Commentary: Delivering Educational Services That Meet the Needs of All Students

Federal policies intended to promote educational equity, especially through state accountability mechanisms, have mobilized efforts to improve outcomes for students with disabilities. Although these efforts have met with some success, achievement gaps remain. The authors argue that local cultures of teaching practices and decision making continue to be the primary influences on learning experiences, and that improving outcomes for children and youth with disabilities will require attention to the social and cultural factors that affect the interpretation of policy and impact local practices. While recognizing the many technical challenges to implementing effective practices and limited resources for meeting students' needs, the authors stress that progress towards the attainment of equitable outcomes will be grudging unless the limited financial and human resources are allocated in ways that recognize the diversity and complexity inherent in the development of all learners and the local educational institutions that serve them.