Special education improvements illustrated in
report followed by pressure for DOE to do better
BY MARK HALLUM
The latest city Department
of Education data regarding
program services for special
needs children has alarmed
education advocates, but the
agency insists its working to
close the gap.
With 84.3 percent getting
the full range of instruction,
up from 78.4 percent in 2017-
18, the DOE summed this improvement
up to greater investment
from the city which
expanded programs and
brought more staff on board.
Only 59.2 percent of students
were getting a full
range of instruction in 2015,
according to the DOE.
But Advocates for Children
of New York is calling for the
DOE to break down the recent
report by district, as opposed
to citywide, in order for parents
to understand how the
figures affect their children.
“New York City continues
to fall short when it comes to
educating its students with
disabilities. While the percentage
of City students fully
receiving their recommended
special education instruction
continued to trend in the
right direction in 2018-19, we
are nevertheless dismayed
that more than 15 percent of
students with disabilities—a
total 28,960 children, more
than the total enrollment of
the Yonkers public schools—
still did not fully receive the
instruction to which they are
legally entitled,” said Kim
Sweet, Executive Director of
AFC.
After a $33 million citywide
investment in special
education, the DOE said it
is making strides by hiring
more staff and expanding
programs.
The agency claims that
since 2013, 3,800 new special
education teachers, 1,000
speech therapists and 700 occupational
NYC Schools Chancellor Richard Carranza in the rotunda at City
Hall on April 25, 2018. Photo Credit: Jeff Bachner
therapists have
been hired.
Since then, the DOE says
in has increased graduation
rates for students with disabilities
and decreased the
dropout rate.
“Every student deserves
a school setting that is inclusive,
supportive, and meets
their needs, and we’re working
towards that by hiring
more staff and strengthening
our programs,” NYC Schools
Chancellor Richard Carranza
said in a statement. “We’re
making progress and seeing
results, but there’s work to do
and we are taking a comprehensive
approach to ensure
our students with disabilities
have the services they need to
thrive in our classrooms.”
In order to keep the pace
of improvement, the DOE
plans to release a Request for
Proposal (RFP) and Proof of
Concept (POC) to vendors to
modernize and overhaul the
special education system currently
in place by the end of
the year.
There is also a new dashboard
from the DOE that will
help superintendents and executive
superintendents see
where resources are needed
most at the district level.
Reach reporter Mark Hallum
by e-mail at mhallum@
schnepsmedia.com or by phone
at (718) 260–4564.
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