The Effects of Special Education on the Academic Performance of Students with Learning Disabilities
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 11680722 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Amy Ellen Schwartz (corresponding author), Bryant Hopkins (Michigan State University), Bryant Gregory Hopkins, Leanna Stiefel (0000-0002-9460-7692) |
| Year | 2021 |
| Volume | 40 |
| Issue | 2 |
| Pages | 480-520 |
| Publication date | 2021-01-12 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Journal of Policy Analysis and Management (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0276-8739 • E-ISSN: 1520-6688 |
| Publisher | Wiley (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1002/pam.22282 |
| OpenAlex | W2955764409 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 31 |
| References cited | 20 |
In the 40‐plus years since the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act , special education has grown in the number of students and amount spent on services. Despite this growth, academic performance of students with disabilities remains troublingly low compared to general education students. To some extent, these differences reflect persistent underlying disabilities, but they also may reflect ineffective services. Does special education improve academic outcomes for students with disabilities? There is surprisingly little evidence to guide policy and answer this question. This paper provides an answer for the largest disability group, students with specific learning disabilities (LDs), using rich New York City public school data. Because the majority of LDs are classified after school entry, we observe outcomes before and after classification, allowing us to estimate impacts using within‐student pre/post comparisons (student fixed effects) and an intent‐to‐treat specification. We find that academic outcomes improve for LDs following classification into special education and impacts are largest for those entering special education in earlier grades. Attendance, however, shows little change after classification. Results are robust to alternative specifications and falsification tests bolster confidence in a causal interpretation. Differences in impacts by gender, race/ethnicity, grade of classification, and settings illuminate possible mechanisms
Cognitive psychology · Developmental psychology · Higher education · Learning disability · Mathematics education · Medical education · Pedagogy · Political science · Special education · Education and Learning Interventions · Medicine · Psychology
Reframing the Most Important Special Education Policy Debate in 50 Years
Labeling to Help? Special Education Identification and Academic and Nonacademic Outcomes
Opportunity to learn and widening gaps
IncreasED
Are Inclusive Education or Special Education Programs More Likely to Result in Inclusion Post-School
Associations between preschool-age care arrangement and low-income children’s IEP receipt during elementary school
Primary to high school transition planning for students with disability
Exploring Individual Changes in Disability Status and Their Relations to Reading Comprehension Development
Speaking With, Not for
Leveraging Large Administrative Data for Special Education Policy Analysis
Service Delivery Models and Outcomes for Students With Disabilities
Does Special Education Work? A Systematic Literature Review of Evidence From Administrative Data
Problematic mobile phone use and mental health problems in adolescents with mild intellectual disability
Public health insurance and special education enrollment
Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Learning Disabilities Identification in U.S. Elementary Schools
Enhancing reading comprehension through strategy instruction for students with Specific Learning Disabilities (SLD)
Education opens doors, but can they enter
Multilevel Intersectionality and the Deployment of Disability in Schools
Cultural Relevance at Scale
Self-Concept and Academic Performance in Students with and Without Learning Difficulties
Do dyslexia laws help students with visual impairments receive needed reading supports? A mixed-methods approach
Does Parental Involvement Change After Schools Assign Students an IEP
The effects of comprehensive pay reform on achievement in urban schools
College Outcomes for Young Adults With and Without Learning Disabilities and ADHD
Teacher-Student Race Match and Identification for Discretionary Educational Services
When categories change value
Administrative Groupings and Equality in Public Service Provision
Social contributors to differences in math course attainment among adolescents with and without learning disabilities and ADHD
Not in My Schoolyard
Stratified medicalization of schooling difficulties
Moving towards justice and equity
A Propensity Score Matching Analysis of the Effects of Special Education Services
Preventing Student Disengagement and Keeping Students on the Graduation Path in Urban Middle-Grades Schools
Mathematics Instruction for Students With Learning Disabilities
Disproportionality in Special Education
Inferring Program Effects for Special Populations
Effectiveness of Special Education
Is Special Education Improving? Case Evidence From New York City
Minorities Are Disproportionately Underrepresented in Special Education
Special Education and Individualized Academic Growth
| Unique citing works | 31 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 6,2 |
| Citation span | 2021 - 2026 (6) |
| Citation velocity | current |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 30 |