Is Special Education Improving? Evidence on Segregation, Outcomes, and Spending From New York City

• In Event: 69.057 - Roundtable Session 32
  In Roundtable Session: 69.057-11 - Tinkering Toward Success: Critical Considerations on the Intersection of Disability Studies and Educational Policy

Abstract

Of the many inequalities in American education, the inequalities in the instruction and subsequent schooling outcomes of students with disabilities are among the greatest. Implementation of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) has not been smooth, particularly for school districts that serve a large and diverse group of students with disabilities. In this paper, we assess whether the nation’s largest school district, New York City (NYC), has made progress over the last decade toward legislative goals of inclusion in the general education curriculum and improved performance for students with disabilities. Results suggest that while students with disabilities have made progress on key measures of integration and performance, with some exceptions, there remains considerable room for improvement.

Authors

• Amy E Schwartz, Syracuse University

• Leanna Stiefel, New York University

• Michael A. Gottfried, University of California - Santa Barbara

• Menbere Shiferaw, New York University

• Bryant Gregory Hopkins, New York University