities. Our key findings show progress in certain areas, substantial opportunity gaps for students with disabilities in others, and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on outcomes during the 2020-21 school year. Our analysis examines data trends around the enrollment, placements, disciplinary removals, and post-secondary outcomes of students with disabilities in both traditional and charter public schools. Our analysis also focuses on charter schools specializing in educating students with disabilities to understand their growth around the United States and some of their key characteristics. Key Findings Traditional public schools educate a greater proportion of students with disabilities than charters Charters educate different types of students with disabilities than traditional public schools In charters, students with disabilities are more likely to spend time in general education settings Students with disabilities continue to experience higher rates of disciplinary practices and lower access to college preparation than their peers Specialized charter schools, concentrated in a handful of states, are increasingly focusing on autism View [...]
Apr 14
The Institute of Education Sciences (IES) is a cornerstone of evidence-based education, providing critical research, data, and tools that help schools improve student outcomes. But recent funding cuts could leave states and districts without the knowledge they need to make smart, student-centered decisions. As our Director of Research, Chase Nordengren, puts it: “We need more research to know what works, for whom, under what conditions. That’s what IES does. And if we can’t do that, we’re stuck with gut decisions — and that’s not good enough for kids.” Eliminating IES means: Fewer research grants to find what truly helps students Less data to guide education policy Fewer tools to help schools close learning gaps Our students deserve better. Let’s protect the research that helps them thrive. #SaveIES #EducationResearch #SupportOurSchools Read the full piece in @The74Media by Chase Nordengren here: https://www.the74million.org/article/eliminating-ies-means-fewer-resources-for-districts-states-to-educate-well/
Apr 14
“There’s been a pretty broad pronouncement that this administration is thinking about moving special education anyway.” Even if protections are written into law, that doesn’t guarantee they’ll be upheld under current conditions. Our Interim Executive Director, @Jennifer Coco, warns that shifting special education oversight from the Department of Education to Health and Human Services could reverse decades of progress. We fear this change could lead to harmful assumptions about disabled students’ ability to learn, increasing segregation and undermining inclusive education. Read the full piece in @The74Media by @Beth Hawkins here: https://www.the74million.org/article/isolation-neglect-disability-advocates-fear-return-to-a-bleak-past-under-hhs/
Apr 07
“Any move to separate the education of students with disabilities from the education of all students further pathologizes disability and is treating 15% of all the children in our public school buildings like they’re medical issues — they’re not.” We know that health and education systems speak in entirely different languages including variations in terminology, training, and disciplines. It simply doesn’t translate. Our Interim Executive Director, Jennifer Coco explains what’s at risk when discussing moving IDEA to the Department of Health and Human Services. Read the full piece by Shauneen Miranda in States Newsroom here.
Mar 31
Washington, D.C. – On Thursday, March 20, 2025, The Center for Learner Equity (CLE) joined the National Center for Learning Disabilities (NCLD), the Autism Society, the Council for Exceptional Children, and the Council of Parent Attorneys and Advocates (COPAA) for a virtual press conference discussing the unprecedented actions threatening the civil rights of students, particularly those with disabilities. Disability rights leaders discussed the consequences of dismantling the Department of Education and offered actionable next steps for families, educators, advocates, and policymakers. Jennifer Coco, CLE’s Interim Executive Director, spoke alongside: Dr. Jacqueline Rodriguez, CEO, NCLD Christopher Banks, President & CEO, Autism Society Denise Marshall, CEO, COPAA Chad Rummel, Executive Director, Council for Exceptional Children A recording of the press conference can be found here.