Why Now?

Special Education Service Shortage leads to Critical Overwhelm

​

• As of 2023, learning disabilities double in the United States as students eligible for Special Education services have doubled in the last 50 years, to 15.2%, over 7.3 Million per the “Mapping the Rise in Learning Disabilities” article published by Fusion Academy, a national personalized education institution with one to one and customized learning for neurodiverse Learners.

  • Source: Mapping the Rise in Learning Disabilities, State by State | Fusion Academy

 

• As of 2023, schools are overwhelmed but the United States Government Accountability Office, in a federal accountability survey released in 2024 stating that “one of IDEA’s stated purposes is to assess, and ensure the effectiveness of, efforts to educate children with disabilities” - below are their 2022 data and findings on the challenges to providing effective intervention and special education services to neurodiverse learners.​​​

​​​​​










​​​​​

​

​

​

​

​

​​

​

​

​

​

 

 

 

 

 

​​
 

​​​​​

​​

 

​

Overwhelm leads to Educator Ineffectiveness

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

​

​

​

​

​

​

​​

​​​​​​​​​​​

• Source: GAO-24-106264, SPECIAL EDUCATION: Education Needs School- and District-Level Data to Fully Assess Resources Available to Students with Disabilities

_____________________________________________________________________________________

​​​

• As of 2024, national fluency in Reading and Math declines. The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) administered the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) reading assessment to representative samples of fourth- and eighth-grade students in the nation, states, the District of Columbia, Department of Defense schools, and 26 participating large urban districts. This measured and compared proficiency trends in 1992, 2019, 2022, and 2024.

  • The state of the nation’s reading fluency for all fourth and eight grade students has remained mostly stagnant since the first national fluency data point in 1992 and has recently begun to decline in the last five years.

  • The state of the nation’s math fluency for fourth grade students has only slightly increased for students within and above proficiency within the 75th percentile. However, all other student scores have dropped below the 1992 benchmark.

  • Source: 2024 NAEP Mathematics and Reading, Grades 4 and 8 – Infographic.

  • As of 2022, US Achievement scores stagnate and drop below international average. The Program for International Student Assessment released their PISA Math and Reading proficiency scores, similar to the PSAT for eighth and ninth graders taken around fifteen years of age, from 81 OECD countries including the United States.

    • US Reading comprehension, based on fluency in English Language Arts, ranked 9th, at the top 11%. 

      • 80% of US students reached a level two proficiency which hovers just above the international average score 74%.

    • US Math fluency ranked 34th, at the top 42%.

      • 66% of US students reached a level two proficiency which hovers just below the international average score 69%.

    • US Science, based on the application of Reading and Math and a fluency in Critical Thinking and problem solving, ranked 16th, at the top 20%.

      • 78% of US students reached a level two proficiency which hovers just above the international average score of 76%.

    • Source: PISA 2022 Results (Volume I and II) ‑ Country Notes: United States | OECD https://share.google/umqkPL4lFl0xKYU0O

______________________________________________________________

​

• As of 2025, more schools struggle with IDEA compliance and delay SPED services. The U.S. Department of Education’s (USDOE) Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) is responsible for monitoring and supporting the facilitation of IDEA. They released a 2025 wave of investigations in the Differentiated Monitoring and Support report, finding nearly half [(19)] of all states have been monitored for noncompliance.

  • Source: U.S. Department of Education Issues Special Education Investigation Findings for 18 States and One Territory

 

• As of 2025, Homeschooling steadily increases from 1.7%  to 6.3% in the United States over the past 30 years, nearly doubling since 2020, and is projected to increase at a rate of 4.6% each year.

  • Source:  National Home Education Research Institute https://share.google/atEbmBoCIO1HGmtjY 

 

• As of 2025, Homeschooled Special Education students consist of 38% of all Homeschoolers, an estimation of 1.3 Million out of 3.4 Million.

  • Homeschool Learners have the potential to score significantly higher on achievement test that institutionalized Learners and be more socially and emotionally confident in their Learning

    • Source: National Household Education Surveys Program (NHES) - Homeschooling  |  Fast Facts on Homeschooling | National Home Education Research Institute

_____________________________________________________________________________________

​

A Special Education Phenomena

Public, Charter, and even private schools are either cutting special education funds or closing their doors or both, in vast numbers around the nation for various reasons. 

 

Budget Cuts

Special Education Services At Risk Under Department of Education Cuts | EdSurge News

The Fallout of Shrinking Special Education Funding | Offit Kurman - JDSupra

 

School Closures

What PPS Loses if It Closes a Title I School

SPS parents rally against potential school closures amid district's $87M budget gap

Parents, city officials push back on DeKalb school closures, citing community impact

Kansas special education underfunding impacting Johnson County students

 

Regardless of what is causing the increase of learning disabilities that critically overwhelmed the school system at its most vulnerable time within a tumultuous social climate; administrators are stretched and tied, service providers are burned out and quitting, and student achievement and literacy is declining and families need solutions. With the schools and programs that are left, some overwhelmed, some thriving; special education services across the nation are currently non-compliant, non-effective, non-accessible, or non-existent. This leaves families in search of affordable, quality, and comprehensive homeschool or private educational programs. 

 

A Homeschool Phenomena

Historically, homeschool families are able to receive special education services and participate in extracurricular programs offered by their residential school district or other government-funded or non-profit educational, or medical institution if SSI-benefit eligible. However, with the current critical overwhelm, schools are understaffed or closing at an increasing rate. Because of this, the programs that are left may be largely inaccessible due to waitlists, unaffordability or stringent qualifying criteria managing the limited availability of funds and services. This transition is an immense undertaking that many families are not prepared to withstand, especially while navigating the academic world of assessment, curriculum, neurodiversity, and the world of Special Education, yet still in need of quality education resources and services for their students. Overall, families take on the role of educator without the support, infrastructure, knowledge, or ability to navigate and maximize available resources to provide the customized instruction or intervention for their student or even how to identify their student’s needs thus perpetuating low achievement and educator burnout in the home. Both private education programs and families may lack systems for data collection and evaluative feedback to inform student learning or intervention according to their identified needs. The age group of 0 to 8 years, or up to 3rd grade, is the most critical in defining the long-term impact of one’s self identity, and intellectual and emotional trajectory perpetuating the health and skill acquisition needed to support the next critical developmental stage. regression and potentially extenuating circumstances.

 

The Village Now Needs Additional Support 

Overall the Negative Impacts on Educational Programs within our community identifies an Education Phenomena leading to a critical overwhelm and non-compliance in public, charter, and private schools.

​

• Staffing and Resource Shortages

  • Shortages of Essential Staff: There is a critical shortage of Special Education Teachers, Speech Language Pathologists, and School Psychologists.

  • Lack of Support Professionals: 80% of students with disabilities attended schools without a social worker, school psychologist, school nurse, and counselor.

  • Teacher Burnout: Increased administrative responsibilities due to rising eligibility and decreased providers, coupled with insufficient time for professional development, contributes to frustration and burnout.

​

• Legal Non-Compliance and Stalled Services

  • Widespread IDEA Violations: Nearly half of all states have been monitored for noncompliance with federal special education law (IDEA).

  • Stalled Timelines: Bureaucratic delays, such as using the MTSS/RTI process as a barrier to avoid formal testing, prevent students from receiving necessary services within mandated legal timelines.

  • Inadequate Service Delivery: There is an insufficient intensity of intervention and support due to time restrictions and high student-to-staff ratios (ranging from 9:1 to 30:1).

​

• Ineffectiveness and Low Performance

  • Declining Achievement: National fluency in Reading and Math is declining, and persistent achievement gaps exist, demonstrating a lack of equitable access to high-quality education.1

  • Underfunded SPED Departments: Public, Charter, and private schools are cutting special education funds or closing entirely.

​

• Lack of Internal Expertise: Charter schools often lack internal specialists (like an in-house School Psychologist) and experience high staff turnover, resulting in IEPs not being implemented with fidelity.