The Arizona Board of Regents made history last week when it released the and, for the first time, included disaggregated data for students with  disabilities. 

The invaluable report informs the state about the postsecondary enrollment and completion of  Arizona’s high school graduates. Previous versions of the annual report have disaggregated data  by gender, race and ethnicity. Now students with disabilities will also benefit from the report.  

A Disheartening First Look  

The numbers from the report, detailed below, are initially stunning and disheartening: students  with disabilities are far behind their peers. This is especially troubling considering that most  students receiving special education services should be achieving on par with their peers if they  receive the services and support to which they are entitled. In Arizona, nearly 65% of students with disabilities come from three categories of disabilities  that are considered to be mild in nature such as dyslexia, speech impairment or attention  deficit disorder. Indeed only 5% of Arizona students with disabilities have an intellectual  disability as their primary diagnosis. Nationwide, it has been estimated that 80-85% of students  with disabilities could achieve at similar levels as their peers if given the necessary services,  supports and accommodations. 

Key Findings

Achieve60AZ 

In 2016, Arizona adopted the goal that 60% of adults ages 25-64 would hold a professional  certificate or college degree by 2030. Achieve60AZ has sparked numerous conversations and 

initiatives to increase postsecondary attainment, but—until now—there has never been a focus  on our students with disabilities even though they comprise approximately 13% of the state’s K 12 population. 

The 2021 Postsecondary Attainment Report dataset allows Arizona to add students with  disabilities to the state’s strategic plans. While the initial data may be discouraging, it gives us  an important baseline to begin developing solutions, setting goals and measuring progress so  we can include students with disabilities in Achieve60AZ efforts. 

Recommendations  

Now that we are armed with this new data, there are some ways the state can act to improve  postsecondary attainment of our students with disabilities: 

1. Include this new data into the Arizona Progress Meter. Currently the Post-High School  Enrollment and Attainment metrics do not have disaggregated data for students with  disabilities. Further, let’s ensure that goals and metrics for students with disabilities are  included in the Board of Regents’ Strategic Plan. 

2. Create a statewide college access program for students with disabilities. College access  programs are traditionally non-profit organizations that work to expand college access  and success for students from low-income and minority communities. They provide  services such as application completion, financial counseling, career guidance and  tutoring. The same concept is needed to improve postschool outcomes for students  with disabilities, and the state could use federal funds to seed a program formation. 

3. Launch a dedicated scholarship fund for students with disabilities. These scholarship can be used at Arizona public or private universities, community colleges or technical  schools to help students with disabilities cover the costs of the additional, yet essential,  services and support they need. 

4. Appropriate line-item support for universities and community colleges to improve and  augment support for students with disabilities. The state already provides additional  support for students with disabilities at the K-12 level. Yet, basic services are typically  provided by a Disability Resource Center on campus and costs are assumed by the  college. Additional services provided are typically fee-based (e.g. the SALT Center at the  University of Arizona). 

5. Become the first state to pass the RISE Act. Federal legislation has been introduced to  address some of the obstacles K-12 students with disabilities face matriculating to  college. In particular, the proposed legislation states that the same documentation required to demonstrate a student had a disability in K-12 will suffice in higher  education. But Arizona doesn’t have to wait for the federal government; we can be the  first state to break down these barriers. 

I am extremely grateful to the Arizona Board of Regents for their commitment to  equity. Together we can improve outcomes for our students with disabilities and  simultaneously help Arizona to Achieve60!

Karla Phillips-Krivickas is the Senior Director of Policy and Advocacy for KnowledgeWorks. She has over 20 years of national and state education policy experience in legislative, executive and non-profit leadership roles. As a mother of a child with a disability, Karla is channeling her experience and opportunities to passionately advocate for students with disabilities. She’s on Twitter at @azkarla. 

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Arizona students with disabilities faced glaring achievement gaps on every measure long before the pandemic shutdown. But now our state has the chance to and reimagine learning for students with disabilities.

Arizona’s new state agenda should include the following five actions.

1. Dispel Myths and Raise Expectations

Most special education students have no cognitive impairments that would prevent them from reaching the same level of learning as other students. Yet these students consistently experience heartbreaking academic outcomes fueled by misperceptions and low expectations.

 Steps for Policymakers

â—Ź   The Arizona Department of Education (ADE) should identify all the goals and metrics used to monitor the state’s progress toward improving outcomes for all students. This process should include all federal reporting and result in a public-facing annual report. Further, the data should be broken out by disability.

â—Ź   To begin a statewide conversation that addresses existing shortcomings, the Arizona Superintendent of Instruction should deliver an annual State of Special Education report to the State Board of Education, the Legislature, and the Governor’s Office.

 2. Expand Innovation at the School Level

Arizona is making encouraging strides toward expanding innovation at the school level. H.B. 2448 introduced this past session could help give schools the flexibility they need to redesign learning for all students. Governor Ducey has also established $1 million for through the Governor’s Emergency Education Relief Fund. targeted their proposals to the support of their students with disabilities. The applications reflected two very different schools with very different approaches, yet both held the same commitment to a robust research agenda that can spur replication.

Steps for Policymakers

â—Ź       Pass Representative Michelle Udall’s H.B. 2448 to give schools the flexibility they need to implement new student-centered programs and strategies.

â—Ź       Future state grant funding should include grants dedicated to better serving students with disabilities. Likewise, the federal government can include incentives in new funding sources to stimulate innovation in special education.

3. Fund Students, Not Disabilities

Arizona’s current K-12 education funding formula assumes students with disabilities are evenly distributed throughout the state. However, our state’s robust school choice environment means some schools have more students with disabilities than others. It’s also troublesome that Arizona’s special education funding formula does not recognize the diversity of students’ disabilities and overlooks the true costs of serving them. Our state weights its per-pupil funding based on diagnosis. This archaic approach assumes all students with a certain disability need identical services and supports. Moreover, the funding weights are woefully behind in covering the actual costs schools incur. 

Steps for Policymakers

â—Ź       Education funding should follow students to the schools which are serving them.

â—Ź       The state should fund students based on the services and levels of intensity they need to succeed rather than a disability label.

4. Benchmark Progress Toward Postsecondary Goals

Closing the achievement gap is essential, yet insufficient on its own. Â鶹´«Ă˝Ół»­ust also expand access to postsecondary opportunities for students with disabilities and support their success. The foray into postsecondary education represents a new frontier for many individuals with disabilities, especially those with intellectual and developmental disabilities. But today’s parents and students expect more.

Steps for Policymakers

â—Ź       ADE should leverage IDEA funds to launch a Postsecondary Network for Students with Disabilities, in partnership with universities and community colleges. This network would identify obstacles preventing students with disabilities from accessing career and technical education, dual enrollment, and postsecondary opportunities and would promote ways to increase participation.

â—Ź       The state must establish postsecondary goals for students with disabilities and incorporate them into the state’s Progress Meter and accountability conversations.

â—Ź       ADE should partner with the Board of Regents and AZTransfer to develop a strategic plan to incorporate students with disabilities in all future reporting. There should be no data with asterisks that exclude special education students.

5. Increase Workforce Participation  

In 2017, the Governor issued an in support of, supporting  competitive, integrated employment as the expectation for Arizonans with a disability. Students with disabilities are a valuable asset Â鶹´«Ă˝Ół»­ust develop to help meet state education and employment goals.

Steps for Policymakers

â—Ź       All state agencies participating in Employment First should provide an annual report to the Governor that includes goals and metrics, accomplishments and recommendations– administrative and legislative–that would facilitate progress.

â—Ź       As partnerships between business and education strengthen, ensure students with disabilities are prioritized. Every program created to enhance work skills for high school students should also include opportunities for students with disabilities.

Education, business and elected officials agree that Arizona’s approach to special education must change. The prospect of additional CARES Act funding gives our state a long-awaited opportunity to introduce a new approach to special education and ensure all Arizona students have the opportunity to succeed.

 This is Arizona’s moment to act on behalf of students with disabilities. Let’s not waste it.

Karla Phillips-Krivickas is the Senior Director of Policy and Advocacy for KnowledgeWorks. She has over 20 years of national and state education policy experience in legislative, executive and non-profit leadership roles. As a mother of a child with a disability, Karla is channeling her experience and opportunities to passionately advocate for students with disabilities. She’s on Twitter at @azkarla. 

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My daughter is returning to school next week after five months at home, and I’m not sure how I feel about it. I’m glad Arizona has given parents a choice in how to educate their children as we emerge from the COVID crisis, and I support parents who are exploring online and homeschool options to keep their children safe and on track with learning until they are comfortable going back on campus.

But the truth is that the choices facing parents of students with disabilities transcend school choice. We know that our children need the intellectual, therapeutic programs and skilled teachers that only can be delivered in person and at school, but we have no idea how that will work.

As I ironed out the details for my daughter’s transition to middle school with her special education teacher, I was overcome with appreciation for the time, attention, and detail the school has invested in preparing to support my daughter. She has Down Syndrome and has been fortunate to attend a school that prioritizes inclusion and has set high expectations for her. Even so, this will be a school year unlike any other.

Parents of children with disabilities are particularly challenged by school re-openings. They need their schools, but many will find their children returning to understaffed, underequipped and underfunded programs,. But their challenges don’t end there. Much of the state’s special education model is outdated and in desperate need of a revamp. Additional resources alone won’t solve the problem. As Arizona re-opens its classroom doors, it should also open the door for schools to reimagine education for students with disabilities.

RE-OPEN SCHOOLS TO MEET THE NEEDS OF ALL STUDENTS

Governor Doug Ducey and Superintendent Kathy Hoffman have allocated initial CARES Act funds to support school reopening plans, compensatory education for students with disabilities and student safety.  Encouragingly, they also have dedicated monies to support innovation. As the state’s guidance continues to evolve and as the Arizona Department of Education and the State Board for Charter Schools begin to review school re-opening plans, both the state and our schools should consider the following ways to address the needs of special education students:

1. Make special education a focal point in state and school reopening plans. Educators have long acknowledged that the strategies that work for special education students are best practices for all children. Now is the time to act on this knowledge to benefit all students.
2. Seek feedback from and provide support to families of students with disabilities. Our students need the experienced and dedicated professionals a school provides along with therapeutic support to boost learning and achievement. However, the reality is that remote learning for students with disabilities is, in fact, parent-facilitated learning. They need to be engaged and supported along every step.  
3. Prioritize inclusion. Schools must guard against increased isolation or segregation of students with disabilities in reopening plans. Inclusion in a digital environment certainly presents challenges, yet it is more important now than ever.
4. Address learning loss. The state’s digital learning plans require details on this year’s benchmark assessments and instructional methods, but schools also need to develop plans to accelerate learning and prevent achievement gaps from widening.
5. Balance local control with state support. Local decision-making has never been more important, but the state plays a crucial role in monitoring and evaluating school plan implementation. This monitoring should, clearly, not be for the purpose of compliance or enforcement but to identify trends and areas needing increased support and technical assistance.

SEIZING THE OPPORTUNITY TO REINVENT LEARNING

It has become glaringly obvious that students with disabilities have been disproportionately affected by the shutdown of our nation’s schools due to the COVID pandemic. Beyond the dilemma of ensuring device access and connectivity, schools are struggling to convert their special education programs and related services to an online environment.

This unprecedented challenge could present an unprecedented opportunity for Arizona to reboot its approach to special education. Rather than replicating existing models online and contemplating modifications and accommodations later, this is the time to flip the paradigm. Now is the time to empower school leaders to reinvent the design and delivery of special education services and supports, knowing that it will benefit all students.

Each state has the ability to distribute new sources of federal funding and provide guidance and flexibility to schools as they consider the best way to put students at the center of learning. As deliberations regarding additional federal funding continue, states can respectfully request that Congress preserves the flexibility for governors to prioritize their state’s needs and allocate funds to build a new comprehensive plan and unique, game-changing initiatives for students with disabilities.

As we rethink our approach to this upcoming school year, let’s start with our students with disabilities. Let’s make sure they are at the center of every school’s re-opening and let’s use those plans as the foundation for a new statewide approach to special education.

With additional federal relief funds Arizona could create something big, bold and transformational that will outlast this pandemic and change the trajectory for generations of students.

And that is exactly what all Arizona kids deserve.

Next: A Special Education Reboot

Karla Phillips-Krivickas is the Senior Director of Policy and Advocacy for KnowledgeWorks. She has over 20 years of national and state education policy experience in legislative, executive and non-profit leadership roles. As a mother of a child with a disability, Karla is channeling her experience and opportunities to passionately advocate for students with disabilities. She’s on Twitter at @azkarla. 

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