Schools need to invest to help students with disabilities catch up after pandemic, report says

Students in special education — especially students of color — have suffered disproportionate impacts from school closures and the pandemic and will need extra assistance to catch up, according to a recent report from UCLA’s Center for Civil Rights Remedies.

Loss of instructional time, limited counseling and tutoring services and family trauma, such as unemployment or losing a loved one to Covid, have all contributed to bleak conditions for students in special education in many districts, the report says.

The report, “Disabling Inequity: the urgent need for race-conscious resource remedies,” also examined the high rates of discipline, absenteeism and interactions with police among students in special education, compared to their peers who are not enrolled in special education.

The report highlights important inequities that school districts need to prioritize, especially as campuses reopen, said Lauren Morando Rhim, executive director of the Center for Learner Equity, a nonprofit that advocates for students with disabilities.

“We cannot afford to lose sight of the pressing need to address how our education system frequently fails children with disabilities, especially black children with disabilities,” she said. “As Covid relief funds start to flow to districts, they have to consider these data points and make investments focused on providing desperately needed supports and services for our most complex learners, addressing the institutionalized racism and ableism that is far too common in our society.”

The report recommends that the federal government improve its data collection and investigations related to school discipline, discrimination and students with disabilities. And as campuses reopen, school districts should bolster their counseling and instructional staffs to help students who’ve fallen behind or suffered trauma or other hardships during the pandemic.