ERIC Number: EJ879543
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2010
Pages: 14
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0014-4029
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: N/A
Evolving Interpretations of Educational Equity and Students with Disabilities
McLaughlin, Margaret J.
Exceptional Children, v76 n3 p265-278 Spr 2010
The education of students with disabilities in today's schools is being shaped by 2 very powerful laws: the 2004 Individuals With Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEA 2004) and the 2001 Elementary and Secondary Education Act (Title I, No Child Left Behind Act). These 2 laws are changing our conceptions about special education. Both of these laws are sources of a great deal of ambiguity and frustration among special education professionals mostly resulting from the tension that exists between the core policy goals and assumptions underlying Title I and IDEA. This article explores the sources of tension between the 2 major policies. Specifically, the article traces the evolution of the meaning of educational equity as defined in K-12 education and compares that to the underlying policy of a Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE). The article concludes with a proposal for reconsidering what constitutes equity f or students with disabilities and a model that acknowledges different interpretations of equity for some students with disabilities. (Contains 1 figure.)
Descriptors: Disabilities, Special Education, Elementary Secondary Education, Federal Legislation, Educational Legislation, Equal Education, Public Education, Conflict, Individualized Education Programs, Academic Achievement, Outcomes of Education
Council for Exceptional Children. 1110 North Glebe Road Suite 300, Arlington, VA 22201. Tel: 888-232-7733; Fax: 703-264-9494; e-mail: cecpubs@cec.sped.org; Web site: http://www.cec.sped.org/AM/Template.cfm?Section=Publications1
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Evaluative
Education Level: Elementary Secondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Laws, Policies, & Programs: Brown v Board of Education; Elementary and Secondary Education Act Title I; Individuals with Disabilities Education Act; No Child Left Behind Act 2001
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A