Special education system in American

In conjunction with this release, the EPE Research Center and Education Week will be hosting a monthlong series of online chats in which leading experts in the field will engage in a lively, in-depth dialogue on critical issues facing special education today.

Schedule – Each Monday in November at 3-4 pm Eastern:

Chat 1: The State of Special Education in the U.S.
11/3/2008 – 3-4pm Eastern

The nation’s schools educate more than 6 million students with disabilities, about nine percent of the school-age population. Nearly one-third of those disabled students are of traditional high school age. A new report from the EPE Research Center examines a variety of challenges central to understanding special education in the nation’s high schools, including the types of educational settings in which services are provided, the diagnosis of disabilities, overrepresentation of particular student groups, school discipline, academic achievement, high school completion and transitions into adulthood.

Please join EPE Research Center director and study author Christopher Swanson as he moderates a lively and wide-ranging discussion among leading experts on critical issues shaping special education in the nation’s schools.
Read the transcript.

About the Guests:

Patricia Guard is the deputy director of the Office of Special Education Programs, the division of the U.S. Department of Education serving the needs of children and youth with disabilities.

Candace Cortiella is director of the Advocacy Institute, a non-profit organization dedicated to improving the lives of people with disabilities.

Patti Ralabate is the Interim Associate Director for the Education Policy and Practice Department at the National Education Association, the nation’s largest professional employee organization.

Chat 2: Special Education and High School Reform

High school reform has taken the nation by storm in recent years. High-profile initiatives have included efforts to raise standards and academic rigor, provide a more relevant educational experience, prepare students for college and the workplace, and recreate the American high school as an institution devoted to meeting the needs of each student on a more personalized level. How can these schools meet all of these general goals while also effectively serving student populations with distinct educational needs, such as students with disabilities?

Please join Education Week reporter Christina Samuels as she moderates a lively discussion with leading experts on the challenges of delivering high-quality special education services in the context of a reforming high school. Read the transcript.