AESA monitors national reports highlighting state-level information of interest to ESAs. As always, it is important to view these reports through a critical lens with attention to research design, methodology, data sources and citations, and peer review and publication venue. The latest reports of interest are highlighted below:
Pew Research Center Issues “Short Read” Report on Students with Disabilities in the U.S.: What Federal Education Data Shows About Students with Disabilities Across the 50 States.
In July 2023, Pew Research Center released a report on the status of special education in the United States. According to Pew, Public K-12 schools in the United States educate about 7.3 million students with disabilities – a number that has grown over the last few decades. Disabled students ages 3 to 21 are served under the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), which guarantees them the right to free public education and appropriate special education services. Pew offered some key facts about public school students with disabilities, based on the latest data from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES).
For more information go to: https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2023/07/24/what-federal-education-data-shows-about-students-with-disabilities-in-the-us/
National Institute for Early Education Research releases, “The State(s) of Early Intervention and Early Childhood Special Education: Looking at Equity”
This report is the first equity-focused report to look state-by-state at the two federally funded programs for young children with disabilities. The report investigates variations in access to (1) Early Intervention (EI) for children birth to age 3 and (2) Early Childhood Special Education (ECSE) for children 3 to 5 not yet in kindergarten. Researchers primarily examine data from the 2020-2021 school year but also examine trends from 2005-2006 to 2020-2021.
For more information go to: https://nieer.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/SE_FullReport.pdf
Mental Health America Releases 2023 State Rankings
Mental Health America (MHA) is a leading national nonprofit dedicated to the promotion of mental health, well-being, and illness prevention. MHA is committed to promoting mental health as a critical part of overall wellness and advocates for prevention services for all, early identification and intervention for those at risk, integrated services, care and treatment for those who need them, and recovery as the goal.
According to the 2023 report findings, 59.8% of youth with major depression do not receive any mental health treatment. Nationally, only 28% of youth with severe depression receive some consistent treatment (7-25+ visits in a year). Most (57.3%) youth with severe depression do not receive any care. And, Only .718 percent of students are identified with emotional disturbance for an individualized education program (IEP). IEPs, with sufficient resources for schools and teachers, are critical for ensuring that youth with disabilities can receive the individualized services, supports, and accommodations to succeed in a school setting.
For more information and state-by-state data and rankings go to: https://www.mhanational.org/issues/2023/mental-health-america-youth-data
Fordham Institute Issues Report and Recommendations on Modernizing the Traditional School District in Ohio: How state lawmakers can strengthen local accountability and drive higher performance.
The Fordham Institute report offers recommendations aimed at enhancing local, citizen-led accountability for district performance, while also loosening bureaucratic constraints on district leaders so that they can focus on what matters most: Lifting student achievement.
To access the full report go to: https://fordhaminstitute.org/ohio/research/modernizing-traditional-school-district-ohio-how-state-lawmakers-can-strengthen-local