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Student Wellbeing
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Special Education

One in 10 students receives special education services, which include using different approaches to learning, offering emotional support and providing medical assistance. Learning disabilities such as dyslexia and dyscalculia (difficulty learning math) represent the largest category of California students in special education – about 45 percent.
May 3, 2018

African-American students with disabilities suspended at disproportionately high rates

Report finds those students lose substantially more instruction time due to discipline than their white counterparts.

Lee Romney
April 10, 2018

Illuminating science for blind students, with help from latest tech devices

The technology, combined with supportive teachers, has opened the door to science careers.

Carolyn Jones
April 5, 2018

How a tiny Native American community's trauma might impact education law

A judge’s ruling in a case brought on behalf of schoolchildren in a Grand Canyon reservation could impact whether school districts are required to provide disability services to students impacted by trauma and adversity.

David Washburn
March 8, 2018

Special education funding is a morass; straightening it out may not be cheap or easy

Lawmakers take the first step: discussing the growing needs and disparities in funding.

John Fensterwald
February 14, 2018

With support instead of punishment, a California school district works to improve special education 

County offices of education are working with districts identified for "differentiated assistance" due to poor performance by student subgroups.

Theresa Harrington
January 18, 2018

California lags behind most states in providing timely services to infants and toddlers

A new report recommends the state combine services under one agency to increase equity and reduce delays.

Ashley Hopkinson
December 12, 2017

Big changes in requirements to become a special education teacher in California

Special education teachers will again be qualified to teach in general education classrooms.

John Fensterwald
December 7, 2017

The urgent need for a system of support for California schools

In particular, says Carl Cohn, there is a "moral imperative" for California to take on the challenge of more effectively serving students with disabilities

Carl Cohn
December 7, 2017

One in 4 California school districts required to get county help based on new state performance data

The updated California School Dashboard provides extensive data on schools, districts and a dozen student groups.

John Fensterwald
August 20, 2017

Dyslexia, once the reading disability that shall not be named, comes into its own in California

New California Dyslexia Guidelines are meant to improve how reading is taught to all students by all teachers, not just reading specialists.

Jane Meredith Adams
July 4, 2017

Oakland expands computer game math program used by 1 million students in California and nationwide

Oakland joins districts in California and across the country that see improvements in math proficiency among students who work with ST Math

Theresa Harrington
June 25, 2017

In California push to help students with dyslexia, LA schools take a first step

Parents described the nightmare of a child who is unable to learn to read and the need for schools to provide services to address dyslexia.

Jane Meredith Adams
March 23, 2017

Parents strongly object to report calling for local funding of special education

They fear districts wouldn't spend sufficiently on services for their children with disabilities.

John Fensterwald
March 19, 2017

Two-decade old legal battle over special education oversight nears resolution, brings major changes 

The California Department of Education said it would end its legal challenges and follow a “corrective action plan” for special education monitoring issued in 2014 by the U.S. District Court of Northern California in San Francisco.

Jane Meredith Adams
January 18, 2017

U.S. Education Department rejects California’s science testing plans

The U.S. Department of Education has rejected California’s request to begin administering online tests this spring based on new science standards.

Pat Maio