These disparities need not continue: Experts said there are steps the state can take to level the playing field, from expanding civil legal aid to bolstering the private educator workforce.

Here are five paths the state can follow: settlements outside the district fairer:

Dan Heffernan, experienced attorney specially educated families For the Newton-based company Kotin, Crabtree and Strong LLPShe knows that more parents need her and her colleagues’ help than the company can provide, especially those who can’t afford their hourly wages.

He questioned whether the state could do more to provide attorneys to families with fewer financial resources.

One way to expand access to lawyers is through civil legal aid programs, which received $51 million in the state’s fiscal 2025 budget.

Amy Dion is the education unit’s senior supervising attorney. Community Legal Aid Central and Western Massachusetts. Lawyers in his unit do their best to meet demand, but that’s not always possible, Dion said, adding that additional government funding for civil legal aid would allow programs like his to hire more staff.

“More money allows us to help more people,” he said.

To prove that a child needs special placement to be properly educated, parents need evidence that their child’s school environment is failing them. This evidence mostly comes from extensive academic and neuropsychological testing.

If parents object to a district’s testing results, they have the right to request an independent educational evaluation, which can cost thousands of dollars.

These assessments must be paid by the district based on the family’s income level. But attorneys and advocates told the Globe: state rate Because such assessments are not broad enough, causing doctors to turn away families in need. For example, a comprehensive neuropsychological evaluation costs $1,15.67 per hour, with maximum coverage limited to $2,780.88.

Ashley Straker, the education unit’s supervising attorney, said increasing the rate would lead to more children being evaluated and more rapid results. Southeastern Massachusetts Justice Centeranother legal aid program.

“Many appraisers don’t charge the state rate,” Straker said. “We are seeing waiting lists that are now six months long, time is passing, and the student is not receiving the services and supports they need.”

Craig Horning, a Newton dad Founded 2020 Beyond Children’s ReadingIt is a nonprofit organization based in Needham that helps families with reading disabilities advocate for better services. The nonprofit hopes to empower parents early with detailed neuropsychological and academic assessments they can take to their children’s schools.

With such diagnostic information, schools should be better equipped to support the unique needs of individual children. According to Horning, this method is similar to proactive healthcare.

“It will save the state money in the long run,” he said.

Having test results on hand is often not enough. Many families feel that in order to influence districts’ decisions, they should pay evaluators to give personal testimony on their children’s behalf.

It would cost even more to do this For example, some neuropsychologists charge hundreds of dollars for a one-hour appearance. Straker said increasing access to experts is a matter of equity.

“If a parent can find their own evaluator, they can level the playing field because districts already have their own experts,” he said.

The state has no data Whether certain groups of students in Massachusetts benefit disproportionately from out-of-district placements.

What little information is available points to disparities among federally protected groups. A 2014 government report found that low-income students were five times less likely to be placed in private special education schools at public expense than their more advantaged peers. In Massachusetts, as elsewhere in the United States, Black and Latino students, including those still learning English, tend to come from lower-income families compared with their white and native English-speaking peers.

“More transparency is absolutely critical to ensure we are meeting the needs of all students in Massachusetts and not leaving students behind,” said Executive Director Pam Nourse. Federation of Children with Special NeedsA Boston-based organization that supports parents of special education students.

A Department of Elementary and Secondary Education spokesperson said the state is “committed to promoting equal access to special education services for all students with disabilities” and “continues to work with districts, schools, and families to remove any barriers to that access.” especially in terms of students’ race and family income.”

Experts said one of the areas that needs to be addressed is the employment of special education personnel in both public and private schools. There are not enough special educators, including teachers and therapists, to adequately serve Massachusetts students.

A new program in collaboration with the Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development Apprentice Division, which provides on-the-job training that allows participants to earn income while working toward their teaching licenses, will help the state increase its portfolio of special educators. According to the Ministry of Education.

Mandy McLaren can be reached at [email protected]. follow him @mandy_mclaren.