Beyond Compliance: Reclaiming Agency in Special Education

An astute analysis of how the US Individuals with Disabilities Education Act is enacted in K-12 schools and a clarion call for a shift away from perfunctory compliance and toward true equity In Beyond Compliance, Catherine Kramarczuk Voulgarides underscores the urgent need for change in how US schools implement the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).Voulgarides finds that, although the landmark legislation has benefited millions of eligible public school students with disabilities, it has also indirectly amplified educational inequities, such as the enduring problem of racial disproportionality in special education across classifications, placements, and disciplinary outcomes.Through analysis of the latest research and stories of special education in action, Voulgarides shows that IDEA’s success depends greatly on how it is interpreted and applied by educators and school administrators. The book guides practitioners in a critical examination of special education policie