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Social Media Helps Student With Autism Find His Voice

Henry Frost, 13, is fighting for a seat in his neighborhood school, instead of the specialized school administrators have found appropriate for him. His photo – and his cause – has gone viral since the photo was posted at the end of August.

Survey Finds Public Supports Special Education, But With Limits

Americans overwhelmingly support educating students with disabilities, but are skeptical of the number of students classified as needing special education. That’s according to a Fordham Institute report on school spending. The Fordham Institute found 40 percent of new education spending between 1996 and 2005 went to special education. Four out of five Americans believe U.S. […]

Private Companies’ Big Move Into K-12 Education

There is a lot to chew on in Reuters’ reporter Stephanie Simon’s look at private equity and venture capital investments in the education market. The story is the talker of the week among those who fear the worst when Wall Street gets involved with schools. We’ll highlight two passages from the story. First, investors are […]

Florida Officials Want To Remove Students With Severe Disabilities From School Grading System

Florida education officials are working to strip out a controversial change to the state’s grading system which requires students with severe disabilities to take the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test, according to Education Week. State education officials and lawmakers approved the change this year in order to receive a federal waiver from portions of the federal […]

Florida Schools Could Get A Break On New Report Card

Florida schools ratings would only drop by a single letter grade under a proposed change to the state school grading system floated at Tuesday’s state Board of Education meeting, according to the Miami Herald. The state’s plans to toughen its grading system has drawn criticism from school district officials worried that many more schools would […]

Florida Schools Chief Says New Grade Proposals Under Review

Education Commissioner Gerard Robinson says the state may not include schools that specialize in students with disabilities in the new school grading formula now under discussion. “One simulation, for example,” Robinson said in a statement released Thursday afternoon, “includes grading all schools that serve students with disabilities; however, we are reviewing alternative options for schools […]

Should Students With Disabilities Count Toward School Grades?

One of the strings that comes with Florida’s exemptions from some No Child Left Behind requirements is that the state needs to include more students in its school grade formula. This includes students with disabilities and those learning English. Lawmakers are working on a bill and the state Board of Education will meet next week […]

Feedback Loop: More On Students With Disabilities And The Law

Last week we ran a story talking to attorneys about what the law requires for students with disabilities. One expert we spoke with, Joy Zabala with the Center for Applied Special Technology, responded to clarify her position. Zabala said she’s most concerned that portions of federal disability law intended to provide access to students with […]

Orlando Charter Schools Buck Trend For Students With Disabilities

John O’Connor / StateImpact Florida Most facilities at UCP’s Bailes campus are designed to be accessible for students with disabilities, including this playground.Charter schools are supposed to give students an alternative to their neighborhood schools. As our investigation found earlier this month, most charter schools in Florida serve no severely-disabled students. But during our research, […]

Orlando Charter School Excels At Serving Students With And Without Disabilities

When her three-year-old granddaughter moved to Orlando, the dean of education at the University of Central Florida knew exactly where she should go — a school founded for children with disabilities. Young Ellie doesn’t have a disability. But Sandra Robinson says she’s still best served in the toddler program at the UCP Bailes campus in […]

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