Project title: Does Policy Affect Performance?: Investigating Special Education in a Disadvantaged Schools
Project description: My research will be a case study of an urban school that has a remarkably high proportion of special education students. I will explore why this is the case, and also how additional funding from special education classification is being used to address the needs and performance of special and general education students. I will also examine how local, state, and national policies have impacted the school’s outcomes. I will begin by using publicly available data to summarize the demographic composition, academic outcomes, and points of disparity in the school. I will then conduct interviews with students, teachers, and administrators to collect individual perspectives about the conduct, priorities, and efficacy of the school, and to understand the role of special education in the school system. Studying contemporary educational disparities and their connection to special education can shine light on the pervasive issues of insufficient education and help assess how the policy landscape shapes these problems.
Most important achievement: I was the valedictorian of my high school graduating class and transferred to Cornell with a perfect GPA at my former university.
Reflections on the College Scholar Program: This program has been an amazing opportunity to meet other passionate scholars, learn about interesting and important research, and take an interdisciplinary approach to my undergraduate education. I look forward to spending the next few years working on my research alongside amazing faculty and students.