Feds move to reduce over-representation in special ed
(District of Columbia) A long-standing policy allowing states to decide how to evaluate the over-representation of racial and ethnic minority groups in special education would be reversed under a new rule proposed Tuesday by federal regulators.
The proposal would require all states to follow the same standardized approach in determining if “disproportionality” exists at specific schools or districts. The new regulations would also clarify ambiguities in existing rules aimed at discouraging disciplinary sanctions disproportionately applied to special education students.
“When we see students in any racial or ethnic group identify with disabilities at vastly higher rates than their peers, we owe it to these students to pause, step back, and rethink how we are ensuring the students get the timely and appropriate services,” said acting U.S. Education Secretary John King in a conference call with reporters.
“To be clear, this effort is not about reducing the number of children who are identified as having a disability,” he said. “It's a matter of making sure the right services are getting to the right children in the right way and making certain students’ needs are properly addressed.”
As part of the 2004 reauthorization of IDEA, Congress adopted requirements that school districts take actions aimed at addressing the issue of racial or ethnic overrepresentation in special education. Specifically, districts identifying with “significant disproportionality” are required to spend 15 percent of their IDEA-Part B funds to provide early intervention services to school age children who need additional academic and behavioral support.
The proposed rule is the result of a study conducted in 2013 by the U.S. Government Accountability Office that concluded giving states control over the definition of “significant disproportionality” diminished the federal government's ability to ensure there isn't overrepresentation of certain subgroups in special education.
The report concluded that about 2 percent of all school districts in the U.S. were found to have high enough rates of disproportionality to set aside funds for early intervention services in an effort to address over representation issues.
As described by department officials this week, the rule would require states to adopt a “risk ratio” method to compare racial and ethnic groups to evaluate over-placement when compared to the Feds move to reduce over-representation in special ed :: SI&A Cabinet Report :: The Essential Resource for Superintendents and the Cabinet:
