Equity Indicator - Special Education Enrollment
Introduction
This equity indicator, Special Education Enrollment, examines our population of students receiving special education services. Eligibility for special education is guided by the federal law, Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). A student is found eligible using a multi-criterion of data including, but not limited to, cognitive data, academic data, behavior data, social-emotional learning data, and teacher and parent/guardian/caregiver input. Our model assesses whether a substantial difference exists between a student’s scores on an individualized test of general intelligence and their scores obtained for one or more areas of academic achievement.
It is important to monitor the racial representation of students in special education because, historically across the country, there has been a disproportionate number of students of color who are identified for special education programs. Research shows this can be attributed to a variety of factors, such as cultural biases, test bias, socio-demographic factors, and systemic inequities. Misidentification for special education can negatively affect a student’s educational outcome. For this reason, it is crucial that this indicator be monitored to guarantee a fair and equitable education, close the achievement/opportunity gap, and improve the overall graduation rate among all students.
Current Update: December 2023
Action Plan
- Explore cognitive and academic assessment tools
- Provide professional development across K-12 on understanding diagnostic assessment data
- Explore root causes for overrepresentation
- Develop a comprehensive and effective Multi-Tiered System of Support district-wide
- Monitor consistency in the implementation of interventions
- Redesign the K-12 Child Study Teams
- Provide professional development and coaching opportunities for general education teachers on culturally responsive teaching, inclusion, belonging, and accommodations and modifications
- Provide early support and service interventions to incoming students, especially at the kindergarten level
Equity Indicator - Special Education Enrollment
In the left-side data table and column chart, the data are represented as percentages of special education students by racial sub-group and school year. In the right-side data table and column chart, the data are represented as percentages of the total student population by racial sub-group and school year. The goal of this equity indicator is to work toward an outcome where the proportion of students enrolled in special education is compared to the proportion of our total student population. To interpret these data, an example is: in the 2017-18 school year, Black students represent 20.47% of special education enrollment, whereas Black students represent 10.02% of total student enrollment.
Special Education Enrollment
| 2017-18 | 2018-19 | 2019-20 | 2020-21 | 2021-22 | 2022-23 | 2023-24 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Asian | 4.35% | 4.86% | 5.64% | 5.52% | 4.86% | 4.83% | 6.15% |
| Black | 20.47% | 20.25% | 20.50% | 19.09% | 18.54% | 17.86% | 18.14% |
| Hispanic | 10.24% | 9.95% | 9.11% | 9.27% | 10.71% | 11.34% | 10.95% |
| Multi-Racial | 7.29% | 8.26% | 8.89% | 9.27% | 7.95% | 7.14% | 7.40% |
| White | 57.65% | 56.67% | 55.86% | 56.84% | 57.95% | 58.72% | 57.04% |
Total Student Enrollment
| 2017-18 | 2018-19 | 2019-20 | 2020-21 | 2021-22 | 2022-23 | 2023-24 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Asian | 14.60% | 15.42% | 14.88% | 14.94% | 15.27% | 15.81% | 16.19% |
| Black | 10.02% | 9.82% | 10.10% | 9.98% | 9.55% | 9.09% | 9.30% |
| Hispanic | 6.26% | 6.39% | 6.87% | 6.18% | 6.20% | 6.95% | 7.20% |
| Multi-Racial | 5.98% | 6.37% | 6.89% | 6.85% | 7.42% | 7.25% | 7.24% |
| White | 63.04% | 61.92% | 61.15% | 61.85% | 61.44% | 60.68% | 59.79% |
