Back to School Lesson for Congress: Restore Funding for Special Education Research
Our team of CEC-‐DR and CASE representatives from Illinois met with members of the legislative staffs of Senators Dick Durbin and Mark Kirk. Back home, I met with my Republican representative in Congress, Peter J. Roskam. Our message was a simple one: Special education research changes the lives of children and youth with disabilities and the adults who serve them. Federal law requires that IEPs include special education and related services that are based on peer-‐reviewed research. Thus, we need federal funding to fulfill the requirements of that law, to find out what works for each and every child and adolescent with a disability.
Although research in our young field has answered many questions and saved many lives, there continue to be gaps in our knowledge about what works. Students with disabilities are not graduating and experiencing the lives, liberty, and pursuit of happiness to which they are entitled. We researchers have much work to do, and we need the support of Congress and the money to do this work.
Our message is generally well-‐received in Congress. Disability knows no party lines. And yet—right now the House of Representatives is proposing to cut by $18 million the budget of the National Center for Special Education Research (NCSER). A cut of this magnitude will result in no new research grant awards in special education in 2016. If that happens, special education research funding will be lower than it's been in over 20 years. The House bill also proposes a cut of $86 million from the budget of the National Center for Education Research (NCER), which will be similarly devastating.
So, now is the time for us to step up and communicate the need for restoration of NCSER funding. I will be reaching out to each of you this fall to gather your stories, anecdotes, tales, and reflections about how special education research has changed the lives of principals, teachers, parents, children and youth with disabilities. Members of Congress love stories. They share them freely and widely-‐-‐-‐we saw this first hand when we watched the Senate debate the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act in July. (It was historic!) I give you examples of three stories to serve as examples of the ones you will share with me this fall.
- A new principal in a urban school prepares to take over a disorganized, failing, and unsafe school. The first thing she puts into place is a PBIS system to promote students’ behavioral and social success. How did she know about this system, its effectiveness, and how to implement it? Special Education Research.
- A researcher implements classwide peer tutoring for students with and without disabilities. To find out whether it works (as part of the research design), the researcher withdraws peer tutoring for a short time. Students arrive at school to find that peer tutoring has been withdrawn, and begin searching closets for their materials, looking for the reward charts, asking teachers why there is no peer tutoring. How do we know peer tutoring works, and that students love it? Special Education research.
- Decades ago, professionals held relatively low expectations for students with Down Syndrome, especially with regard to their academic skills. Now, because of special education research (and higher expectations for students with disabilities, along with federal requirements for accountability), we know children with Down Syndrome can learn to read.
Many of you were involved in CEC-‐DR efforts to restore NCSER funding back in 2012. Many of you have signed the AERA/LEARN letter this fall to maintain education research funding. We are grateful for your contributions, your support, and your patience and we ask for your support again. This work can sometimes seem like a long slog with few rewards, but please know that your voices do make a difference. We have advocates in Congress, and they value our contributions. Their voices are eloquent on our behalf; we need to give them the stories that they can share. Simply watch Senator Durbin speak on the 25th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities act, and you will be inspired to share your story of how your research has changed lives. Thank you for being engaged in this effort, and stay tuned!
Homework for you:
- Watch Senator Durbin: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DzOy0cY6QSY
- Follow CEC-‐DR on Facebook:
Division for Research CEC DR
3.Follow CEC-‐DR on Twitter: CEC-‐DivisionResearch
4.Read Roll Call articles by IES Chair and CEC-‐DR member David Chard: http://www.rollcall.com/news/congress_back_to_school_assignment_fully _fund_us_education_research-‐236022-‐1.html?pos=fbbtn
http://blogs.rollcall.com/beltway-‐insiders/education-‐research-‐gets-‐results-‐ commentary/?pos=fbb