Cracks in the Continuum: Reasserting Equitable Access of Space for Students With Significant Support Needs

• In Event: Moscone Center North Roundtable Session 8
  In Roundtable Session: Possibilities for Equitable Space: Understanding Race and Culture in the Measurement and Design of Educational Policy and Practice

Abstract

Federal laws require equitable access to education for students with disabilities through educational placement in the least restrictive environment (LRE). However, research has determined students with significant support needs (SSN) are overrepresented in segregated settings. This study explores placement decisions for students with SSN through a critical qualitative analysis. Using a critical geography framework, three types of placement decisions for students with SSN were identified: conditional, closed, or open. Barriers to accessing general education contexts results from hidden power dynamics, attempts to maintain social norms, and the use of ambiguous terminology. This research illuminates inequities relating to education placement decisions for students with SSN and recommends changes to policy and practice in order to build more inclusive school communities.

Authors

• Katie Mae McCabe, University of Colorado-Colorado Springs

• Andrea Ruppar, University of Wisconsin - Madison

• Jennifer Anne Kurth, The University of Kansas