Key Findings for School-Age Students Identified for Services Under IDEA

This section presents main findings for children ages 6 through 21 who were identified for services under IDEA Part B. Results reported include the patterns of identification of school-age children for services under IDEA, rates of loss of eligibility for services under IDEA through declassification, and outcomes. Information on identification patterns is based on data from DANS and CCD.¹¹ Declassification information is based on reports from SEELS and NLTS2 and other literature review. Outcomes analyses are based on data and reports from NAEP, APRs, SEELS, NLTS2, DANS, and CCD.

Identification of School-Age Children for Services Under IDEA

• In 2005, the percentage of 6- through 17-year-old children identified for services under IDEA was 12.92 percent (n = 5,707,712), an increase from 12.31 percent (n = 5,081,196) in 1997.
• Between 1997 and 2005, the patterns in the identification of school-age children identified for services under IDEA varied by age group. As shown in exhibit ES.8, the highest percentage of students identified for each year from 1997 to 2005 were 10- through 13-year-olds. During the same period, the 14- through 17-year-olds had the largest percentage point change in receipt of services under IDEA (1.64 points).
• In 2005, the percentages of 6- through 21-year-olds identified for services under IDEA differed by race/ethnicity category. In 2005, percentages of students identified ranged from 6.34 percent (Asian school-age children) to 16.67 percent (Black school-age children). For American Indian, White, and Hispanic school-age children, 15.76 percent, 14.05 percent, and 11.83 percent, respectively, were identified for services.¹²
• From 1998 to 2005, the relative position of all race/ethnicity categories remained the same for the percentage of school-age children identified for services under IDEA. For each year from 1998 to 2005, Black school-age children had the highest identification percentages (ranging from 16.57 in 1998 to 16.67 in 2005), followed by American Indian (14.69 to 15.76), White (13.88 to 14.05), Hispanic (12.80 to 11.83), and Asian school-age children (6.01 to 6.34).

Exhibit ES.8. Trends in national percentage of school-age children identified for services under IDEA, by age group (1997–2005)

• In 2005, the disability category with the largest percentage of school-age children identified for IDEA services varied by age group. For children ages 6 through 9, the largest percentage was children with speech and language impairments (5.46 percent). For children ages 10 through 13 and 14 through 17, the largest percentage was for children with specific learning disabilities (7.07 percent and 7.58 percent, respectively).
• Between 1997 and 2005, the percentage of 6- through 17-year-olds identified for services under IDEA varied by disability category.¹³ Between 1997 and 2005, the largest percentage change for 10- through 13- and 14- through 17-year-olds relative to identification percentages for the age group in 1997 was for children identified with autism under IDEA (410.67 percent and 409.72 percent, respectively). Developmental delay is a category included for the 3 through 5 and 6 through 9 age groups and showed the largest relative percentage change from 1997 to 2005 (1,988.85 percent).
• States varied in the percentage of children identified for services under IDEA in 2005. Across states in 2005, the percentage identified ranged from 9.87 percent in Colorado to 18.59 percent in Rhode Island. Forty-one states had higher identification percentages in 2005 than in 1997 (exceptions were Colorado, California, Texas, Connecticut, Alabama, Tennessee, Maryland, Alaska, New Mexico, and Massachusetts).

Declassification of School-Age Children With Disabilities

• Across grade levels, declassification rates among children and youth identified for IDEA services varied: 49 percent of students who had received services in kindergarten (spring 1999) were no longer eligible by third grade (spring 2002) (Holt, McGrath, and Herring 2007), 17 percent of children ages 6 through 12 in 1999 were ineligible after 2 years, and 5 percent of youth ages 13 through 16 in 2000 were ineligible after 2 years (Wagner 2003).
• The proportions of 6- through 12-year-olds who had been declassified from special education services within approximately 2 years varied across disability categories. As shown in exhibit ES.9, the declassification rates of students ages 6 through 12 ranged from 2 percent among children with traumatic brain injury to 34 percent for children identified under the speech or language impairments category, the highest percentage among all disability categories (SEELS 2005).
• Children and youth ages 6- through 12- years-old declassified from IDEA services had significantly higher scores on literacy and mathematics outcomes than children and youth of the same age who continued to receive services. The mean standard score on the research versions of WJ III Letter-Word Identification subtest was 96 (SE = 1.57) for declassified students and 82 (SE = 0.77) for students who continued to receive services. Similarly, Passage Comprehension mean standard scores for the two groups were 92 (SE = 1.46) and 83 (SE = 0.75), respectively; for Math Calculation, they were 104 (SE = 1.40) and 91 (SE = 0.71); and for Applied Problems, they were 101 (SE = 1.56) and 88 (SE = 0.74).

Exhibit ES.9. Percentage of 6- through 12-year-olds identified for IDEA services in December 1999 who were declassified by spring 2002, by disability category

Outcomes for School-Age Children Identified for Services Under IDEA

• Academic achievement trends from 2003 through 2007 measured by NAEP showed significant increases in average scale scores for both children identified and children not identified for services under IDEA in grade 4 reading and mathematics and in grade 8 mathematics (see exhibit ES.10). In grade 4 reading, average scale scores for children identified for services under IDEA and children not identified for IDEA services increased by 5.8 (SE = 0.82, p < .001) and 3.0 (SE = 0.38, p < .001) scale points, respectively. Similar increases were observed in grade 4 mathematics of 6.1 (SE = 0.56, p < .001) and 5.0 (SE = 0.29, p < .001) scale points, respectively. In grade 8 mathematics, average scale scores for children identified for services under IDEA increased by 4.1 (SE = 0.91, p < .001) scale score points from 2003 to 2007. Average scale scores for children not identified for IDEA services increased by 3.2 (SE = 0.35, p < .001) scale score points.
• Children identified for services under IDEA had significantly lower scores on NAEP in reading and mathematics than children not identified at each time point (see exhibit ES.10). For example, in grade 4 reading, the differences between children identified and not identified for services under IDEA were 35.4 (SE = 0.66, p < .001), 30.6 (SE = 0.58, p < .001), and 32.7 (SE = 0.62, p < .001) scale score points in 2003, 2005, and 2007, respectively. In grade 8 mathematics, the differences by IDEA service status were 38.6 (SE = 0.82, p < .001), 37.5 (SE = 0.51, p < .001), and 37.8 (SE = 0.73, p < .001) scale score points in 2003, 2005, and 2007, respectively.
• Across states, NAEP reading and mathematics scores varied for children identified for and not identified for services under IDEA. For children identified for services under IDEA, the average scale scores in 2007 ranged from 162 (SE = 4.73) to 213 (SE = 2.86) on the NAEP fourth-grade reading test and from 203 (SE = 2.80) to 248 (SE = 2.44) on the eighth-grade test, resulting in differences across states of 51 points and 45 points, respectively. Average scale scores for children not identified for IDEA services were more homogeneous, ranging from 199 (SE = 0.84) to 239 (SE = 1.14) and 243 (SE = 0.79) to 278 (SE = 0.83) for the fourth- and eighth-grade reading tests, respectively, differences of 40 and 35 points.

Exhibit ES.10. Mean reading and mathematics scale scores of fourth- and eighth-grade students identified and not identified for services under IDEA (2003, 2005, and 2007)

• The percentage of students identified for services under IDEA meeting achievement levels in reading in fourth grade on NAEP and state regular assessments varied across states. The range of percentages of children identified for IDEA services at the NAEP proficient or above achievement level was from 2 percent (SE = 1.4) in the District of Columbia to 19 percent (SE = 2.8) in Virginia. The range of children identified for services under IDEA at the NAEP basic or above achievement level was from 9 percent (SE = 2.2) in the District of Columbia to 48 percent (SE = 4.5) in Delaware. The percentage of children identified for services under IDEA reported as proficient or above on regular state accountability tests ranged from 9 percent in South Carolina to 83 percent in Mississippi.
• The percentage of students identified for services under IDEA meeting achievement levels in mathematics in fourth grade on NAEP and state regular assessments varied across states. The range of children identified for IDEA services at the NAEP proficient or above achievement level was from 2 percent (SE = 0.9) in the District of Columbia to 26 percent (SE = 2.8) in North Carolina. The range of children identified for IDEA services at the NAEP basic or above achievement level was from 9 percent (SE = 2.1) in the District of Columbia to 70 percent (SE = 2.7) in North Carolina. The percentage of children identified for IDEA services reported as proficient or above on regular state accountability tests ranged from 8 percent in Maine to 81 percent in North Carolina.
• Nationwide, 46 percent of children identified for services under IDEA and estimated to be enrolled as of 4 years prior completed secondary school with a regular diploma in 2005. This graduation rate is 29 percentage points below the rate for children in the total population nationwide who received a regular diploma that year (75 percent).¹⁴ The Averaged Freshman Graduation Rate (AFGR) in 2005 for children identified for services under IDEA ranged from 17 percent in Louisiana to 78 percent in Pennsylvania (see exhibit ES.11). For the total population of children, the AFGR ranged from 56 percent in Nevada to 91 percent in New Jersey.

Exhibit ES.11. Averaged freshman graduation rate of school-age youth identified for services under IDEA and total population, by state (2005 and 1998–2004 average)

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