By Jane Meredith Adams

Ordered by the federal government to elevate academics for students with disabilities, and by the state to raise low-income student achievement, the California Department of Education is working to create a unified system that will do both, a move that aims to bring special education students into every school district initiative to improve achievement.

The department is “building the basis of one coherent system,” Tom Torlakson, state superintendent of public instruction, told the State Board of Education last week at its meeting.

For the first time, the California Department of Education’s special education division is planning to align new federal progress measures for students with disabilities with the state board’s system of evaluation, now being created, that will gauge success under California’s school finance system. That system, known as the Local Control Funding Formula, directs additional funds to districts to serve “high-needs” students, defined as low-income students, English learners and foster children.

Source: California moves to bring special education students ‘into the fold’ of mainstream education | EdSource

All over the United States, schools are scrambling to find qualified special education teachers. There just arent enough of them to fill every open position.

That means schools must often settle for people who are under-certified and inexperienced. Special ed is tough, and those who arent ready for the challenge may not make it past the first year or two.

Really good teacher preparation might be the difference. At least, thats what the Lee Pesky Learning Center believes.

In partnership with Boise State University, this nonprofit is working to overcome the shortage in Idaho, not just by filling vacancies, but by creating special education teachers fully prepared for the demands — and the rewards — of working with special-needs students.

via Solving The Special Ed Teacher Shortage: Quality, Not Quantity : NPR Ed : NPR.

By Lee Hale

Its getting harder and harder to find quality special education teachers, which is why 49 out of 50 states report shortages.

Why? Its a tough sell.

Even if youre up for the low pay and noisy classrooms, special education adds another challenge: crushing paperwork.

This is something I understand firsthand. You see, I was a special education teacher and I just couldnt hack it. Though Im somewhat ashamed to admit it, I lasted only a year in the classroom.

I chose special education for what felt like the right reason. I wanted to help the students who struggle to learn. But I soon realized that was only a part of the job.

via Its Not Easy Teaching Special Ed : NPR Ed : NPR.

How can technology help improve our quality of life? How can we navigate the world without using the sense of vision? Inventor and IBM Fellow Chieko Asakawa, whos been blind since the age of fourteen, is working on answering these questions. In a charming demo, she shows off some new technology thats helping blind people explore the world ever more independently … because, she suggests, when we design for greater accessibility, everyone benefits.

via Chieko Asakawa: How new technology helps blind people explore the world | TED Talk | TED.com.

By Christina Samuels

Loosening the reins on state and district special education spending could lead to more innovation without damaging student services, says a report released Monday from a congressional watchdog agency.

The Government Accountability Office was asked to look into special education spending—specifically the provisions around “maintenance of effort.”

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act requires, with few exceptions, that school districts and states spend the same amount or more on special education from year to year. That eliminates wild swings in funding, and insures that spending can only go up, not down.

via Special Education Spending Flexibility Focus of GAO Report – On Special Education – Education Week.

By Christina Samuels

Almost 5 percent of students in New Hampshire have disabilities that are covered solely by “Section 504,” which offers protection to students who have a “physical or mental disability that substantially limits one or more major life activities.” These disabilities might include conditions such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, diabetes, food allergies, depression, or mobility impairments.

In contrast, in New Mexico and Wisconsin, less than half a percent of students have such plans.

These findings come from a recent analysis of Section 504 enrollment conducted by the Advocacy Institute of data from the U.S. Department of Educations Civil Rights Data Collection. That data collection covers the 2011-12 school year, and about 16,500 school districts, 96,500 schools, and 49 million students were included.

via States Vary in Proportion of Students With Disability-Related 504 Plans – On Special Education – Education Week.

By Christina Samuels

School districts would have more permission to reduce their special education spending under a bill introduced in Congress today by Michigan Rep. Tim Walberg, a Republican.

Currently, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act only allows district special education spending cuts in limited circumstances—for example, if a highly paid special educaton teacher retires and is replaced with someone who earns a lower salary. Other permitted reasons to reduce funding include a student who requires expensive services leaving the district, or an overall decline in special education enrollment. This so-called “maintenance of effort” provision is intended to keep funding, and thereby services to students, stable.

Walbergs bill would allow districts to cut back on special education spending if theyve found other ways to reduce costs while keeping services intact. If a district negotiates a contract with its teachers that reduces personnel costs, for example, the bill states that the district should be able to adjust special education spending to account for that.

via Special Education Bill Offers Flexibility on Maintenance of Effort – On Special Education – Education Week.

By Christina Samuels

Each year, hundreds of thousands of students in special education graduate from their high schools.

And then what happens?

In the 10th annual edition of its Diplomas Count report, Education Week tries to answer that question. The report is a blend of journalism and reseach: the Education Week Research Center delved into federal data to offer an important snapshot of where students with disabilities end up after they leave high school. My journalist colleagues and I give life to those numbers by talking to students as they make important future decisions about college and about work.

For example: Do students with disabilities tell their colleges about their special needs, or do they try to go without any of the supports they may have used in high school? (The answer: most of them do not disclose.) For students who are headed directly to the workplace, have they been taught how to advocate for themselves? (The answer: its hit-or-miss.)

via Postsecondary Transition for Students in Special Education: The Road Ahead – On Special Education – Education Week.

By Christina Samuels

There appears to be no connection between vision or eye disorders and reading impairments, according to a study of about 5,800 children that will be published in the June issue of Pediatrics.

The sample of children was taken from a longitudinal study of families living in the Bristol, England area. The children were all 7 to 9 years old, and 3 percent tested as having severe reading impairments.

The researchers then tested the vision of those children. Four out of five had normal eyesight. A small minority of children displayed minor anomalies in depth perception and fusing abiilty, or the ability to use both eyes properly at the same time.

But theres no evidence from this study that therapies to improve eyesight will do anything to help with dyslexia, the researchers concluded. “The best evidence is for intensive interventions involving instruction on phonics, word anal

via Study Finds No Connection Between Eye Problems and Dyslexia – On Special Education – Education Week.

By Laurie Udesky

Some California educators say the state’s students with the most severe cognitive disabilities will not have the same opportunity this spring to have their learning assessed as other students taking the Common Core-aligned assessments.

Approximately 39,000 of the state’s students with cognitive disabilities that are too severe for them to function or live safely on their own are eligible to take the new California Alternate Assessment this spring, according to the California Department of Education. However, some educators are uncertain how well the new assessment will work.

In particular, they say the assessment was developed hastily and distributed to teachers with no time to prepare themselves or their students for it. They also have no assurance that the test will measure what their students are learning in the classroom. They say that’s because the alternate assessment is based on simplified adaptations of the Common Core State Standards that have not been formally adopted by the state and disseminated in advance for teachers to plan their instruction.

via Alternate assessments for special education students delayed | EdSource#.VVI1iWctHGg#.VVI1iWctHGg.