NOTE: Students who exited school by reaching the maximum age and those who died are not shown, but are included in the total. Special education services through the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) are available for eligible youth identified by a team of qualified professionals as having a disability that adversely affects their academic performance and as in need of special education and related services. The Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) calculates the graduation rate by dividing the number of students age 14 or older who graduated with a regular high school diploma by the number of students in the same age group who are known to have left school (i.e., graduated with a regular high school diploma, received a certificate of completion, reached a maximum age for services, died, and are not known to be continuing in an education program or dropped out). See supplemental note 8 for more information about the student disabilities presented here.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP), Data Analysis System (DANS), Children with Disabilities Exiting Special Education, 2005–06 (OMB #1820-0521). Retrieved November 28, 2007, from https://www.ideadata.org/arc_toc8.asp#partbEX.