萝卜AV视频

Last week, the Government Accountability Office published a report analyzing why more students with disabilities are being educated in general education settings. Nationally, the number of students with disabilities in the general education classroom for at least 40% of their day increased by 25% over 10 years. The largest increase came from students with disabilities in gen ed for at least 80% of their day.

GAO found that poverty, the presence of standalone special education schools and lower per-pupil funding all impacted the amount of time students with disabilities spent in the general-education classroom. Specifically, they found that a 30% decrease in per-pupil revenues in a district was associated with a 1.6% increase in the share of students with disabilities who spent more than 40% of their time in a general education classroom. GAO also noted that the number of school counselors and the percentage of English learners in the district were associated with less restrictive student placements.  

In interviews with district leaders, cultivating a strong sense of belonging for students was critical to ensuring they spent more time in the general education classroom. Factors that districts believe undermine their ability to place students with disabilities in general education classrooms are teacher contract limitations, school culture, and resource constraints. Student and staff behaviors and mindsets were cited as determining factors in student placements. GAO also found that resource availability, parental involvement in placement decisions, and school environment were all major factors in determining student placements. District staffing and personnel shortages, lack of specialized services and programs, and the cost of out-of-district placement were some of the specific resource constraints discussed.

To alleviate these pressures, Congress could increase IDEA funding beyond the 10% share it currently pays. Doing so would alleviate pressures that come with limited resources, such as increased room for hiring of specialized personnel and the capacity to create and maintain specialized programs for these students.