Report

Several Young Students Running

A Call to Action: With No Updates to OCR Discipline Guidance Since 2014, the Opportunity to Address Inequities for Students with Disabilities is Now

In 2016, the federal government rescinded a 2014 disciplinary guidance package that had served as a much-needed resource to schools and districts across the country, a decision that CLE opposed.

It is now time for the Office for Civil Rights (OCR) to issue new comprehensive guidance that advances equity for all students, especially those with disabilities. Guidance should ensure districts and schools stop using harmful exclusionary practices, including suspensions, expulsions, and seclusions, in lieu of individualized supports and services that address and ameliorate the behavioral needs of students with disabilities.

Girl Coloring

Charting a Path to Equitable Education for Students with Disabilities: The Role of Charter School Leadership Pipelines

This brief comes out of our examination of leadership pipeline programs and collaboration with these programs to infuse inclusive mindsets and strong programs for students with disabilities into their training models. In particular, it focuses on our findings regarding how future charter school leaders are trained in pipeline programs, specifically on educating students with disabilities.

Student raising hand while sitting at a desk in a school classroom

The Center Releases Report on Enrollment of Students with Disabilities in Colorado Charter Schools

The National Center for Special Education (the Center) has released a new report examining trends related to enrollment of students with disabilities in Colorado charter schools. Through this report, the Center documented enrollment trends across the state and by authorizing entity, surfaced contributing factors, and identified opportunities for key stakeholders to make short- and long-term changes that can improve students with disabilities’ ability to access and thrive in charter schools.

Child in a mask gets her temperature taken

Disproportionate Discipline and COVID-19: A Call for Change

Disproportionate discipline of students with disabilities is a long-running crisis—and with the new rules and considerations around COVID-19, the stakes are even higher. Instead of simply reacting as incidents come up, however, schools have the opportunity to develop proactive discipline policies that serve students during the pandemic and also provide positive structures for the future.

Developing and Sustaining High Quality Special Education Infrastructure

Developing and Sustaining High Quality Special Education Infrastructures

Special education infrastructures provide a deliberate and efficient means for charter schools to realize economies of scale, pilot new practices, access philanthropic support, and connect with providers in order to build stronger special education programs. This report includes specific, actionable steps for these infrastructures to take.

  • June 15, 2020
  • Megan Ohlssen and Lauren Krempecki
  • Report