Statement of Concern

The closing of Connecticut's achievement gaps is the greatest challenge of this decade. Now more than ever, Connecticut must take action and demonstrate that student achievement gaps are unacceptable and will not be tolerated.

For a number of years, Connecticut has struggled to address overidentification and disproportion in special education as symptoms of achievement gaps. While the state's overall prevalence rates for identification of students in need of special education have declined each year since 1995-96, there are differences among Connecticut school-district reference groups (a categorization based on socio-economic status/need). Significantly, statewide, black and hispanic students are more than twice as likely to be identified with intellectual or emotional disabilities than their white counterparts.

Purpose of the Summit

To provide an opportunity for policymakers, administrators, families, students, advocates, teachers, service providers, higher education faculty, and community representatives to jointly explore issues and perspectives, dialogue about approaches and strategies, and identify next steps in collaboratively addressing overidentification and disproportion in special education as a part of Connecticut's relentless efforts to close achievement gaps.

 

 

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SERC

Contact:

Ingrid Canady, SERC Consultant
canady@ctserc.org
(860)632-1485 ext. 330