New Opportunities in the Special Education Space NEKIA Business Development Institute November 17, 2005 Jane West, Ph.D. Washington Partners, LLC

Key Developments in Special Education: Policy & Politics Three Fundamental Shifts 1. From Process to Results Civil Rights & access Accountability & outcomes

Key Developments in Special Education: Policy & Politics Special Education a mainstream interest Special Education a special interest 2. From the Sidelines to the Mainstream

Key Developments in Special Education: Policy & Politics Implementation Advocacy 3. From Disability Agenda to General Ed. Agenda

IDEA 2004 Reauthorization Issues NCLB Integration  Assessment  Highly qualified teachers Funding Paperwork Litigation Discipline Response to intervention Over identification of minority students

Trends in Special Education: The Next 5 Years Funding NCLB  Assessment  Accountability  Highly qualified teacher Response to Intervention Overrepresentation of minorities High school reform and adolescent literacy Decreasing paperwork

Effect on the Education Market place Teacher Training  Cross training of teachers in regular and special education In the school  The role of the special education teacher in the general education classroom.  Scientifically-based research guiding instructional methods and materials  Role of the principal Access to valid assessments for students with disabilities  Leveling the playing field with universal design principles  Guidelines and training for use of assistive technology and other accommodations for testing

Opportunities in the Current Climate Increased expectations and achievement for students in special education Increased access to the general education curriculum Highly trained teachers in all areas Less of a division between general and special education

Threats to Special Education Give up on assessment & accountability – too hard? Loopholes in NCLB continue to weaken assessment and accountability standards moving students in special education back to the basement Insufficient and diverted funding Property owners revolt against subsidizing special education General education parents and teachers revolt

Opportunities in Research, Technical Assistance, Development and Evaluation Monitor the priorities of the Institute of Education Sciences Consider how your work in general education can impact special education Check the Department of Education’s website for funding forecast forecast.html forecast.html  New forecasts expected sometime in November

Funding Sources in Special Education Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) Technical Assistance & Model Demonstration Projects – now funded from the same budget line. Dissemination Funding allocation: FY : $49,397,000 National Center on Special Education Research (NCSER) Research Grants Funding allocation: FY : $90.9 Million

Changes in Funding Model demonstration projects are no longer funded under the research budget line Technical assistance projects and model demonstration projects share the same budget line  Funding fewer projects for shorter periods, but providing more money per project

Priorities of IES Special education research topics:  Language and vocabulary development  Assessment for accountability  Individualized Education Programs (IEP)  Early intervention and assessment for young children with disabilities  Serious behavioral disorders  K-12 Reading and writing (including reading and writing within disciplines), math and science  Secondary and post-secondary outcomes  Special education teacher quality: reading, writing, math and science

Advice NCLB implications for special education students Evaluation of desired IDEA outcomes:  Reduce paperwork  Reduce litigation  Reduce minorities in special education Link research to practice Technology and universal design