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Section 11: **Special Education**

**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.**

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**Table 11.1: Special Education—Students Ages Six to 21 Served under IDEA, Part B, as aPercentage of Population**In the fall of 2011, there were 67,789,851 students ages 6-21 in the United States. Of these students, 5,670,680 or 8.4 percent received special education services under IDEA, Part B. Idaho and Hawaii had the smallest percentage (6.3 percent), while New Jersey and the District of Columbia had the largest percentage (11.2 percent).

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**Table 11.2: Special Education—Children and Students Served under IDEA, Part B, by Age**Of the 6,401,238 youth ages 3-21 who received special education services under IDEA, Part B, in the fall of 2011, 730,558 (or 11.4 percent) were 3-5 years old; 2,603,978 (or 40.7 percent) were 6-11 years old; 2,700,842 (or 42.2 percent) were 12-17 years old; and 365,860 (or 5.7 percent) were 18-21 years old.

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**Table 11.3a: Special Education—Students Ages Six to 21 Served under IDEA, Part B, by SelectDiagnostic CategoriesTable 11.3b:Special Education—Students Ages Six to 21 Served under IDEA, Part B, by Select Diagnostic Categories:,****Table 11.3c:Special Education—Students Ages Six to 21 Served under IDEA, Part B, by Select Diagnostic Categories:****Table 11.3d: Special Education—Students Ages Six to 21 Served under IDEA, Part B, by Select Diagnostic Categories:**The 5,670,680 students ages 6-21 who received special education services under IDEA, Part B, in the fall of 2011 were in the following diagnostic categories: 2,293,861 (or 40.5 percent) in specific learning disability, 1,043,781 (or 18.1 percent) in speech or language impairment, 422,401 (or 7.4 percent) in intellectual disabilities, 370,049 (or 6.5 percent) in emotional disturbance, 123,762 (or 2.2 percent) in multiple disabilities, 68,494 (or 1.2 percent) in hearing impairments, 53,939 (or 1.0 percent) in orthopedic impairments, 722,993(or 12.7 percent) in other health impairments, 24,811 (or 0.4 percent) in visual impairments, 404,544 (or 7.1 percent) in autism, 1,294 (or 0.02 percent) in deaf-blindness, 24,224 (or 0.4 percent) in traumatic brain injury, and 115,454 (or 2.0 percent) in developmental delay.

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**Table 11.4: Special Education—Educational Environment—Students Ages Six to 21 Served under IDEA, Part B, that Spent 40 Percent or More Time Inside Regular Class**Of the 5,670,680 youth ages 6-21 who received special education services under IDEA, Part B, in the fall of 2011, 4,581,991(or 80.8 percent) spend 40 percent or more of their time in the regular classroom. The District of Columbia had the smallest percentage (65.3 percent), while North Dakota had the largest percentage (92.5 percent).

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**Table 11.5: Special Education—Students Ages 14 to 21 Served under IDEA, Part B, Left School, by Reason**Of the 369,997 students ages 14-21 who exited IDEA, Part B, special education services in 2010-2011, 253,156 graduated with a diploma, 58,618 received a certificate, 78,653 dropped out, and 6,404 died/aged out of service.

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**Table 11.6: Special Education—Graduation Rate among Students Ages 14 to 21 Served under IDEA, Part B**Of the 396,997 students ages 14- 21 who exited IDEA, Part B, special education services in 2010-2011 by either graduating with a diploma, receiving a certificate of completion, dropping out, dying, or aging out of service, 63.8 percent graduated with a diploma. Utah had the smallest percentage (14.8 percent), while Minnesota had the largest percentage (87.9 percent).

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**Table 11.7: Special Education—Dropout Rate among Students Ages 14 to 21 Served under IDEA, Part B**Of the 396,997 students ages 14-21 who exited IDEA, Part B, special education services in 2010-2011 by either graduating with a diploma, receiving a certificate of completion, dropping out, dying, or aging out of service, 19.8 percent dropped out. Tennessee had the smallest percentage (7.5 percent), while Utah had the largest percentage (76.3 percent).

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**Table 11.8: Special Education—Change in Graduation Rate among Students Ages 14 to 21 Served under IDEA, Part B**From the school year beginning in fall 2010 to the school year beginning in fall 2011, the graduation rate among students ages 14-21 served under IDEA, Part B, increased in the U.S. by 1.1 percentage points. The graduation rate increased the most in Delaware (by 20.4 percentage points) and decreased the most in Utah (by 62.4 percentage points).

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**Table 11.9: Special Education—Change in Dropout Rate among Students Ages 14 to 21 Served under IDEA, Part B**From the school year beginning in fall 2010 to the school year beginning in fall 2011, the dropout rate among students ages 14-21 served under IDEA, Part B, decreased in the U.S. by 1.1 percentage points. The dropout rate increased the most in Utah (by 57.9 percentage points) and decreased the most in the Delaware (by 17.8 percentage points).

                    - Special Education
                    - 11.1 Special Education—Students Ages 6-21 Served under IDEA, Part B, as a Percentage of Population
                    - 11.2 Special Education—Children and Students Served under IDEA, Part B, by Age
                    - 11.3a Special Education—Students  Ages 6-21 Served under IDEA, Part B, by Select Diagnostic Categories
                    - 11.3b Special Education—Students Ages 6-21 Served under IDEA, Part B, by Select Diagnostic Categories
                    - 11.3c Special Education—Students Ages 6-21 Served under IDEA, Part B, by Select Diagnostic Categories
                    - 11.3d Special Education—Students Ages 6-21 Served under IDEA, Part B, by Select Diagnostic Categories
                    - 11.4 Special Education—Educational Environment—Students Ages 6-21 Served under IDEA, Part B that Spent 40 Percent or More Time Inside Regular Class
                    - 11.5 Special Education—Students Ages 14-21 Served under IDEA, Part B, Left School, by Reason
                    - 11.6 Special Education—Graduation Rate among Students Ages 14-21 Served under IDEA, Part B
                    - 11.7 Special Education—Dropout Rate among Students Ages 14-21 Served under IDEA, Part B
                    - 11.8 Special Education—Change in Graduation Rate among Students Ages 14-21 Served under IDEA, Part B
                    - 11.9 Special Education—Change in Dropout Rate among Students Ages 14-21 Served under IDEA, Part B

 

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