Section 11 Special Education
(13 tables in this section)This section presents statistics on Special Education programs, specifically on children served under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), Part B. These data concern the number of children with disabilities served (by age and by type of disability), mainstream education of children with disabilities, dropout and graduation rates, and state grant awards. The principal source of this data is the Office of Special Education Programs’ Data Accountability Center, which produces IDEA 618 Data Tables.
Table 11.1 - Students Ages 6-21 Served under IDEA, Part B, as a Percentage of Population: Fall 2009
In the fall of 2009, there were 70,460,780 students ages 6-21 in the United States. Of these students’ ages 6-21, 5,764,365 or 8.18 percent received special education services under IDEA, Part B. Texas had the smallest percentage (6.28 percent), while West Virginia had the largest percentage (10.95 percent).
Table 11.2 - Children and Students Served under IDEA, Part B, by Age: Fall 2009
Of the 6,480,540 youth ages 3-21 that received special education services under IDEA, Part B, in the fall of 2009, 716,175 (or 11.1 percent) were 3-5 years old; 2,637,063 (or 40.7 percent) were 6-11 years old; 2,770,382 (or 42.8 percent) were 12-17 years old, and 356,920 (or 5.5 percent) were 18-21 years old.
Table 11.3a -
The 5,764,365 students ages 6-21 that received special education services under IDEA, Part B, in the fall of 2009 were in the following diagnostic categories: 2,215,158 (or 38.4 percent) in specific learning disability, 1,086,552 (or 18.8 percent) in speech or language impairment, 442,460 (or 7.7 percent) in mental retardation, 379,001 (or 6.6 percent) in emotional disturbance, 122,902 (or 2.1 percent) in multiple disabilities, 69,642 (or 1.2 percent) in hearing impairments, 57,195 (or 1.0 percent) in orthopedic impairments, 670,289 (or 11.6 percent) in other health impairments, 24,520 (or 0.4 percent) in visual impairments, 331,128 (or 5.7 percent) in autism, 865 (or 0.01 percent) in deaf-blindness, 18,299 (or 0.3 percent) in traumatic brain injury, and 104,044 (or 1.8 percent) in developmental delay.
Table 11.3b - Students Ages 6-21 Served under IDEA, Part B, by Select Diagnostic Categories: Fall 2009
Table 11.3c - Students Ages 6-21 Served under IDEA, Part B, by Select Diagnostic Categories: Fall 2009
Table 11.3d - Students Ages 6-21 Served under IDEA, Part B, by Select Diagnostic Categories: Fall 2009
Table 11.4 - Educational Environment—Students Ages 6-21 Served under IDEA, Part B that Spent 40 Percent or More Time Inside Regular Class: Fall 2009
Of the 5,764,365 youth ages 6-21 that received special education services under IDEA, Part B, in the fall of 2009, 4,610,824 (or 80.0 percent) spend 40 percent or more of their time in the regular classroom. The New Jersey had the smallest percentage (71.2 percent), while North Dakota had the largest percentage (92.8 percent).
Table 11.5 - Students Ages 14-21 Served under IDEA, Part B, Left School, by Reason: 2008-2009
Of the 404,075 students ages 14-21 that exited IDEA, Part B, special education services in 2008-2009, 245,131 graduated with a diploma, 61,230 received a certificate, 90,028 dropped out, and 7,686 died/aged out of service.
Table 11.6 - Graduation Rate among Students Ages 14-21 Served under IDEA, Part B: 2008-2009
Of the 404,075 students ages 14-21 that exited IDEA, Part B, special education services in 2008-2009 by either graduating with a diploma, receiving a certificate of completion, dropping out, dying, or aging out of service, 60.7 percent graduated with a diploma. Mississippi had the smallest percentage (24.3 percent), while Minnesota had the largest percentage (89.0 percent).
Table 11.7 - Dropout Rate among Students Ages 14-21 Served under IDEA, Part B: 2008-2009
Of the 404,075 students ages 14-21 that exited IDEA, Part B, special education services in 2008-2009 by either graduating with a diploma, receiving a certificate of completion, dropping out, dying, or aging out of service, 22.3 percent dropped out. Hawaii had the smallest percentage (2.8 percent), while South Carolina had the largest percentage (52.5 percent).
Table 11.8 - Change in Graduation Rate among Students Ages 14-21 Served under IDEA, Part B: Fall 2008 School Year to Fall 2009 School Year
From the school year beginning in fall 2008 to the school year beginning in fall 2009, the graduation rate among students ages 14-21 served under IDEA, Part B, increased in the U.S. by 1.7 percentage points. The graduation rate increased the most in Nevada (by 13.7 percentage points) and decreased the most in Idaho (by 5.4 percentage points).
Table 11.9 - Change in Dropout Rate among Students Ages 14-21 Served under IDEA, Part B: Fall 2008 School Year to Fall 2009 School Year
From the school year beginning in fall 2008 to the school year beginning in fall 2009, the dropout rate among students ages 14-21 served IDEA, Part B, decreased in the U.S. by 2.3 percentage points. The dropout rate increased the most in South Carolina (by 6.7 percentage points) and decreased the most in Alabama (by 13.5 percentage points).
Table 11.10 - State Grant Awards under IDEA Part B (in dollars): Federal Fiscal Year 2007
In Federal Fiscal Year 2007, the U.S. spent a total of $10,915,537,584 in state grant awards under IDEA Part B. Of that total amount, $10,537,948,900 was spent on IDEA Part B Section 611 (children ages 5-21) and $377,588,684 was spent on IDEA Part B Section 619 (children ages 3-5).
Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) 618 Data Tables—The IDEA 618 Data Tables are tables produced annually by the Data Accountability Center, a division of the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP). The Data Accountability Center (DAC) was created to “improve the quality of all state-reported data required by the IDEA.” The tables created by the DAC are produced using data that are submitted annually by each state. These tables provide state and national level data on IDEA, Part B. The IDEA 618 Data Tables referenced in the Compendium include: Child Count, Educational Environment, and Exiting.
Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)—A law ensuring services to children with disabilities throughout the nation. IDEA governs how states and public agencies provide early intervention, special education, and related services to more than 6.5 million eligible infants, toddlers, children, and youth with disabilities. Infants and toddlers with disabilities (birth-2) and their families receive early intervention services under IDEA Part C. Children and youth (ages 3-21) receive special education and related services under IDEA Part B.
Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) Part B, Section 611—Section 611 is a part of IDEA Part B that allocates educational funding to children with disabilities ages 6-21.
Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) Part B, Section 619—Section 619 is a part of IDEA Part B that allocates educational funding to children with disabilities ages 3-5.
Special Education—Specially designed instruction, at no cost to the parents, to meet the unique needs of a child with a disability, including (i) instruction at the classroom, home, hospitals and institutions, and in other settings; and (ii) physical education. The term can include each of the following:
- Speech-language pathology services, or any other related service, if the service is considered special education rather than a related service under State standards;
- Travel training; and
- Vocational education.