Neag School Researchers Seek to Use Innovative Methods and Analysis to Reimagine Special Education Policy

February 18, 2026 - 01:42

A groundbreaking initiative is underway to fundamentally reshape how special education policy is analyzed and developed. The effort, centered on applying innovative quantitative and critical frameworks, was the focus of a recent two-day conference that convened national experts at the University of Connecticut.

The conference, supported by the Spencer Foundation, served as a strategic planning session for a proposed new policy center dedicated to this mission. The core objective is to move beyond traditional data analysis by integrating Quantitative Critical Theory, or QuantCrit. This approach explicitly examines how racial, cultural, and socioeconomic biases can be embedded within numbers, algorithms, and policies themselves.

Proponents argue that standard metrics and evaluations in special education often perpetuate systemic inequities. By employing QuantCrit and other advanced methodological tools, researchers aim to uncover these hidden disparities and construct a more equitable, evidence-based policy landscape. The planned center would focus on training a new generation of scholars in these techniques while producing actionable research for lawmakers and educational leaders.

The gathering emphasized collaboration across disciplines, bringing together specialists in education, sociology, statistics, and law. The consensus was that a rigorous, justice-oriented examination of data is crucial for creating policies that truly serve all students, particularly those from marginalized communities who are disproportionately represented in special education systems. This initiative marks a significant step toward reimagining the field through a lens of equity and precision.