Harlem World – Schools Chancellor David C. Banks today announced the completion of Reimagining Special Education, the first report created by the New York City Public Schools (NYCPS) Special Education Advisory Council.

The Special Education Advisory Council, first announced in December 2022, has spent their first year analyzing the current state of special education in New York City and identifying gaps in services and programming.

This report provides an overview of their findings, as well as recommendations to improve special education at NYCPS.

The five key recommendations of the report are:

NYC Public Schools must be intentionally designed to be fully inclusive and interdependent.
NYC Public Schools must take steps to reimagine general education. General education classes must be restructured so students with disabilities can receive targeted instruction and support in the general education context.
Strengthen trust between schools and families.
Prioritize investments in public school programs, close to students’ homes, that promote inclusion and result in strong student outcomes.
Shift mindsets, foster organization-wide, anti-ableist culture, and incorporate the perspectives of those with lived experiences.

“The emphasis on improved inclusiveness that the NYCPS is rolling out today includes some promising steps towards making the system one that genuinely welcomes all students with disabilities and their families,” said Maggie Moroff, Senior Special Education Policy Coordinator, Advocates for Children. “The work will need to be ongoing, and the disability community will need a seat at the table throughout. We all have to keep striving towards a time when schools stop making unnecessary referrals to special education, and when all students, regardless of their needs, can get the additional support they need at their local schools or their schools of choice.”