Students with disabilities, inclusion of
Question:
What percentage of students with disabilities are educated in general classrooms?
Response:
Enacted in 1975, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) mandates the provision of a free and appropriate public school education for eligible students ages 3–21.
Of the school-age children served under IDEA in fall 2021,1
- 95 percent were enrolled in regular schools;
- 2 percent were enrolled in separate schools (public or private) for students with disabilities;
- 2 percent were parentally placed in regular private schools;2 and
- 1 percent were homebound or in hospitals, in separate residential facilities (public or private), or in correctional facilities.
Students served under IDEA who attended regular schools spent different percentages of time during the school day in general classes, and these percentages changed over time. Between fall 2010 and fall 2021,3 among all school-age students served under IDEA, the percentage who were in regular schools and spent various amounts of time in general classes changed as follows:
- the percentage who spent 80 percent or more of their time in general classes increased from 61 to 67 percent;
- the percentage who spent 40 to 79 percent of their time in general classes decreased from 20 to 16 percent; and
- the percentage who spent less than 40 percent of their time in general classes decreased from 14 to 13 percent.
In fall 2021, more than two-thirds of students with the following disabilities spent 80 percent or more of their time during the school day in general classes:
- speech or language impairments (88 percent);
- specific learning disabilities (75 percent);
- other health impairments (70 percent);
- developmental delays (70 percent); and
- visual impairments (70 percent).
Less than one-third of students with the following disabilities spent 80 percent or more of their time during the school day in general classes:
- deaf-blindness (30 percent);
- intellectual disabilities (20 percent); and
- multiple disabilities (15 percent).
1 Data throughout this Fast Fact represent the 50 states and the District of Columbia.
2 Refers to students who are enrolled by their parents or guardians in regular private schools and have their basic education paid for through private resources but receive special education and/or related services at public expense.
3 For fall 2010 through fall 2018, school-age students include students ages 6–21. Due to changes in reporting requirements in the fall 2019 data collection, the number of 6- to 21-year-olds served may include some 5-year-olds enrolled in kindergarten in that year. Starting in the fall 2020 data collection, school-age students include 6- to 21-year-olds and 5-year-olds enrolled in kindergarten.
SOURCE: National Center for Education Statistics. (2023). Students with Disabilities. Condition of Education. U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences. Retrieved June 25, 2023, from https://nces.ed.gov/programs/coe/indicator/cgg.
Numbers in figure titles reflect original numeration from source Condition of Education indicators.
Related Tables and Figures: (Listed by Release Date)
- 2023, Digest of Education Statistics 2022, Table 204.30. Children 3 to 21 years old served under Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), Part B, by type of disability: Selected school years, 1976–77 through 2021–22
- 2023, Digest of Education Statistics 2022, Table 204.50. Children 3 to 21 years old served under Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), Part B, by age group and sex, race/ethnicity, and type of disability: School year 2021–22
- 2023, Digest of Education Statistics 2022, Table 204.60. Percentage distribution of school-age students served under Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), Part B, by educational environment and type of disability: Selected years, fall 1989 through fall 2021
- 2023, Digest of Education Statistics 2022, Table 204.70. Number and percentage of children served under Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), Part B, by age group and state or jurisdiction: Selected school years, 1990–91 through 2021–22
- 2022, Digest of Education Statistics 2021, Table 204.40. Children 3 to 21 years old served under Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), Part B, by race/ethnicity and age group: 2000–01 through 2020–21
Other Resources: (Listed by Release Date)
- 2023, Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA): This site provides information about IDEA from the U.S. Department of Education.
- 2023, National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP): Inclusion of Students with Disabilities and English Learners
- 2023, National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP): This site provides access to publications and data on the reading, mathematics, science, writing, U.S. history, civics, geography, and arts achievement of U.S. students.
- 2023, Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP): This site provides information about federal programs for students with disabilities.
- 2020, NCES Blog: Why Do Parents Choose Schools for Their Children?
- 2019, NCES Blog: New Data Available on Prevalence of Recognized Student Acceptance Groups