A Longitudinal Analysis of Shifting Policy Landscapes in Special and General Education Reform

Abstract

A longitudinal policy analysis was undertaken in four schools to explore the degree to which positive outcomes associated with a 1990 state policy on education reform had been sustained in the context of subsequent policies emphasizing standards-based reform and school accountability. The shifting policy context supported the sustainability of initial positive outcomes such as increased use of educational support systems and teams, but was associated with increases in referrals to special education and the use of more restrictive special education placements. Findings suggest a need to recognize shared as well as competing goals among educational policies and to explore a variety of approaches to expanding the capacity of general education to support students within the context of standards-based reform.