AUSTIN, Texas (AP) – The federal government has ordered Texas officials to eliminate an 8.5 percent benchmark on special education enrollment unless they can show it didn’t keep children with disabilities from receiving appropriate educational services.
The Houston Chronicle reports that the U.S. Department of Education on Monday directed the state to report back in 30 days on the benchmark’s impact and on which school districts might have relied on it to deny special education services to children.
The newspaper revealed the existence of the arbitrary enrollment target last month.
The Texas Education Agency has denied that children with disabilities have been kept out of special education but has promised to review the issue. The agency said in a statement that it “welcomes the opportunity” to discuss its policies.
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