The Proof is in the Pudding. At least that is what my grandmother used to tell me. Perhaps she was smart enough to know that someday that would be the way the government measures success. It seems that everything we do at the Federation these days requires us to report our successes in terms of outcomes. In other words, the process itself is not enough--concrete benefits must be the result. When it comes to students with disabilities, the outcomes that result from a high quality education, access to health care, and full participation in their own communities are what count.

In recent weeks, two examples of successful outcomes have come to my attention. The first involved a caller to the Federation. She was a community college student who was doing research on disability issues. She called the Federation seeking more information on Bipolar disorder for a paper she was preparing for class. The call seemed a bit unusual, so the staff member who received it asked for some clarification. The caller herself has a disability and she knew to call the Federation because she knows the Federation can help, and her father works there! Indeed, while I was out of town on business, my own daughter, who has Down syndrome, was doing research for a class report. Since I wasn't around, she sought the assistance of the Federation staff to meet her deadline. I am pleased that the Federation was able to assist this new kind of caller, and that the paper was submitted on time. You see, the proof is in the pudding!

A second example was reported in the Boston Globe in December 2002. The story identified another young woman with Down syndrome who passed the state's MCAS exam on the first try. This, of course, is a tremendous accomplishment on her part and speaks to the power of a successful partnership between home and school. It should not be misinterpreted that this accomplishment is anything more than a tremendous accomplishment by one student. However, it speaks to the possibilities. With the advent of high standards, many people these standards could never work for students with disabilities. But now, though in limited examples, we can see that progress is being made. Across the nation, similar experiences are occurring. Students with disabilities are demonstrating some of the biggest gains of all students since the beginning of the education reform efforts of the early 90's. The proof is in the pudding.

Yet, even with phenomenal successes, we know there are many more students with disabilities, from other language groups, or of minority status who have yet to realize these promises. While we applaud early successes, the job has only just begun. In these days of economic stress it will be tempting to give up too soon or to claim too much money is being spent unnecessarily on special education instead of general education. In this era of No Child Left Behind, we cannot give up or give in until the job is complete. You see, the proof is in the pudding!

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