Majority of States Need Help With Spec. Ed. Rules

Twenty-six states and the District of Columbia need some degree of support in meeting the requirements of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, according to the U.S. Department of Education's most recent evaluation of state performance.

States were measured on the percentage of students with disabilities participating in state tests and the National Assessment of Educational Progress, the percentage with disabilities scoring at or above "basic" on NAEP, the percentage of students who dropped out, and the percentage with disabilities who graduated with a regular high school diploma.

In the category of "meets requirements" were 24 states, up five from last year. The remaining states were deemed "needs assistance" or "needs intervention," each of which comes with some level of increased help or oversight by the department.