CEC Survey on Special Education

A release from the Council for Exceptional Children:

Recent budget cuts at the federal, state and local levels are impacting the delivery of special education services for students with disabilities, according to a new survey conducted by the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) and the National Coalition of Personnel Shortages in Special Education and Related Services (NCPSSERS).

The survey of more than 1,000 special education professionals, including special education teachers and special education administrators from all 50 states, shows that the impact of federal, state and local budget cuts on special education is most evident in an increase in caseload and class size; lack of funding to purchase resources such as assistive technology; and reduced professional development opportunities.
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The CEC/NCPSSERS survey shows that:

•  94% of respondents state that their school district has been impacted by budget cuts over the last year. 
•  83% of respondents state that budget cuts have already impacted the delivery of special education services. 
•  82% of respondents state that there are ‘too few personnel to meet the needs of students with disabilities’ in their school district. 
•  78% of respondents state that budget cuts have resulted in an increase in caseload. 
•  61% of respondents state that budget cuts have resulted in an increase in class size. 
•  61% of respondents state that they work in a high-poverty school/district receiving Title I assistance; 
•  43% of respondents state that budget cuts over the last year have been a combination of sequestration and state/local funding cuts. 
•  40% of respondents say that budget cuts have led to unfilled vacancies of school personnel and 
• nearly one-third report layoffs of specialized instructional support personnel and teachers.