The National Center for Education Statistics of the United States Department of Education has released "The Condition of Education 2015." The report has a wealth of information that should be useful to everybody involved in the field of education. Although the data includes many topics other than special education, the IDEA numbers are always interesting.
Here are some of the special education highlights:
"From school years 1990–91 through 2004–05, the number
of children and youth ages 3–21 who received special education services increased, as did the percentage of total
public school enrollment they constituted: 4.7 million
children and youth ages 3–21, or about 11 percent of
public school enrollment, received special education
services in 1990–91, compared with 6.7 million, or about
14 percent, in 2004–05. Both the number and percentage
of children and youth served under IDEA declined from
2004–05 through 2011–12, with some evidence of leveling
off in 2012–13. By 2012–13, the number of children and
youth receiving services under IDEA had declined to
6.4 million, corresponding to 13 percent of total public
school enrollment." (emphasis added)
"... In 2012–13, some 35 percent of all children
and youth receiving special education services had specific
learning disabilities, 21 percent had speech or language
impairments, and 12 percent had other health impairments
(including having limited strength, vitality, or alertness
due to chronic or acute health problems such as a heart condition, tuberculosis, rheumatic fever, nephritis, asthma,
sickle cell anemia, hemophilia, epilepsy, lead poisoning,
leukemia, or diabetes). Children and youth with autism,
intellectual disabilities, developmental delays, or emotional
disturbances each accounted for between 6 and 8 percent of students served under IDEA. Children and youth with
multiple disabilities, hearing impairments, orthopedic
impairments, visual impairments, traumatic brain injuries,
or deaf-blindness each accounted for 2 percent or less of
those served under IDEA."
"About 95 percent of school-age children and youth ages
6–21 who were served under IDEA in 2012–13 were
enrolled in regular schools. Some 3 percent of children
and youth ages 6–21 who were served under IDEA were
enrolled in separate schools (public or private) for students
with disabilities; 1 percent were placed by their parents
in regular private schools; and less than 1 percent each
were in separate residential facilities (public or private),
homebound or in hospitals, or in correctional facilities.
Among all children and youth ages 6–21 who were served
under IDEA, the percentage who spent most of the
school day (i.e., 80 percent or more of time) in general
classes in regular schools increased from 33 percent in
1990–91 to 61 percent in 2012–13. In contrast, during
the same period, the percentage of those who spent 40 to
79 percent of the school day in general classes declined from 36 to 20 percent, and the percentage of those who
spent less than 40 percent of time inside general classes
also declined from 25 to 14 percent. In 2012–13, the
percentage of students served under IDEA who spent
most of the school day in general classes was highest
for students with speech or language impairments
(87 percent). Approximately two-thirds of students with
specific learning disabilities (67 percent), students with
visual impairments (64 percent), students with other
health impairments (64 percent), and students with
developmental delays (62 percent) spent most of the
school day in general classes. In contrast, 16 percent of
students with intellectual disabilities and 13 percent of
students with multiple disabilities spent most of the school
day in general classes."
You may review the entire 320 page report here. An "at a glance" summary is available here. Some of the highlights of the report are available here.
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