With the passage of the No Child Left Behind Act, standards-based reform has taken center stage in the educational arena. Although standard setting and accountability issues affect every facet of education, the challenges of implementing such a movement are greater in contexts such as urban special education. This article highlights some of the special considerations of implementing standards-based reform in urban special education and discusses implications for urban special educators.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
Achilles, C.M., Finn, F.K., & Pate-Bain, H. (2002). Measuring class size: Let me count the ways. Educational Leadership, 59, 24—26.
2.
Barton, P.E. (2003). Parsing the achievement gap: Baselines for tracking progress. Princeton, NJ: Educational Testing Service.
3.
Biddle, B., & Berliner, D.C. (2002). Small class size and its effects. Educational Leadership, 59, 12—23.
4.
Bohn, A.P., & Sleeter, C.E. (2000). Multicultural education and the standards movement: A report from the field. Phi Delta Kappan,82, 156— 159.
5.
Carey, K. (2003). The funding gap: Low-income and minority students still receive fewer dollars in many states. Washington, DC: Education Trust.
6.
Chatterji, M. (2002). Models and methods for examining standards-based reforms and accountability initiatives: Have the tools of inquiry answered pressing questions on improving schools?Review of Educational Research, 72, 345—386.
7.
Cohen, D.K. (1994). What is the system in systemic reform. Educational Researcher, 24, 11—17, 31.
8.
Council of Great City Schools. (2005). Beating the odds V: A city-by-city analysis of student performance and achievement gap on state assessment results from the 2003—2004 school year. Washington, DC: Author.
9.
Defur, S.H. (2002). Education reform, high-stakes assessment, and students with disabilities: One state's approach. Remedial and Special Education, 23, 203—211.
10.
Donovan, M. S., & Cross, C. T. (Eds.). (2002). Minority students in special and gifted education. Washington, DC: National Academy Press.
11.
Edgar, E., Patton, J.M., & Day-Vines, N. (2002). Democratic dispositions and cultural competency: Ingredients for school reform. Remedial and Special Education , 23, 231—241.
12.
Falk, B. (2002). Standards-based reforms: Problems and possibilities . Phi Delta Kappan,83, 612—620.
13.
Fleischner, J. (1993). What is special about urban special education?Teacher Education and Special Education, 16(1), iv—v.
14.
Goddard, R.D., Tschannen-Moran, M., & Hoy, W.K. (2001). A multilevel examination of the distribution and effects of teacher trust in students and parents in urban elementary schools . The Elementary School Journal, 102, 3—17.
15.
Goldstein, L. (2004, January 8). Highly qualified?: Teaching students with disabilities to high standards will depend on the skills of their teachers . In Special education in an era of standards: Count me in. Education Week, p. 62.
16.
Gottlieb, J., Alter, M., Gottlieb, B.W., & Wishner, J. (1994). Special education in urban America: It's not justifiable for many. The Journal of Special Education, 27, 453—465.
17.
Grossman, H. (1995). Special education in a diverse society. Boston: Allyn & Bacon.
18.
Haberman, M. (1995). The dimensions of excellence in programs preparing teachers for urban poverty schools. Peabody Journal of Education , 70(2), 24—43.
19.
Heubert, J.P. (2000, November). High-stakes testing: Opportunities and risks for students of color, English language learners, and students with disabilities. Paper presented at The Civil Rights Project, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA.
20.
Heubert, J.P. (2003). First, do no harm. Educational Leadership, 60(4), 26—30.
21.
Jones, A.C. (2001). Welcome to standardsville. Phi Delta Kappan,82, 462—464.
22.
Jones, K., & Ongtooguk, P. (2002). Equity for Alaska natives: Can high-stakes testing bridge the chasm between ideals and realities?Phi Delta Kappan,83, 499—503, 550.
23.
Kozol, J. (1991). Savage inequalities: Children in America's schools . New York: HarperCollins.
24.
Ladson-Billings, G. (1994). The dreamkeepers: Successful teachers of African American children. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
25.
Ladson-Billings, G. (1995). Multicultural teacher education: Research, practice, and policy. In J. Banks & C. Banks (Eds.), Handbook of research on multicultural education (pp. 747—759). New York: Macmillan.
26.
Linn, R.L. (2003). Accountability: Responsibility and reasonable expectations. Educational Researcher, 32(7), 3—13.
27.
Linn, R.L., Baker, E.L., & Betebenner, D.W. (2002). Accountability systems: Implications of the requirements of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001. Educational Researcher, 31(6), 3—16.
28.
Loveless, T. (2001). The 2001 Brown Center report on American education: How well are American students learning?Washington, DC : Brookings Institution.
29.
McDermott, T.K., & McDermott, D.F. (2002). High-stakes testing for students with special needs. Phi Delta Kappan,83, 504—505, 544.
30.
National Center for Education Statistics. ( 2001). Characteristics of the 100 largest public elementary and secondary school districts in the United States: 1999—2000. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Education.
31.
National Center for Education Statistics. ( 2002). The condition of education. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Education.
32.
Nave, B., Miech, E., & Mosteller, F. (2000). A lapse in standards: Linking standards-based reform with student achievement. Phi Delta Kappan,82, 128—132.
33.
Neill, M. (2003). Leaving children behind: How No Child Left Behind will fail our children. Phi Delta Kappan,85, 225—228.
34.
Nettles, M.T., & Perna, L.W. (1997). The African American education data book (Vol. II). Fairfax, VA: Patterson Research Institute.
35.
Nieto, S. (2003). Challenging current notions of “highly qualified teachers” through work in a teachers' inquiry group. Journal of Teacher Education, 54, 386—398.
36.
No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, 20 U.S.C. 70 § 6301 et seq. (2002)
37.
Olson, L. (2004). Enveloping expectations. In Special education in an era of standards: Count me in. Education Week , p. 8.
38.
Parrish, T. (2000, November). Disparities in the identification, funding, and provision of special education. Paper presented at The Civil Rights Project, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA.
39.
Quiocho, A., & Rios, F. (2000). The power of their presence: Minority group teachers and schooling. Review of Educational Research, 70, 485—528.
40.
Roach, V., Salisbury, C., & McGregor, G. (2002). Applications of a policy framework to evaluate and promote large-scale change. Exceptional Children, 68, 451—464.
41.
Schmoker, M., & Marzano, R.J. (1999). Realizing the promise of standards-based education . Educational Leadership, 56(6), 17—21.
42.
Starratt, R.J. (2003). Opportunity to learn and the accountability agenda . Phi Delta Kappan,85, 298—303.
43.
Thurlow, M.L. (2002). Positive educational results for all students: The promise of standards-based reform. Remedial and Special Education, 23, 195—202.
44.
Townsend, B.L. (2000). The disproportionate discipline of African American learners: Reducing school suspensions and expulsions. Exceptional Children, 66, 381—391.
45.
Townsend, B.L., Thomas, D.D., Witty, J.P., & Lee, R.S. (1997). Diversity and school restructuring: Creating partnerships in a world of difference. Teacher Education and Special Education , 19, 102—118.
46.
U.S. Department of Education. (2001). 23rd annual report to Congress on the implementation of IDEA. Washington, DC: Author.
47.
U.S. Department of Education. (2003). The nation's report card: Trial urban district assessment, reading highlights 2003. Washington, DC: Author.
48.
U.S. Department of Education. (2005a). Annual report to Congress on the implementation of the No Child Left Behind Act. Washington, DC: Author.
49.
U.S. Department of Education. (2005b). Twenty-fifth annual report to Congress on the implementation of IDEA. Washington, DC: Author.
50.
Villegas, A.M. (1988). School failure and cultural mismatch: Another view. The Urban Review, 20, 243—265.
51.
Voltz, D.L. (1993, November). Problems and promises in urban teaching: The perspectives of general and special educators. Paper presented at the Annual Conference of the Teacher Education Division of the Council for Exceptional Children, Orlando, FL.
52.
Voltz, D.L. (2000). Challenges and choices in urban teaching: The perspectives of general and special educators. Multiple Voices for Ethnically Diverse Exceptional Learners, 4(1), 41—53.
53.
Wagner, T. (2003). Reinventing America's schools. Phi Delta Kappan,84, 665—668.
