Although federal policies have promoted the inclusion of students with disabilities in educational opportunities, success remains elusive. Yet much has been learned about how best to include students with disabilities in assessments and accountability, graduation requirements, and educational programming. Based on this learning, we highlight red flags to watch for in policy and suggest what state boards of education and other policymakers can do to support students with disabilities so that they leave preK-12 schooling ready for success.


Ensuring Students with Disabilities Leave School Ready to Succeed





Also In this Issue

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Ensuring Students with Disabilities Leave School Ready to Succeed

By Kristin K. Liu, Martha L. Thurlow and Sheryl S. Lazarus

State boards can watch policies for red flags that hold students back.





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Debunking Myths about Students with Disabilities

By Karla Phillips-Krivickas

State policy should confront the pervasive low expectations that the outcomes reveal.





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Supporting Students with Disabilities throughout the Year

By Angela Johnson and Elizabeth Barker

The data point up a need for services that extend beyond the school year.





Reenvisioning the Future with Universal Design for Learning

By James D. Basham

Build a system that supports each student rather than a mythical average one.






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Supporting English Learners with Disabilities

By Drew S. Fagan and Luis Javier Pentón Herrera

Equitable education means overcoming challenges in identification, staff training, and funding.





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Understanding Special Education Teacher Shortages

By David Peyton and Kelly Acosta

State policies meaningfully affect recruitment and retention.







Featured Items

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Strengthening the Principal Pipeline through State Leadership Academies

Missouri, Delaware, and North Carolina have developed evidence-based professional learning for current and prospective school leaders to increase their effectiveness and reduce turnover.
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State Advances in Early Childhood Education Seed Plans for 2024

In 2023, several states made significant strides toward universal pre-K, increased funding and support for early educators, and improved literacy and math instruction.
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Curriculum That Counts

Authors in this issue of the Standard draw lessons from a spectrum of state policies that are being used to increase the adoption of high-quality curriculum.

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