Why Are We OK with SPED Students Making Progress, But Not Proficiency?
Gwendolyn Lavert, PhD | Contributor on Children’s Education and Literacy
Several years ago, I attended the NABSE Conference (National Alliance of Black School Educators) in Dallas. In the opening session, a panel of Black male educators took the stage—every one of them held a Ph.D. and had achieved remarkable success.
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Then, they shared something that shocked me. More than half of them had spent their entire school careers—from elementary to high school—in SPED.
I sat there in awe. These were not men who had barely “made it.” They were scholars, leaders, and experts in education. Yet, the system had labeled them incapable early on.
How many brilliant minds have been written off simply because schools focused on growth instead of true proficiency?
The Bigger Problem: SPED Students Are Capable—But the System Settles for Less
- Districts track growth on assessments, but what happens when students keep growing… just not fast enough to catch up?
- Teachers follow IEPs that provide accommodation, but why aren’t we setting goals that push SPED students toward grade-level success?
- Schools are content with progress, but isn’t the real goal proficiency?
Nationally, only 8% of SPED students perform at grade level in reading by 4th grade. (National Center for Education Statistics, 2022) Why aren’t we talking about this?
Some schools will say that SPED students are “doing the best they can.” But what if that isn’t true?
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Research indicates that approximately 95% of students can be taught to read proficiently with explicit, evidence-based instruction. (EAB, 2020) Yet, 60% of elementary teachers haven’t been fully trained in the foundational reading strategies that students need. (EAB, 2020)
So, is the issue really the students—or the system that’s failing them?
I refused to accept that ‘some kids just won’t read.’
What We Did Differently: From Growth to Proficiency
Instead of celebrating progress alone, we set real goals to move SPED students to grade level.
- Identified the lowest 10% of students who were always “left behind” in district assessments (whether it was MAP, i-Ready, STAR, etc.).
- Redesigned IEPs to align with grade-level standards, not just skills from years before.
- Placed SPED students back in grade-level classes daily with support—not separation.
- Required teachers & aides to increase instruction time—no more passive teaching.
The Results: SPED Students Moved the School from an F to a B
SPED students didn’t just grow—they achieved. They weren’t the weakest link—they were the key to school transformation. One student, labeled a “non-reader,” was reading fluently by the end of the year.
A parent told me, “For the first time, my child actually believes he’s smart.”
Research backs this up:
- Students in inclusive classrooms with structured literacy outperform those in isolated SPED settings. (National Reading Panel, 2000)
- High expectations, not just accommodations, lead to real gains in SPED student performance. (Hattie, 2017)
We proved that if you raise the bar, students will rise.
So, Why Are We Still OK With Just Growth?
Some schools will say:
- “SPED students are doing the best they can.”
- “They’ll never reach grade level, so let’s just focus on growth.”
- “This is enough progress for them.”
But what if that’s a lie we’ve been telling ourselves?
If we know students can move to proficiency, why aren’t we demanding it? If we have the tools, the data, and the strategies, why aren’t we using them? If SPED students can thrive with the right interventions, why are so many still behind?
Let’s Talk: Are SPED Students in Your District Getting Real Literacy Instruction?
I want to hear from YOU—are SPED students in your district getting real literacy instruction or just accommodations? Drop your experience below.
See also The Role Of Education And Storytelling In African American Society – Dr. Gwendolyn Lavert
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Reference List (To Strengthen Credibility & Share with Educators)
- National Center for Education Statistics (2022). Reading performance of students with disabilities. Retrieved from NCES Website
- National Reading Panel (2000). Teaching Children to Read: An Evidence-Based Assessment of the Scientific Research Literature on Reading and Its Implications for Reading Instruction. National Institute of Child Health and Human Development. Retrieved from NICHD
- Hattie, J. (2017). Visible Learning for Literacy: Implementing the Practices That Work Best to Accelerate Student Achievement. Retrieved from Visible Learning MetaX
- EAB (2020). Leading for Literacy: Strategies to Drive Early Reading Success in Schools. Retrieved from EAB
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