K-12 Special Education in the South: Where Are We and Where Should We Be Going?

Author

Jack G. Walker, University of MississippiFollow

Date of Award

Summer 4-29-2025

Document Type

Undergraduate Thesis

Department

Public Policy Leadership

First Advisor

Melissa Bass

Second Advisor

Diane Lowry

Third Advisor

Rodney Hurt

Relational Format

Dissertation/Thesis

Abstract

Throughout the past century, special education has undergone significant transformation and increasing accessibility to those who need it. However, persistent challenges remain. Some of these challenges include but are not limited to teachers still challenged with job stress and paperwork overload, schools faced with lack of funding for the program, and the lack of importance seen by administration on close relationships with parents of said students. These problems can affect all involved and especially the students who deserve the best education experience they can receive. The purpose of this thesis is to look into what has gotten policymakers to where we are in the special education classroom, while also focusing on the challenges that remain. This includes interviews with teachers, professors, and parents in the K-12 sector of special education, primarily in the South. Each interview sheds light onto themes that southern adults see lacking in the special education field. From these interviews, I found three major themes: overload of paperwork, lack of professional development, and the overall difficulty of resources. From these findings, I then developed policy recommendations that can give policymakers focal areas to start to make change to help within the special education classroom. These recommendations include improvement of the Individualized Education Program (IEP), focus on the role of professional development, and a mandate on funding for each state under IDEA Formula B. implication of these recommendations can make a start to ensuring the opportunity for teachers and professionals to spend more time with individual students rather than the paperwork and legalities than can take up more than half of the day.

Recommended Citation

Walker, Jack G., "K-12 Special Education in the South: Where Are We and Where Should We Be Going?" (2025). Honors Theses. 3226.
https://egrove.olemiss.edu/hon_thesis/3226

Creative Commons License

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