MinnPost

In 2014, Minneapolis Public Schools commissioned a review of its special education programs. The resulting 46-page report was packed with data pointing to an overarching, damning conclusion: The district had a systemwide literacy crisis. Until it was able to teach all of its challenged students to read, children with disabilities would necessarily lag. At that time, about 25% of special education students were literate, as measured by state reading assessments, even though research suggests 75% of children with learning differences are generally capable of performing at grade level. The report contained a number of recommendations and a warning: The needed changes “would typically take 1-3 years of careful planning, research, communication, coordination and roll-out, with a commitment from the leadership to provide focus and stability during the implementation process.”