The National Center for Special Education (the Center) has released a new report examining trends related to enrollment of students with disabilities in Colorado charter schools. Through this report, the Center documented enrollment trends across the state and by authorizing entity, surfaced contributing factors, and identified opportunities for key stakeholders to make short- and long-term changes that can improve students with disabilities’ ability to access and thrive in charter schools.
The COVID-19 global health crisis has upended the continuity of learning for students with disabilities. Despite these ongoing challenges, the right to a free appropriate public education (FAPE) for students with disabilities remains in place. As schools shift to more distance learning, teams of educators are left to redesign what FAPE looks like when they cannot be physically present with their students. This guide offers a decision-making model that aims to balance individual student needs within a virtual learning context, as well as a range of exemplars showing how this model can be applied.
The members of the Equity Coalition believe that it is now more important than ever for schools to commit to permanently rejecting harsh exclusionary discipline practices for all students and especially for those with disabilities.
This interactive visual database includes data on enrollment, discipline, local educational agency (LEA) status, authorizer, and funding aimed at building understanding of the special education landscape and related trends across every state in the nation.
This page provides sources, methodology, and definitions for the Center’s interactive database, Trends in Special Education in Charter and Traditional Public Schools by U.S. State.
A charter school’s legal status as part of a larger local education agency (LEA) independent LEA affects the autonomy, funding, and programming of the school—and is essential to understanding what entity is responsible for educating students with disabilities. Nevertheless, LEA status can be confusing, especially since approaches vary by state and even by school. This infographic outlines the different approaches and their implications for students with disabilities.
Eight months after COVID-19 first shut down schools across the country, the state of education in the United States remains in flux. Students with disabilities, in particular, continue to be disproportionately impacted by school closures and lack of access to services. As cases tick upward once again, school leaders and administrators are likely to face tough decisions in the coming months. Despite the immense difficulty of the situation, we have identified several key strategies that will set school leaders up for success.
Disproportionate discipline of students with disabilities is a long-running crisis—and with the new rules and considerations around COVID-19, the stakes are even higher. Instead of simply reacting as incidents come up, however, schools have the opportunity to develop proactive discipline policies that serve students during the pandemic and also provide positive structures for the future.
In February 2020, the Center completed an analysis of the challenges associated with educating students with disabilities in Connecticut charter schools. We found that these challenges are symptoms of two broader issues—the state’s inequitable public education funding system and problematic ambiguity in the state charter law.
In February 2020, the Center completed an analysis of the challenges associated with educating students with disabilities in Connecticut charter schools. We found that these challenges are symptoms of two broader issues—the state’s inequitable public education funding system and problematic ambiguity in the state charter law.
