Does Compliance Matter in Special Education?

Catherine Kramarczuk Voulgarides is an educational consultant and an assistant professor of special education at Touro College in New York City.

“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

• PrefaceAcknowledgmentsIntroductionWhat Is Disproportionality?Technical Remedies for Addressing Disproportionality Through IDEAThe Limits of IDEA to Address Complex InequitiesExamining Compliance and Equity in Everyday ActionsOrganization of the BookHolding Ourselves Accountable for InequityChapter 1. The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act: Enacting Equal Opportunity Through Procedural ComplianceCivil Rights for Students with DisabilitiesPolicy Implementation Within Local ContextsThe Limits of IDEA and ComplianceChapter 2. Educational Opportunity and Racial Inequities in Special EducationEducational Opportunity Gaps and DisproportionalityDisproportionality Is ComplexChapter 3. The Crucial Role of Educational LeadershipLeading for EquityEnacting Change for Educational EquityChapter 4. Parental ""Power"" and IDEASocial Reproduction and Educational OutcomesSpecial Education and Opportunity HoardingIndividual Remedies for Systemic InequitiesChapter 5. The Logic of ComplianceCivil Rights Intent and Procedural ComplianceSolving Disproportionality Through the Logic of ComplianceThe Limits of the LawConclusion: Moving Beyond the Compliance ParadigmDoes Compliance Matter in Special Education?The Boundaries of the Compliance ParadigmChallenging the Compliance ParadigmWhat is the Answer to the Question?Appendix A: MethodologyFieldwork DetailsAnalysis StrategySite Selection and PositionalityAppendix B: State Performance Plan IndicatorsAppendix C: Interview ProtocolsDistrict Staff Interview ProtocolOutside Adults Interview ProtocolNotesReferencesIndexAbout the Author