Research Synthesis: Between a Rock and a Hard Place: Educating Students with Disabilities in Charter Schools in the State of Connecticut

In February 2020, the National Center for Special Education in Charter Schools completed an analysis of the challenges associated with educating students with disabilities in Connecticut charter schools. We found that these challenges are symptoms of two broader issues—the state’s inequitable public education funding system and problematic ambiguity in the state charter law. The state’s public education funding system and the state’s facilitation of functional charter-district relationships are in dire need of focused attention. This synthesis provides a top-level overview of specific problems and provides actionable recommendations to improve both district-charter school relationships and charter schools’ accessibility to students with disabilities.