Angelosante talks to Harpswell Anchor about increase in special education enrollment in Maine
Maine PBIS Initiative Coordinator Courtney Angelosante was quoted in a recent article in the Harpswell Anchor about an increase in special education enrollment in the state. In Maine School Administrative District 75 (Harpswell, Topsham, Bowdoin and Bowdoinham), nearly 25% of students were enrolled in special education services during the 2023-24 school year, up from 21% five years earlier, according to the article. The increase reflects a trend seen across the state and nationally, with experts attributing much of the long-term trend to improved identification practices and increased awareness of developmental and learning disabilities. Angelosante said the increase is a complex, multipronged issue that has been exacerbated by the disruption in education and family life caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. “We had many kids entering kindergarten who needed and didn’t receive early intervention, or weren’t being socialized with play dates or preschool,” Angelosante said. “And then we have our middle schoolers, who also missed a pretty critical time in terms of building and practicing social skills.” Angelosante added that it is every educator’s job to teach and support students with behavioral issues, but the difficulty for teachers has increased recently along with the quantity and intensity of behavior-related incidents. “It’s hard to both teach and be putting out fires from children who need a lot more direct instruction in positive behaviors,” she said.