Category: Education

Charter Schools Show Gains in Serving Children with Disabilities

As the number of charter schools  in the U.S. continues to increase, a new study from CREDO finds that they are offering benefits for students with disabilities.

The Center for Research on Education Outcomes (CREDO) at Stanford University compared the performance of students at charter schools with that of students attending traditional public schools in 25 states, the District of Columbia and in New York City. The report is an update to a similar report issued in 2009.

Study results show that charter schools  are improving, particularly when it comes serving  underserved groups like poor and minority students and those with disabilities.

Read the full report at National Charter School Study 2013

“Planning for Life After Special Education” A Transition Services Manual Now Available Online

The Planning for Life After Special Education online Transition Services Manual is written for parents and students who are advocating for better transition services, including social, vocational and independent living skills. The text is written in an easy-to-understand format but also contains endnotes and an appendix with legal information for attorneys and experienced advocates.

To access this newly updated manual, visit Planning for Life After Special Education

From Classrooms to e-Accessible Classes: Making e-Learning Inclusive

This post from blogger Lucy Greco  who writes about accessibility in education for the Global Initiative for Inclusive Information and Communication Technologies (G3ict), is an articulate reminder that the technology and tools used in online classes may all too easily exclude students with disabilities.

Today’s fastest-growing trend in education is online teaching (or the resultant e-learning). As instructors want to reach out to audiences around the globe, they find that online education makes their classrooms virtually limitless. Academics everywhere are turning to the Internet as their new classroom. Students around the world are now able to take classes at the university of their choice without having to travel. However, for students with disabilities there are perils in online education which may almost outweigh the benefits. Students with disabilities may be excluded from this online experience when universal design principles are not followed.