The only organization dedicated solely to helping state boards advance equity and excellence in public education.

January 2022Volume 22, No. 1
Supporting Learning for Students with Disabilities


The last few years have been intensely challenging ones for many students with disabilities, their families, and their teachers. Despite the label that unites these students, the disabilities that lead to their identification are many and varied, so their supports should also vary. This is the thread that connects the articles in this issue: If educators and policymakers can figure out how to build an ecosystem where these students get the personalized supports they need to thrive, then it will truly be possible for all students.


Supporting Learning for Students with Disabilities



Image credit: iStock Photos

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.





Image credit: iStock Photos

Debunking Myths about Students with Disabilities

By Karla Phillips-Krivickas

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





Image credit: iStock Photos

Supporting Students with Disabilities throughout the Year

By Elizabeth Barker and Angela Johnson

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.






Image credit: iStock Photos

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.





Image credit: iStock Photos

Understanding Special Education Teacher Shortages

By David Peyton and Kelly Acosta

State policies meaningfully affect recruitment and retention.






Opinion



Large group of business people sitting in a row in the office. Focus is on happy businessman looking at the camera.

The NASBE Interview: Dr. Lou Maynus and Joel Coleman

By Lou Maynus and Joel Coleman

"We have to let them show what they can do and not just tell them they can do it."





From the President’s Pen: Committing to Equity for Students with Disabilities

By Paolo DeMaria

The truth is students with disabilities can master the expectations reflected in state academic content standards.





Microphones on a table. Image credit: iStock

We the Media: What Matters Most to Parents

By Renée Rybak Lang

State boards can help parents play an active role in accelerating their children’s learning and development with evidence-based, accessible resources.





NCOSEA Voice: Masks and the Civil Rights of Students with Disabilities

By Colleen O'Laughin

Schools and policymakers face [the challenge of] reasonable accommodations to ensure students with disabilities get meaningful access to education.





Woman talking on panel at meeting. Image credit: iStock

NCSBEE Voice: Ombudsman Provides Key Link for Families

By John-Paul Hayworth, Serena Hayes and Giselle Miranda

The state education ombudsman model that DC is using can be adapted in any state.







Featured Items

Annual Conference 2025

Registration is now open for NASBE’s 2025 Annual Conference, the only conference designed specifically for state boards of education.
i

NASBE Series Highlights State Innovation to Transform High Schools in Washington, Kentucky, and Indiana

The Washington, Kentucky, and Indiana state boards of education are advancing bold policies to create more personalized, flexible, and future-ready high school experiences.
Group of young people sitting on ground together and talking. Continuous line art drawing style. Minimalist black linear sketch on white background. Vector illustration i

Gauging the Impact of Funds for Students Experiencing Homelessness

State boards can help drive improvements in programs serving students in unstable housing and ensure effective implementation.

Upcoming Events

From the States