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 statistics concern the number of children with disabilities served (by age and by type of disability), inclusive education of children with disabilities, dropout and graduation rates, and state grant awards. The principal source of these statistics is the Office of Special Education Programs' Data Accountability Center, which produces IDEA 618 Data Tables.
Table 11.1: Special Education—Students Ages Six to 21 Served under IDEA, Part B, as a
Percentage of Population
In the fall of 2010, there were 67,776,207 students ages six to 21 in the United States. Of these students' ages six to 21, 5,699,061 or 8.4 percent received special education services under IDEA, Part B. Idaho had the smallest percentage (6.3 percent), while New Jersey had the largest percentage (11.6 percent).
Table 11.2: Special Education—Children and Students Served under IDEA, Part B, by Age
Of the 6,419,405 youth ages three to 21 who received special education services under IDEA, Part B, in the fall of 2010, 720,344 (or 11.2 percent) were three to five years old; 2,611,244 (or 40.7 percent) were six to 11 years old; 2,724,538 (or 42.4 percent) were 12 to 17 years old, and 363.279 (or 5.7 percent) were 18 to 21 years old.
Table 11.3a: Special Education—Students Ages Six to 21 Served under IDEA, Part B, by Select
Diagnostic Categories
Table 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 5,699,061 students ages six to 21 who received special education services under IDEA, Part B, in the fall of 2010 were in the following diagnostic categories: 2,346,993 (or 41.2 percent) in specific learning disability; 1,063,888 (or 18.7 percent) in speech or language impairment; 435,170 (or 7.6 percent) in mental retardation; 385,492 (or 6.8 percent) in emotional disturbance; 122,062 (or 2.1 percent) in multiple disabilities; 68,585 (or 1.2 percent) in hearing impairments; 55,229 (or 1.0 percent) in orthopedic impairments; 694,216 (or 12.2 percent) in other health impairments; 24,773 (or 0.4 percent) in visual impairments; 367,688 (or 6.5 percent) in autism; 1,217 (or 0.02 percent) in deaf-blindness; 24,308 (or 0.4 percent) in traumatic brain injury; and 108,622 (or 1.9 percent) in developmental delay.
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 5,699,061 students ages six to 21 who received special education services under IDEA, Part B, in the fall of 2010, 4,583,965 (or 80.4 percent) spent 40 percent or more of their time in the regular classroom. The District of Columbia had the smallest percentage (60.8 percent), while North Dakota had the largest percentage (93.1 percent).
Table 11.5: Special Education—Students Ages 14 to 21 Served under IDEA, Part B, Left School, by Reason
Of the 405,520 students ages 14 to 21 who exited IDEA, Part B, special education services in 2009-2010, 253,815 graduated with a diploma, 59,676 received a certificate, 84,421 dropped out, and 6,328 died or aged out of service.
Table 11.6: Special Education—Graduation Rate among Students Ages 14 to 21 Served under IDEA, Part B
Of the 404,520 students ages 14 to 21 who exited IDEA, Part B, special education services in 2009-2010 by either graduating with a diploma, receiving a certificate of completion, dropping out, dying, or aging out of service, 62.7 percent graduated with a diploma. Mississippi had the smallest percentage (25.2 percent), while Minnesota had the largest percentage (88.3 percent).
Table 11.7: Special Education—Dropout Rate among Students Ages 14 to 21 Served under IDEA, Part B
Of the 404,520 students ages 14 to 21 who exited IDEA, Part B, special education services in 2009-2010 by either graduating with a diploma, receiving a certificate of completion, dropping out, dying, or aging out of service, 20.9 percent dropped out. Tennessee had the smallest percentage (7.9 percent), while South Carolina had the largest percentage (53.7 percent).
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 2009 to the school year beginning in Fall 2010, the graduation rate among students ages 14 to 21 served under IDEA, Part B, increased in the United States by 2.0 percentage points. The graduation rate increased the most in Indiana (by 10.1 percentage points) and decreased the most in Delaware (by 10.3 percentage points).
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 2009 to the school year beginning in fall 2010, the dropout rate among students ages 14 to 21 served under IDEA, Part B, decreased in the United States by 1.4 percentage points. The dropout rate increased the most in Hawaii (by 14.1 percentage points) and decreased the most in the District of Columbia (by 18.7 percentage points).