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Proposed legal settlement to aid special education students

Posted at 9:42 AM, Nov 25, 2019
and last updated 2019-11-25 09:42:46-05

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Special education students from several Ohio school districts are expected to receive additional academic support aimed at improving learning and testing outcomes under a proposed settlement of a 28-year lawsuit.

Cleveland.com reports the proposed settlement was announced recently by Disability Rights Ohio, the Judge Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law and the Ohio Department of Education. It will impact 11 districts including Cleveland, Cincinnati and Columbus where special education students have lower academic outcomes.

A Disability Rights Ohio analysis says only 38.5% of the students in those districts learned in integrated settings with students outside of special education, compared to 65.1% in other districts. The group says research shows a correlation between such integration and special education achievement.

Special education students’ parents can review and comment on the proposal.