Students With Disabilities

During the 2018-19 academic year, approximately 7.1 million students aged 3 to 21, representing 14% of all public school attendees, benefited from special education services provided under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). Of these students, 33% were identified with specific learning disabilities.

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), initially established in 1975 as the Education for All Handicapped Children Act, guarantees a free and suitable public education to eligible students within the specified age range. These students are recognized by a professional team as having a disability that significantly hinders their academic achievement and necessitates special education and related services. The government started tracking compliance with the IDEA through data collection beginning in 1976.

Between the 2000-01 and 2004-05 school years, the number of students aged 3 to 21 receiving special education services under IDEA grew from 6.3 million (13% of all public school students) to 6.7 million (14% of all public school students). However, both the number and proportion of students served by IDEA saw a decline from the 2004-05 school year until the 2011-12 school year. After that period, there was an uptick in the number and percentage of students served; it climbed from 6.4 million to 7.1 million, and the proportion of public school students served increased from 13% to 14% by the 2018-19 school year.

In the 2018-19 academic year, the largest proportion of students aged 3-21 receiving special education services under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) were those with specific learning disabilities. A specific learning disability is defined as a disorder in one or more of the fundamental psychological processes used in understanding or using language, whether spoken or written. This may result in difficulties with listening, thinking, speaking, reading, writing, spelling, or performing mathematical calculations. In that year, 33% of all students who received special education services were classified under specific learning disabilities. Additionally, 19% had speech or language impairments, and 15% suffered from other health impairments, which include conditions that limit strength, vitality, or alertness, such as chronic or acute health issues like heart conditions, asthma, diabetes, or epilepsy. Students with autism, developmental delays, intellectual disabilities, and emotional disturbances comprised between 5% and 11% of those served under IDEA. Those with multiple disabilities, hearing impairments, orthopedic impairments, visual impairments, traumatic brain injuries, and deaf-blindness each made up 2% or less of the students served.

In the 2018–19 school year, the proportion of students aged 3–21 who received special education services under IDEA varied significantly across different racial and ethnic groups. American Indian/Alaska Native students had the highest percentage of recipients at 18%, followed by Black students at 16%. White students and students of two or more races each accounted for 14%, while Hispanic students were at 13%, Pacific Islander students at 11%, and Asian students at 7%.

For Hispanic, American Indian/Alaska Native, Pacific Islander, and White students within this age range, those receiving services for specific learning disabilities combined with speech or language impairments made up 50% or more of those receiving services under IDEA. For their Black peers of two or more races and Asians, these services accounted for between 40% and 50% of the total served.

The distribution of the types of special education services varied by race/ethnicity as well. For instance, the percentage of students with disabilities receiving services for specific learning disabilities was lower for Asian students (19%), students of two or more races (29%), and White students (29%) compared to the overall percentage of 33%. However, the proportion of students with disabilities receiving services for autism was higher for Asian students (25%) and students of two or more races (12%) compared to the overall figure of 11%. Also, 7% of Black students and students of two or more races received services for emotional disturbances, while the overall rate was 5%.

Data specifically detailing the special education services for male and female students is available only for those aged 6–21 rather than 3–21. In the 2018–19 school year, a larger percentage of male students (18%) received special education services under IDEA compared to female students (10%). Additionally, the distribution of services varied by gender. For example, the percentage of students receiving services for specific learning disabilities was higher among female students (44%) compared to male students (34%), while the percentage receiving services for autism was higher among male students (13%) compared to female students (5%).

Data on the educational settings for students aged 6–21 who are served under IDEA indicate that about 95% of these students were attending regular schools by Fall 2018. A smaller segment, 3%, attended specialized schools (either public or private) designed for students with disabilities; 1% were placed by their parents in conventional private schools; and less than 1% were either homebound, hospitalized, in separate residential facilities, or in correctional facilities. Over the years, there has been a notable shift in how much time students spend in general classrooms. From Fall 2000 to Fall 2018, the proportion of students who spent the majority of the school day (i.e., 80% or more of their time) in general classrooms rose from 47% to 64%. Conversely, the share of students spending 40 to 79% of their day in general classrooms decreased from 30% to 18%, and those spending less than 40% of their time in general classrooms dropped from 20% to 13%.

In Fall 2018, the highest percentage of students spending most of their school day in general classrooms were those with speech or language impairments (88%). About 72% of students with specific learning disabilities, 68% with visual impairments, 67% with other health impairments, 66% with developmental delays, and 63% with hearing impairments also spent the majority of their school day in general classes. In stark contrast, only 17% of students with intellectual disabilities and 14% of those with multiple disabilities spent most of their time in general classroom settings.

Furthermore, data for students aged 14–21 who were served under IDEA and exited school during the 2017–18 academic year are available, including the reasons for exiting. Approximately 414,000 students in this age group exited school that year: 73% graduated with a regular high school diploma, 16% dropped out, 10% received an alternative certificate, 1% aged out of eligibility for special education services, and less than half a percent passed away.

In the 2017–18 academic year, the outcomes for students aged 14–21 who were served under IDEA and exited school varied significantly across different races and ethnicities. The highest graduation rate with a regular high school diploma was among Asian students at 79%, while the lowest was for Black students at 66%. Conversely, the highest percentage of students receiving an alternative certificate was observed among Black students at 12%, with American Indian/Alaska Native students having the lowest at 4%. The dropout rate was most pronounced among American Indian/Alaska Native students at 24% and least among Asian students at 7%.

Additionally, the exit outcomes also varied significantly based on the type of disability these students had. Students with speech or language impairments had the highest graduation rate at 86%, whereas those with multiple disabilities had the lowest at 47%. Students with intellectual disabilities were most likely to receive an alternative certificate at 32%, while those with speech or language impairments were least likely at just 3%. The highest dropout rate was seen among students with emotional disturbances at 32%, and the lowest was among those with deaf-blindness at 5%.