Texas Ended Its Special Education Cap In 2017, But The Policy Has Had Long-Lasting Effects聽

KUT 90.5 | By Alexandra Hart

Published November 6, 2019 at 3:37 PM CST

Gabriel Crist脙鲁ver P脙漏rez/KUT

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In 2004, the Texas Education Agency put a limit on the percentage of students it would allow into special education programs, which affected thousands. exposed the illegal policy in 2016, and the investigation led to the Texas Legislature barring the agency from imposing such limits.

Even so, the cap is still having an effect. from researchers at the University of California, Davis and Cornell University found that students denied access to special education were significantly less likely to graduate from high school and also less likely to enroll in college.

is a co-author of the study, and says the policy had long-lasting effects, especially on students with more mild impairments like attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, known as ADHD.

鈥淚t kicked off students from participating in special education, and also led to large reductions in the number of students who were eventually diagnosed across the state,鈥� Ballis says.

She says low-income and minority students with disabilities were affected most. Those students lacked resources outside the classroom to help them succeed. Ballis says now, it鈥檚 up to TEA to check up on those students 鈥� most of whom are now college-age 鈥� to try to make up for the policy.

鈥淪ince we find such large effects on college enrollment and attainment, I think it鈥檚 going to be important to follow up with students who were impacted by this policy,鈥� she says.

Written by Libby Cohen.