Samuels: I remember the excitement when this was announced, but it hasn’t really worked out as expected. Districts have always wanted more special education funding from the federal government and there was a great deal of anticipation about what the stimulus would mean – more early intervention, more exciting programs, more professional development. But the financial situation in the states turned out to be pretty dire and the money was mostly used to plug holes. Very few districts have been able to do exciting new programs.

 

 

Samuels: There is a quirk in special education law that allows local districts to cut back on their local funding if they get an increase in federal funding. If federal funding increases, then local districts are able to reduce their special education spending up to 50 percent of the increase and use that money for other education needs. That’s a provision in the law that existed apart from the stimulus, and it’s a loophole that allows districts to make dramatic reductions in local funding for special education if they choose to. The GAO surveyed 16 states and DC for a report they released in December and it said that about 44 percent of districts planned to reduce their local special education funding.

 

 

Samuels: People are worried that the base of local spending for special education will be reduced and that will cause a lot of problems. It’s a confusing and combative area. There are legal requirements to provide free, appropriate public education for students with disabilities. So district leaders are worried that requirement may mean cutting back on other areas of education. But advocates also worry about larger class sizes and that children with disabilities will be scapegoats if education cuts have to be made. It’s definitely an area of concern, but we don’t really know what will happen or what this means for special education funding going forward.

 

 

Samuels: Yes. Because of the stimulus, the evaluation process is tied much more directly to funding and that has a lot of people upset . . . . The stimulus puts a monetary value on the rating and that’s making districts pay attention to it. The school districts that “meet requirements” in the Department of Education rating system are the only ones that are allowed to reduce their local spending on special education when they get more federal money.

 

 

Samuels: It’s strange, isn’t it? Special education directors want to have more money, but if they do well on their ratings, it’s more likely that there could be cutbacks that would reduce the base of local spending on special education. I was talking with a state director who said ‘It’s almost like you’re punished for doing well because it allows you to reduce your local effort.

 

 

Samuels: It takes a lot of time and a lot of effort. When these measures were developed as part of the 2004 reauthorization, school districts weren’t set up to collect the information in the way the federal government asked for it. There was also a lot of duplication in the questions.

 

 

Samuels: Some special education directors say the process has been helpful. Still, there's a sense that too many questions are process oriented -- like how many mediation hearings are you having and are issues resolved in the requisite amount of time. The ratings are not based on whether kids are getting services or if they're learning how to read. it's really all about compliance.