Special Education Placements
Public School Obligations
School obligations overlap with children’s rights.
Schools are required to:
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Evaluate children to determine if they have a disability and what services they need
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Provide a Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE) and create an IEP to address each child’s unique needs, with appropriately ambitious goals and measurable progress
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Educate children in the Least Restrictive Environment (LRE), alongside typically developing peers as much as possible
There is one key legal requirement for schools that parents may not know about:
Public schools must provide a continuum of alternative educational programs and placements (see Range of Placements) to meet the needs of all children with disabilities, ranging from mild to severe.
Schools must first consider placing students in general education classrooms with supports before moving to an alternate setting. The law requires that schools strive for inclusion whenever possible, but if a student’s needs cannot be met in a general education setting, a more “restrictive” or specialized placement must be offered.
Sometimes these placements are separate classrooms in the public school. If a school does not have a program for children with particular learning needs or disabilities, then they must seek and provide an appropriate placement. A child’s services and placement are determined by their Individualized Education Plan (IEP), not by what the school has available.
Not All Special Education Placements Are Equal in Quality:
The Role of Funding and Race
Parents should know that the quality of a school district's programs may vary depending on their funding, which is impacted by where you live.
Many underfunded school districts have:
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fewer experienced teachers and higher staff turnover
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weaker general and special education services
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fewer specialized supports for students with disabilities
Such districts, especially those in urban areas, tend to serve larger numbers of Black and Latino students, who continue to face significant educational inequities. Research by Dr. Thomas Hehir and Dr. Beth Harry has found that Black and Latino students are more likely to be placed in separate special education classrooms, particularly for emotional or behavioral concerns. These programs are also more likely to have overcrowded classrooms, too few teachers or aides, and less individualized instruction. Students in these underfunded school districts may receive weaker special education services.
Ask Questions About the Program
A separate classroom is not automatically better—or worse—than an inclusion classroom. Parents should ask about the quality of the proposed program:
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How many students, teachers, and aides are in the classroom? What is the student:teacher ratio?
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What therapies and supports are provided (small group learning, 1:1 tutoring)?
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What training and experience do the teachers have?
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Why is this placement recommended instead of other options?
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When will my child interact with nondisabled peers?
The Role of Stigma About Separate Placements
Families today have benefited from decades of disability rights advocacy. Most students with disabilities now spend at least part of their day in general education classrooms. Inclusion is an important civil right.
However, a small percentage of students—estimated at 1–3%—require a more specialized placement to receive an appropriate education. These children are often overlooked in discussions about inclusion.
School districts may be reluctant to recommend specialized programs because they cost more and because of the legal standard of Least Restrictive Environment (LRE; see Children's Rights). At the same time, many parents only hear that "inclusion is best" and may not realize that more specialized options exist. These circumstances can contribute to negative perceptions or stigma toward separate programs on the part of parents and schools alike. As a result of this discomfort, such separate programs are often not considered as a placement option.
No parent should feel hesitant to ask whether a different placement could better meet their child's needs. Similarly, neither teachers nor families should feel that it is a failure of the public school or the child/family when a more specialized program is required.
What This Means For Families
A referral to a separate special education classroom may have different meanings depending on your school district.
For example, a child with emotional difficulties may be referred to a separate Therapeutic Learning classroom for all or part of the school day, depending on the child’s IEP. In a well-funded district, parents may welcome this more specialized, restrictive placement because of its strong therapeutic support (such as daily emotional/social skills groups, 1:1 tutoring, smaller class size). In an underfunded district, parents might not welcome a move to a separate classroom if it does not offer these high-quality services.
Summary
The quality of public school special education placements can vary widely. A separate classroom can be an excellent placement in one district and a poor placement elsewhere, particularly in underfunded or under-resourced districts.
IDEA is a federal guarantee, and a child’s access to quality special education should not depend on the district they live in.
