Fostering School Belonging for Students in Special Education

By Maegan Arney, M.A., and Christopher Rozek, Ph.D.

This report examines the unique challenges to and opportunities for school belonging for students in special education, along with best practices to support school belonging for special education students.

Key Points:

• The number of special education students in Missouri is rising and special education staffing vacancies are large and persistent in Missouri public schools, thereby creating a gap between the school support for students with special needs and the available resources.

• Special education students often question their sense of school belonging, which is a fundamental need linked to mental, emotional, and physical wellbeing and is defined by how much students feel included, accepted, respected, and supported within the school environment. 

• Special education students face challenges to their sense of school belonging, and previous attempts to address this issue have been inadequate.

• A review of the literature identified 3 areas to support school belonging for special education students: 1) emphasizing student-teacher connections 2) reinforcing adaptive student attitudes and skills and 3) creating a positive school environment.