A study of special education programming and its relationship to student mathematics performance on the DSTP

How to effectively meet the academic needs of students who receive special education services is the prime focus of this educational position paper (EPP). No Child Left Behind (NCLB) has challenged schools to find ways to meet and exceed the standards for all students regardless of their category of disability or their academic program setting. This challenge prompted the research into the importance of the academic setting of special education students and its relationship to mathematics achievement.;The focus of this EPP is on the academic setting of special education students and its relationship with student performance on the mathematics' component of the Delaware Student Testing Program (DSTP). The study determined that there is indeed a correlation when reviewing the DSTP data of eighth grade students at Postlethwait Middle School (PMS) over a course of five years.;This EPP examined the differences between two academic program settings, the resource setting and the inclusion setting, and their correlation with math achievement. This EPP further analyzed pre- and post-inclusion student achievement data at PMS to further determine if there was a correlation with academic achievement when inclusion was partially implemented. PMS yielded the most positive academic results, exceeding the state target when inclusion was first partially implemented in 2005.;The data were collected over a five year period, 2003-2007. The data showed a relationship between the two program settings when comparing student growth based on scale scores, and when comparing pre- and post-inclusion implementation data. Recommendations to increase special education student achievement and future recommendations for further study are explored.