Tammy Nguyen
21 November 2014
ENG 214.06
Special Education Curriculum: Private versus Public Schools
Since 1980, all students that are receiving special education services are continuing to be
a growing population from 10.1% to 13.7% in 2003 as reported from EducationBug. As special
education is an increasing population, school districts are increasingly funding services for the
program. According to the California Department of Education (2014), the special education
budget “…provides an increase of $3 million…” to allocate funds to each school. The difference
between public and private schools is that public schools are sponsored through the taxes of the
local, state, and federal systems. Whereas private schools are funded through tuition, grants, and
fundraising through parents, alumni, and the community. Depending on the social class of the
private school, there are differing amounts that are donated to fund these special education
programs. I hypothesize that because private schools put more money into their special education
programs resulting in having the better curriculum, compared to its public school counterparts, is
due to the difference in funding. Through my research I would like to answer the question: Is
special education curriculum better in private schools than public schools? This paper will focus
on the factors and resulting effects of funding that affect public schools in having less than up to
level curriculum as paralleled to private schools. Special education is better in private schools
because of funding, class size and inclusion, and involvement from adults, and I believe we
should move some funding into more special education programs and get parents and educators
more involved to extend the same opportunities to special needs students in public schools.
The costs per student of a disabled versus a non-disabled student are drastic. According
to the “Statewide Average Spending Per Pupil, 2010-11” in Figure 7, local education agencies,
or LEA, spent approximately $9,600 per non-disabled student. Total funds for a student with
disabilities, or SWD, was more than twice as much sitting at $22,300. Students that have less
severe disabilities also have lower costly services. Comparing private schools to public schools,
there are more students entering into public settings because tuition for education is cheaper than
that of private schools. In this case, there is a need for more aid from governmental institutions to
provide for all students in public schools, in turn making education for special education students
less top-tiered. Private schools are able to raise the funds for their students through the various
donors that are appreciated through the school community.
Budgeting issues limit what certain programs are able to do and not do. The journal
article “Private Vs. Public Higher Education Budgeting” states that the limited budget of public
resources in public institutions must be allocated among many of the institutions’ needs. The
requirement of allocation of resources in public settings is one of the many factors that have
affected the funding that special education curriculum has received. Because public institutes
must adhere to the regulations set and controlled by a governmental organization, specific
programs are given their apportioned financing which may or may not positively assist special
education programs depending how much is assigned.
Assistance through laws being enacted and programs being started have made strides to
educate students. According to The Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA) of 1997, “early
intervention, special education, and related services to children with disabilities” is provided
through this federal law (Center for Parent Information and Resources). In other words, IDEA
provides plans to schools of how instructional placement and curriculum is dependent mainly on
the age and function level of the student and how severe their disability is. The Individuals with
Disabilities Act is a factor in which public and private schools focus on the student themselves.
Within private settings, approximately 3.4% of students with special disabilities are being
assisted (Beamer). Special education curriculum in public schools is based on individualized
education programs (IEPs) (Elhers). A team of the students’ parents, special education teachers,
and an administrator come together to determine where the student is in need of assistance in
their educational performances.
Public schools are more restricted in their special education programs as compared to
private schools because of their allocations of funding. The most common factor concerning both
public and private schools with their special education programs is the interaction that is
involved in attempting to modify the program. Since public schools are subsidized through the
government, state, and local taxes there is less of a voice coming from the parents and teachers
of the school. At a public school, the study and work is more standardized in turn resulting in the
education of all the students very similar. Special education students would have a difficulty
learning through a standardized lesson because of the type of severity of the disability they may
have. On the other hand, through private backing in private schools, those who give donations
are allowed to request that their donations go to a specific program or issue or to the school in
general (EducationBug). The investment put into private schools makes programs like special
education programs more comfortable for and specific to the individual student.
More severe students of specialized education in public schools are affected mainly if
they are not able to keep up with the students who have less severe disabilities. Each particular
need of the student is increasingly voiced through private special education in the case if the
setting of the classroom is smaller (EducationBug). With an average of a smaller class size in
private schools, the learning atmosphere for students is slower pace while still in a challenging
environment (Walker). Demographics in private classes versus public classes are smaller than
that of public. Public classes that contain more students must cater to the learning curve instead
of each students’ learning rate. The difference in the learning curve and the learning rate of
students is that the curve is directed towards the population of the class whereas the learning rate
is that of each individual student. While each student learns differently based on their learning
type like auditory, visual, or kinesthetic, the teacher may not teach the class the way it is easier
for a public student to learn the lesson.
Individualized and group learning is also an asset used within private school settings.
With IEPs also used at private schools, some children are placed in separate classrooms with
specialized teachers to one-on-one learn (Dwight). Continuing with separate classrooms, it also
happens that when the students are separated because of learning or behavioral disabilities, they
do not have much interaction with other special students and mainly non-disabled students.
Public funding indirectly assists in the interaction between disabled and non-disabled in that
there is some type of contact between the groups of students. On the opposite end of separate
classrooms, private schools embrace inclusion. Inclusion places students of both disabled and
non-disabled in a classroom together in order to normalize and learn toleration of the special
needs of a student to that of a non-disabled (Dwight). Under Title I, B, 612, a, 5 of IDEA, the act
refers to a least restrictive environment summarizing that depending on the severity of the
disability of the student, educational institutions must include the students in regular classes
(IDEA).
For special education students, it is more difficult for them to juggle all that is going on
because of their disabilities. It is common knowledge that a special education student requires
more attention than a non-disabled student. This could be seen through examples of students that
have a more severe type of disability. In a classroom setting, a non-disabled student is able to
think for himself and what is and is not appropriate to do, whereas a disabled student whose
brain is not developed correctly, would make him do uncontrollable movements. It is more
dangerous when the disabled student has uncontrollable movements such as the example because
they need to have constant supervision. The more support whether it be educational, emotionally,
or physically, every special education student deserves to have optimal outcomes. Seeking the
best practices through methods of interaction and observation specially educated students would
be able to have the best curriculum that is suited for them no matter the price that is put on their
education. The diversity of each student enables the community of their school and classrooms to
exercise different learning strategies. Involvement from the team of parents, guardians, and
school districts to develop a qualifying education program to meet the needs of the special
educated student (Spectrum Center).
To get a better picture on the issue, I think teachers and administrators need to refocus
curriculum to each special education students’ need and level of learning. Through many positive
and negative aspects of private schools versus public schools, there seems to be more pieces of
private schools that outweigh public schools. It has been studied and found that private schools,
because of the amount of endowment the school receives, there is a more substantial positive
outcome for students of special needs. Better funding towards public school systems and their
special education programs will better the students’ outcomes of learning. The separate school
systems of private and public have differentiated ways of teaching because of the allowance of
funding and the ability to work with what is given to the school.
Works Cited
Beamer, S. (2011). Private vs. public higher education budgeting. Planning for Higher
Education, 40(1), 7-11.
Center for Parent Information and Resources. (2014, May 1). Retrieved November 20, 2014,
from http://www.parentcenterhub.org/repository/idea/
Dwight, V. (n.d.). Special needs programs and schools: A primer. Retrieved November 20, 2014,
from http://www.greatschools.org/school-choice/special-education/6997-specialeducation-special-needs-learning-disabilities.gs
Education Budget - CalEdFacts. (n.d.). Retrieved November 20, 2014, from
http://www.cde.ca.gov/fg/fr/eb/cefedbudget.asp
Elhers, R. (2013, January 3). Overview of Special Education in California. Retrieved November
20, 2014, from http://www.lao.ca.gov/reports/2013/edu/special-ed-primer/special-edprimer-010313.aspx#6
Elizabeth, M. (n.d.). Special Education Statistics. Retrieved November 19, 2014, from
http://www.educationbug.org/a/special-education-statistics.html
IDEA - Building The Legacy of IDEA 2004. (n.d.). Retrieved November 20, 2014, from
http://idea.ed.gov/explore/view/p/,root,statute,I,B,612,a,5,
Walker, R. (1999, July 26). Public Education vs. Private Education. Retrieved November 20,
2014, from
http://web.stanford.edu/class/e297c/poverty_prejudice/school_child/public.htm
Welcome to Spectrum Center. (n.d.). Retrieved November 20, 2014, from
http://www.spectrumschools.com/Home.aspx
Grade level descriptions:
A “high pass” goes above and beyond for a majority of the grading criteria. It may have a few
minor surface errors (nobodys perfect), but it stands out because of its handling of both content
and language. It is well organized, not just following the ethnography format we’ve discussed,
but reflecting a logical and smooth development through that structure, connecting main points
to each other and back to the controlling idea. Its focus is clear and its development is strong and
interesting, providing full and clear explanation of the study’s results supported with evidence
and analysis. The content is insightful, probing, thoughtful, even critical.
A “pass” meets and/or exceeds the majority of the grading criteria, but may have one or two
noticeable weaknesses. It is similar to the “high pass” except that it lacks some of its
distinguishing features.
A “low pass” adequately fulfills its purpose, meeting most of the grading criteria and includes
many commendable features, certainly including a central idea and recognizable organizational
structure. It provides support of its thesis, that may need to be strengthened or reorganized to
make a more logical, seamless connection. May contain some isolated errors in grammar and
punctuation or misspellings - none of which obscure the writer’s meaning.
A “revise and resubmit” is often the result of a good faith effort by the writer, but for many
possible reasons may have gone astray, leaving out some of the necessary criteria to be eligible
for a grade.
Criteria for:
Assignment fulfillment:
1500-1800 word paper that uses
research to support a logical
argument
HP
P
RR
comments
X
X
Central idea/thesis:
-Clearly articulated in the paper’s
introduction
-Sets forth an “argument”
pertaining to the issue you’ve
researched
-Is invoked throughout the paper
to guide the supporting evidence
Organization:
-Paper is structured around your
main claim and supporting claims
(NOT on sources from your
research)
LP
X
Maybe you should try to
make your argument a little
clearer in the intro . At first I
didn’t know you were
arguing for private schools
-Topic sentences give a clear
picture of the subclaim to be
supported in each section
-Transitions move the reader
along by connecting ideas and
sections
-Conclusion restates your
argument and the subclaims that
you used to support that
argument, and leaves the reader
with something to do or think
about
Support:
-Subclaims logically support the
main claim
-Research is used strategically as
evidence for subclaims
-Clearly attributes the
words/thoughts of others through
summary, paraphrase and
quotation
-Responds to the claims of at
least 3 sources
X
Sentence craft:
-Sentences are well focused with
strong subjects (it is clear who is
doing what in each sentence)
-Sentences flow together (each is
connected to the sentence before
and after, so nothing comes out
of left field)
-Sentences follow rules of style
and grammar
-Employs a variety of sentence
types
X
Clarity/presentation:
-Minimal formatting errors
(meaning the look of your text is
X
-I like how you had a lot of
resources
-I do feel like you can find
way more stronger examples
on why private schools are
better for special education
consistent and punctuation and
mechanics are error-free)
-Citations consistently follow
whichever style you choose
(MLA, APA or Chicago)
-Works cited/reference page is
properly formatted to your
chosen style (see above)
-Sentences are free of meaning
obscuring errors and have
minimal surface issues (things
missed in proofreading)
-Word choice is concise and
sophisticated