What federal education data shows about disabled students in the U.S.
autside.substack.com
The Pew Research Center recently updated a 2020 story about disabled students in the US. Here is a summary of the key points from the text:
The number of students receiving special education services in U.S. public schools has grown over the past few decades, reaching 7.3 million or 15% of total enrollment in 2021-22. However, there was a temporary drop during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020-21, marking the first decline in over a decade. Enrollment bounced back the next year but overall public school enrollment remained flat.
Many school districts struggle to hire special education professionals, with 40% reporting difficulty filling positions in 2020-21. This shortage predates the pandemic. The most common disabilities are specific learning disabilities like dyslexia, followed by speech/language impairments and chronic health conditions. Autism diagnoses have risen steadily.
“[Autistic students] made up 12% of the nation’s schoolchildren with disabilities in 2021-22, compared with 1.5% in 2000-01. During those two decades, the share of disabled students with a specific learning disability, such as dyslexia, declined from 45% to 32%.”
There is wide variation across states in the percentage of students receiving services, from 11-20%, likely reflecting inconsistencies in eligibility criteria and identification. Most states have seen increases over time, except a few like Rhode Island. Demographically, students with IEPs resemble the overall student population but are more likely to be male.
Factors like a school's demographics, test scores and academic performance may influence special ed placement, rather than just individual student needs. Overall, while progress has been made, gaps remain in properly identifying and serving all students with disabilities. More resources and standardized policies could help address these gaps.
What federal education data shows about disabled students in the U.S.
What federal education data shows about disabled students in the U.S.
What federal education data shows about disabled students in the U.S.
The Pew Research Center recently updated a 2020 story about disabled students in the US. Here is a summary of the key points from the text:
The number of students receiving special education services in U.S. public schools has grown over the past few decades, reaching 7.3 million or 15% of total enrollment in 2021-22. However, there was a temporary drop during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020-21, marking the first decline in over a decade. Enrollment bounced back the next year but overall public school enrollment remained flat.
Many school districts struggle to hire special education professionals, with 40% reporting difficulty filling positions in 2020-21. This shortage predates the pandemic. The most common disabilities are specific learning disabilities like dyslexia, followed by speech/language impairments and chronic health conditions. Autism diagnoses have risen steadily.
There is wide variation across states in the percentage of students receiving services, from 11-20%, likely reflecting inconsistencies in eligibility criteria and identification. Most states have seen increases over time, except a few like Rhode Island. Demographically, students with IEPs resemble the overall student population but are more likely to be male.
Factors like a school's demographics, test scores and academic performance may influence special ed placement, rather than just individual student needs. Overall, while progress has been made, gaps remain in properly identifying and serving all students with disabilities. More resources and standardized policies could help address these gaps.