Special Education Research

Education news, analysis, and opinion about research focused on special education and gifted education
Full length side view of Black female instructor in mid 40s with hand on shoulder of a Black elementary boy as they stand in corridor and talk.
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Special Education What the Research Says One Group of Teachers Is Less Likely to Identify Black Students for Special Ed. Why That Matters
Researchers say their findings argue for diversifying the teacher workforce.
Sarah D. Sparks, March 6, 2024
4 min read
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Reading & Literacy What the Research Says 3 New Studies to Know on Screening Students for Dyslexia
More than 40 states now require screening for dyslexia.
Sarah D. Sparks, January 4, 2024
3 min read
Miranda Pichardo, 6, reads with her mother, Karina, on Oct. 19, 2016, in Spring, Texas. Miranda's parents are fighting for Miranda, who has Down Syndrome, to be included more in "regular" classes where her parents feel she can develop much faster compared to the special education classroom. Students in special education have doubled in the last four decades, according to federal data.
Miranda Pichardo, 6, reads with her mother, Karina, on Oct. 19, 2016, in Spring, Texas. Miranda's parents are fighting for Miranda, who has Down Syndrome, to be included more in "regular" classes where her parents feel she can develop much faster compared to the special education classroom. Students in special education have doubled in the last four decades, according to federal data.
Brett Coomer/Houston Chronicle via AP
Special Education The Number of Students in Special Education Has Doubled in the Past 45 Years
The number of students in special education in the U.S. has doubled, from 3.6 million in 1976-77 to almost 7.3 million in 2021-22.
Eesha Pendharkar, July 31, 2023
4 min read
The view over the shoulder of a high school student while he is holding a drone with the camera image showing on a laptop sitting on a nearby chair.
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Special Education To Prepare Students With Autism for the Working World, Drones Might Be a Good Start
Researchers are working with students to help them figure out how to navigate a workplace setting and explore STEM careers.
Alyson Klein, June 21, 2023
3 min read
Technology assistive device for persons with visual impairment
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Special Education What the Research Says Braille and Language Development: What Teachers Should Know
A more nuanced understanding of Braille among educators could lead to better literacy instruction for students with impaired vision.
Sarah D. Sparks, March 14, 2023
4 min read
Second graders Drayden Ayers, left, and Breeanna Runde work with Megan Johannsen, a teacher of deaf and hard-of-hearing students in Dubuque, Iowa on Sept. 25, 2015.
Second-graders Drayden Ayers, left, and Breeanna Runde work with Megan Johannsen, a teacher of the deaf and hard of hearing with the Dubuque Community School District, at Carver Elementary School in Dubuque, Iowa on Sept. 25, 2015.
Jessica Reilly/Telegraph Herald via AP
Special Education What the Research Says How Do You Sign 'Pi'? New Sign-Language Terms Could Boost Scientific Literacy
Scientists are developing a sign-language lexicon of scientific terms for deaf and hard-of-hearing students.
Sarah D. Sparks, March 9, 2023
3 min read
Illustration of data analysis.
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Special Education Q&A Why Special Education Research Is So Important Now
The outgoing commissioner of the National Center on Special Education Research outlines the challenges ahead.
Sarah D. Sparks, December 16, 2022
5 min read
A student visits a sensory room at Williams Elementary School, on Nov. 3, 2021, in Topeka, Kan.
A student visits a sensory room at Williams Elementary School in Topeka, Kan.
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Special Education Special Education Funding Is 'Fundamentally Broken,' Researcher Says
Federal funding for special education services has stayed largely flat over the past two decades.
Lauraine Langreo, December 9, 2022
3 min read
Special Education K-12 Essentials Forum How Schools Are Helping Special Education Students Recover From the Pandemic
Join us to learn about the pandemic’s impact on students who sometimes receive less attention in conversations about special education.
November 16, 2022
Group of diverse students embracing teacher at school corridor.
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Special Education What the Research Says 3 Out of 4 Gifted Black Students Never Get Identified. Here's How to Find Them
Most attend schools where they never get a chance to be recognized, a new Purdue University study finds.
Sarah D. Sparks, June 3, 2022
4 min read
A paraprofessional guides a student back to his gym class while participating in remote learning at his home in Wharton, N.J.
Paraprofessional Jessica Wein guides Josh Nazzaro back to his gym class while participating in remote learning at his home in Wharton, N.J., in 2020. New research adds to long-standing critiques of federal funding for special education.
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Special Education What the Research Says Federal Special Ed. Funding Is Woefully Inequitable, New Studies Show
Outdated funding formulas continue to widen gaps that shortchange students with disabilities and other vulnerable groups, researchers say.
Mark Lieberman, June 1, 2022
5 min read
Image of a child writing the letters "ADHD" on a chalkboard.
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Special Education Attention Deficit Rates Skyrocket in High School. Mentoring Could Prevent an Academic Freefall
Twice as many students are diagnosed with ADHD in high school as in elementary school, yet their supports are fewer, a study says.
Sarah D. Sparks, August 23, 2021
4 min read
Special Education What Employers Can Teach Schools About Neurodiversity
The benefits of neurodiversity have gained traction in business, but college and career support for students with disabilities falls short.
Sarah D. Sparks, July 12, 2021
8 min read
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School & District Management Opinion Education Researchers Should Think More About Educators: Notes From AERA
Steve Rees, founder of School Wise Press, posits AERA reflects a community of researchers too focused on what they find interesting.
Rick Hess, May 6, 2021
4 min read