Special education in Arkansas: rising counts, large achievement gaps and workforce concerns, DOE says more monitoring and pipeline work underway

Adrian Beck of the Bureau of Legislative Research presented statewide data on students with disabilities and district practices, and Department of Education officials answered members’ questions about teacher waivers and monitoring.

Beck said about 13% of Arkansas public‑school students were identified for special education in 2021, with districts averaging about 14% and charters about 11%. He reviewed the 12 eligibility categories used in state reporting and noted the largest five‑year increases in autism, intellectual disability and emotional disturbance. He also cited federal IDEA equity rules (effective 2019) requiring standardized monitoring to address significant racial/ethnic disparities.

On funding, Beck said the state provides foundation dollars that fund a specified teacher allocation (2.9 special education teachers per 500 students based on total student population) and a high‑cost occurrences fund that totaled about $13 million in 2021 for unusually high special‑education costs. DESE and bureau figures show large achievement gaps: on the ACT Aspire in 2021 about 8% of students with disabilities scored ready or exceeding in math compared with 41% for non‑SPED students; ELA readiness showed a similar gap.

Committee members asked whether high waiver counts for teaching positions or other workforce issues affect achievement. Johnny Key of the Department of Education said the department has not found causal evidence that waivers alone explain lower achievement but flagged concern where many teachers in a district work under waivers. Key described efforts to strengthen the teacher pipeline — including residency programs and targeted recruitment — and said DESE will continue monitoring districts and pursue supports to reduce reliance on waiver teachers.