There is an increased number of students enrolled in special education programs. I thought about the reasons behind this trend.  Some data from the 21-22 school year found that 7.3 million students, or 14.7 % of all public-school students, are receiving special education which is at an all-time high since the passage of the Education for all Handicapped Children Act in 1977. At that time 8% of the overall student population were receiving special education.  Under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), which has been the name for the nation’s special education law since 1990, each of those students must have an Individualized Education Plan.  So, the obvious question is Why the increase? 

As I think back to the 70’s, we are much better now at diagnosing many conditions.  Autism was not known until the 1990s and was not an eligible category until 1990.  

1:36 children are currently identified on the spectrum so that you no doubt know a child with ASD. Today it accounts for 12% of all students on IEP’s.  

Another important consideration is that special education today does not carry the stigma that it did in the 1970’s.   Recall that in the 50’s and 60’s parents were told to institutionalize their child and there were no opportunities for schooling.   Today, the reduced stigma and increasing awareness has motivated many parents to seek help for their child if he/she has a learning disability or speech and language impairment. Learning disabilities account for 1/3 of all students with IEP’s or 2.3 million students. 

Another factor certainly is the emphasis on academics in the general education curriculum.  As we think about the pressure of assessment and of achievement on the various statewide tests, we see students struggling to perform. Yet, the intensive instruction that they might need cannot be found in the regular education classroom whether it is due to the number or diversity of students.

Does More students equal more funding? 

No. there are disparities in funding for the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) among states. An analysis highlighted that while Congress promised “full funding” for IDEA (40 percent of excess costs for students with disabilities), the federal contribution in 2020 was just 13.2 percent.  

Moreover, the current funding formula has been found to generate substantial differences among states in the amount of federal funding available per child. For instance, in Fiscal Year 2020, Wyoming received about $2,826 for each child receiving special education, while Nevada received $1,384 per child according to Bookings, a leading institution for independent research on current issues impacting the world.  

States with larger shares of children eligible for special education receive, on average, fewer dollars per child than states with fewer such children. There are some obvious disparities that require attention.  

This is our call to action to our legislators is to increase funding for special education.