New Special Education Accountability?

“We know that when students with disabilities are held to high expectations and have access to the general curriculum in the regular classroom, they excel.” Arne Duncan, June 24, 2014

Really? Where is the evidence that the general curriculum in the regular classroom results in such excellence for all students with disabilities?

It is just the kind broad general statement that Arne Duncan is so fond of making.

The U.S. Department of Education today announced new standards for judging States on special education.

The new system greatly reduces compliance enforcement for IDEA, on the theory that States are in procedural compliance with IDEA, in return for using NAEP test results to judge educational outcomes for students in special education.

NAEP was NEVER designed or tested for any such purpose (see below). NAEP is a test taken by a sample of school districts from each State, every 2 years.

Below is my summary of the conference call hosted by U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan today:

Arne Duncan: "Other stuff we should be looking at to eliminate?"

Conference call on new Special Education requirements for States, June 24, 2014:

USDOE plus two Commissioners of Education, called Superintendents in some States - Massachusetts (MA), Mitchell Chester, and Tennessee (TN), Kevin Huffman.

TN: "States build up their little special education units." 40 percent of students with SLD can achieve same test results as others - "not students with significant cognitive disabilities." (last comment made several times by others)

MA: identifies 17 percent of students for SE. Tom Hehir assisting them: double the number of students in poverty identified for SE. More students of color need to be in general education classrooms.

USDOE: New system has fewer data reporting requirements, no need for reporting on results of actions taken on previous non-compliance, no need to have improvement on previous indicators, etc.

Arne Duncan to the 2 Commissioners: "Other stuff we should be looking at to eliminate?"

Reporter question: NAEP ever been used this way? NAEP designed for high stakes testing? NAEP designed for students with disabilities?

Duncan: "Only accurate measurement we have. Imperfect..." "I would not call it high stakes." "NAEP given every 2 years."

Reporter question: reinventing the wheel? If States cannot meet requirements, then change the requirements in 5 years?

USDOE: "We have to own these kids."

MA: SE needs to be integrated into the mainstream.

Reporter question: What are the consequences?

Duncan: No real answer, withholding funds not his first priority.

Reporter question: What outcomes? The same proficiency for all students?

USDOE: Vast majority of students in SE must achieve to the same high standard required by NAEP of all students "do not have cognitive disabilities." Most students in SE now do not have access to content standards or to the same assessment.

The tone of the call was set by having 2 nonexperts in special ed, the 2 Commissioners. 

-submitted by Bev Johns

This was contributed to LDASC by Beverley Holden Johns. Ms. Johns is a learning and behavioral consultant from Jacksonville, Illinois and is a member of the Learning Disabilities Association. She is the incoming President of LDA of Illinois.