Special Education Accountability: Structural Reform to Help Charter Schools Make the Grade

July 2004 Special Education Accountability: Structural Reform to Help Charter Schools Make the Grade Charter schools in the United States serve between 56,000 and 80,000 special education students and meet two of the federal government's most important goals for these students. First, charter schools successfully provide disabled students with a quality education in the "least restrictive environment" by including special education students in regular classrooms. Second, charter schools reduce the number of students labeled "special education" through aggressive early intervention strategies that keep students performing at grade level. Yet, there is little research examining how charter schools . . .