Is Special Education Funding Immune to COVID-19? Challenges Facing State and Local Special Education Leaders and Strategies to Mitigate the Pandemic's Impact

Autor/inn/en	Menlove Doutre, Sara; Willis, Jason
Titel	Is Special Education Funding Immune to COVID-19? Challenges Facing State and Local Special Education Leaders and Strategies to Mitigate the Pandemic's Impact
Quelle	In: Journal of Special Education Leadership, 34 (2021) 1, S.5-18 (14 Seiten) PDF als Volltext Verfügbarkeit
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Zeitschriftenaufsatz
ISSN	1525-1810
Schlagwörter	COVID-19; Pandemics; Special Education; Public Education; Educational Finance; Financial Support; Barriers; Educational Equity (Finance); Resource Allocation; School Districts; State Regulation; Compliance (Legal); Educational Legislation; Federal Legislation; Equal Education; Students with Disabilities; Federal Aid; Elementary Secondary Education; School Closing + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? Special needs education; Sonderpädagogik; Sonderschulwesen; Öffentliche Erziehung; Bildungsfonds; Finanzielle Förderung; Ressourcenallokation; School district; Schulbezirk; Staatliche Lenkung; Bildungsrecht; Schulgesetz; Bundesrecht; Student; Students; Disability; Disabilities; Schüler; Schülerin; Studentin; Behinderung; School closings; Schule; Schließung; Schließung (von Schulen)
Abstract	In this paper, the authors explore the state of public education funding, and specifically special education funding, during COVID-19, discuss the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) fiscal requirements, and identify the following common challenges for state and local special education leaders: (1) compared to other federal and state education funding, special education funds often lack or are perceived to lack flexibility; (2) districts are struggling to meet the high-stakes fiscal requirements of IDEA; and (3) states and districts must define and determine who will receive, provide, and pay for compensatory services. Following a discussion of these challenges, the authors examine current guidance provided by states and present lessons learned from the similarly challenging Great Recession that can be applied now. Finally, two strategies are proposed to help states and districts leverage special education funding to mitigate the impact of COVID-19 while meeting IDEA requirements: (1) re-examine available flexibilities under IDEA fiscal requirements and institute changes to minimize penalties now and in the future; and (2) invest recovery and economic aid funds in systems that differentiate resources and supports by student need and address longstanding inequities that may have been exacerbated by the pandemic. (ERIC).
Anmerkungen	Council of Administrators of Special Education. 1675 East Seminole Street Suite L1, Springfield, MO 65804. Tel: 417-427-7720; Fax: 417-427-6520; e-mail: office@casecec.org; Web site: https://www.casecec.org/journal
Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC
Update	2024/1/01