Special-Ed Changes To Get Trial Run - washingtonpost.com: Ten Montgomery County middle schools plan a new approach to special education next year that stresses academic progress and includes special-needs students in mainstream classrooms as a means to jump-start lagging performance under the federal No Child Left Behind initiative.
The pilot program, called hours-based staffing, is part of an urgent effort around the region to rethink special education, or risk widespread failure under the federal mandate. Poor performance by special education students is the leading reason Maryland schools have not made 'adequate yearly progress' toward proficiency levels all students are supposed to meet by 2014. Special education was the sole factor for half of the 38 Montgomery schools that missed the targets this year.
