Does Compliance Matter in Special Education?
IDEA and the Hidden Inequities of Practice

Catherine Kramarczuk Voulgarides (Author)

9780807759028

Hardback, published 20 April 2018

176 pages
23.1 x 16 x 1.5 cm, 0.825 kg

“This important book addresses critical issues related to the education of students with disabilities and makes the case for why new approaches are needed to ensure that the educational needs of all children are met. Insightful and well researched, this book will be an invaluable resource for educators everywhere.” — Pedro A. Noguera, Distinguished Professor of Education, UCLA Graduate School of Education & Information Studies

“This book provides a necessary discussion of racial/ethnic disproportionality and its intersection with special education policy, particularly forcing us to consider a critical question of IDEA: is it enough? Voulgarides shares an amazing description of how policy, individual actors, political forces, and racial/ethnic dynamics operate within a school district and unintentionally result in racial disparities. This is a necessary read for special education policy champions.” — Edward Fergus, Temple University

This book asks a question that many educators may think, but won’t say out loud: Does compliance with IDEA legislation matter? The author acknowledges that, while compliance with IDEA (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act) is important, it can also be an administrative burden that detracts from practitioners’ capacity to adequately serve students with disabilities.

Using data collected from three suburban school districts, Voulgarides helps us to understand how compliance with IDEA intersects with decades of evidence of racial inequities in student outcomes. This timely and thought-provoking book unpacks the civil rights history of IDEA, examines the impact of its procedural focus on educational practice, and questions why racial inequities in special education persist despite good intentions by policymakers, educators, and school personnel.

• Preface
• Acknowledgments
• Introduction
• What Is Disproportionality?
• Technical Remedies for Addressing Disproportionality Through IDEA
• The Limits of IDEA to Address Complex Inequities
• Examining Compliance and Equity in Everyday Actions
• Organization of the Book
• Holding Ourselves Accountable for Inequity
• Chapter 1. The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act: Enacting Equal Opportunity Through Procedural Compliance
• Civil Rights for Students with Disabilities
• Policy Implementation Within Local Contexts
• The Limits of IDEA and Compliance
• Chapter 2. Educational Opportunity and Racial Inequities in Special Education
• Educational Opportunity Gaps and Disproportionality
• Disproportionality Is Complex
• Chapter 3. The Crucial Role of Educational Leadership
• Leading for Equity
• Enacting Change for Educational Equity
• Chapter 4. Parental ""Power"" and IDEA
• Social Reproduction and Educational Outcomes
• Special Education and Opportunity Hoarding
• Individual Remedies for Systemic Inequities
• Chapter 5. The Logic of Compliance
• Civil Rights Intent and Procedural Compliance
• Solving Disproportionality Through the Logic of Compliance
• The Limits of the Law
• Conclusion: Moving Beyond the Compliance Paradigm
• Does Compliance Matter in Special Education?
• The Boundaries of the Compliance Paradigm
• Challenging the Compliance Paradigm
• What is the Answer to the Question?
• Appendix A: Methodology
• Fieldwork Details
• Analysis Strategy
• Site Selection and Positionality
• Appendix B: State Performance Plan Indicators
• Appendix C: Interview Protocols
• District Staff Interview Protocol
• Outside Adults Interview Protocol
• Notes
• References
• Index
• About the Author