Labeling to Help? Special Education Identification and Academic and Nonacademic Outcomes

This study examined associations between special education services and academic and behavioral outcomes for students identified with learning disabilities (LD) using statewide data from Indiana covering kindergarten through eighth grade. Results from student fixed-effects models indicate that special education services are associated with higher achievement in math and English language arts, but also with increased school disciplinary incidents, including suspensions and expulsions, and higher numbers of absences. These associations differ across student subgroups, including gender, race/ethnicity, eligibility for free or reduced-price lunch, and English language learner status. The findings underscore the complex nature of special education services, highlighting heterogeneous patterns across both outcomes and student subgroups.