The Role of Special Education Interest Groups in National Policy ...

policy domain. I propose that while all groups in the study target the various institutions depending on the policy issue or legislative calendar, parent advocacy groups target institutions and members differently than other interest groups, given the bipartisanship of special education, the highly personal nature of parent advocacy, and the looser organizational structure of parent groups versus groups representing education and other professions. I further argue that parent organizations, given their roots in social movements, may choose strategies characteristics of social movement organizations. This means that at times of gridlock or irreconcilable conflict, parent and disability advocacy groups resort to “outside” tactics, such as public demonstrations.

Effectiveness. Finally, I provide a longitudinal analysis of the groups’ effectiveness based on victories in Congress and the Supreme Court. I test effectiveness over time and arenas using group type, organizational characteristics, and problem definition as independent variables. I show that problem definition matters. In other words, how groups frame their policy concerns, envision students with disabilities, and narrate their story are determinants of effectiveness, overriding organizational resources. Then I analyze group visibility and influence from the perspective of elite interviewees. I propose a model of the determinants of effectiveness, which integrates the results from the various data sources. I argue that perceived group status is a manifestation of being a repeat player in the policy-making process and thus, contrary to prior research, an independent variable as opposed to indicator of effectiveness.

In the rest of this chapter, I provide a legislative history of the federal special-education statute of 1975, to illustrate the role of the courts, Congress, and interest groups in the conception of federal special education policy. Then I discuss the content of the federal law, the eligible children, and provide an overview of special education advocacy organizations. I outline the general study design and discuss the limitations of this research. I conclude with a summary of the organization of the rest of the book.