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Chapter 302
Purpose: The purposes of this program are (1) to provide assistance to States to develop early intervention services for infants and toddlers with disabilities and their families, and to assure a free appropriate public education to all children and youth with disabilities; (2) to assure that the rights of children and youth with disabilities from birth to age 21 and their families are protected; (3) to assist States and localities to provide for early intervention services and the education of all children with disabilities; and (4) to assess and assure the effectiveness of efforts to provide early intervention services and educate children with disabilities.
Funding History (Funds are forward-funded)
| Fiscal Year | Appropriation | Fiscal Year | Appropriation |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1967 | $2,500,000 1 | 1986 | $1,163,282,000 |
| 1970 | 29,190,000 | 1987 | 1,338,000,000 |
| 1975 | 100,000,000 | 1988 | 1,431,737,000 |
| 1980 | 874,500,000 | 1989 | 1,475,449,000 |
| 1981 | 874,500,000 | 1990 | 1,542,610,000 |
| 1982 | 931,008,000 | 1991 | 1,854,186,000 |
| 1983 | 1,017,900,000 | 1992 | 1,976,095,000 |
| 1984 | 1,068,875,000 | 1993 | 2,052,728,000 |
| 1985 | 1,135,145,000 | 1994 | 2,149,686,000 |
1/ State grants for planning activities for the education of children with disabilities were authorized under P.L. 89-750, Part F, which amended the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) of 1965 (P.L. 89-10) by creating Title VI, Education of Handicapped Children. P.L. 94-142, which became Part B of the Education of the Handicapped Act (now the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act) was passed in 1975.
| School Year | Change in Total Number Served from Previous Year (%) | Total Served | Part B c | Chapter 1 (SOP) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1976-77 | -- | 3,708,588 | 3,484,756 | 223,832 |
| 1977-78 | 1.8 | 3,777,286 | 3,554,554 | 222,732 |
| 1978-79 | 3.8 | 3,919,073 | 3,693,593 | 225,480 |
| 1979-80 | 3.0 | 4,036,219 | 3,802,475 | 233,744 |
| 1980-81 | 3.5 | 4,177,689 | 3,933,981 | 243,708 |
| 1981-82 | 1.3 | 4,233,282 | 3,990,346 | 242,936 |
| 1982-83 | 1.5 | 4,298,327 | 4,052,595 | 245,732 |
| 1983-84 | 1.0 | 4,341,399 | 4,094,108 | 247,291 |
| 1984-85b/ | 0.5 | 4,363,031 | 4,113,312 | 249,719 |
| 1985-86 | 0.2 | 4,370,244 | 4,121,104 | 249,140 |
| 1986-87 | 1.2 | 4,421,601 | 4,166,692 | 254,909 |
| 1987-88 | 1.4 | 4,485,702 | 4,226,504 | 259,198 |
| 1988-89 | 108 | 4,568,063 | 4,305,690 | 262,373 |
| 1989-90 | 2.4 | 4,675,619 | 4,411,681 | 263,938 |
| 1990-91 | 2.8 | 4,807,441 | 4,547,368 | 260,073 |
| 1991-92 | 3.7 | 4,986,075 | 4,714,119 | 271,956 |
| 1992-93 | 3.7 | 5,170,242 | 4,893,865 | 276,377 |
a/ From 1988-89 to the present, these numbers include children 3 through 21 years of age counted under Part B and children from birth to age 21 counted under Chapter 1 (SOP). Prior to 1988-89, children from birth through age 20 were served under Chapter 1 (SOP). The totals do not include infants and toddlers from birth through age 2 served under Part H who were not served under the Chapter 1 (SOP) program.
b/ Beginning in 1984-85, the number of children with disabilities reported for the most recent year reflects revisions to State data received by the Office of Special Education Program between the July 1 grant award date and October 1. Updates received from States for previous years are included, so totals may not match those reported in previous annual reports to Congress. Before 1984-85, reports provided data as of the grant award date.
c/ Although States must serve all eligible children with disabilities, funds are provided only for up to 12 percent of the State's total school population. This is commonly referred to as "the 12 percent cap."
Source: U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs, Data Analysis System (DANS).
| Disability | Part B | Chapter 1 (SOP) | Total | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number | Percenta/ | Number | Percenta/ | Number | Percenta/ | |
| Specific learning disabilities | 2,33,571 | 52.4 | 35,814 | 19.7 | 2,369,385 | 51.1 |
| Speech or language impairments | 990,718 | 22.2 | 9,436 | 5.2 | 1,000,154 | 21.6 |
| Mental retardation | 484,871 | 10.9 | 48,844 | 26.9 | 533,715 | 11.5 |
| Serious emotional disturbance | 368,545 | 8.3 | 34,123 | 18.8 | 402,668 | 8.7 |
| Multiple disabilities | 86,179 | 1.9 | 17,036 | 9.4 | 103,215 | 2.2 |
| Hearing impairments | 43,707 | 1.0 | 17,189 | 9.5 | 60,896 | 1.3 |
| Orthopedic impairments | 46,498 | 1.0 | 6,423 | 3.5 | 52,921 | 1.1 |
| Other health impairments | 63,982 | 1.4 | 2,072 | 1.1 | 66,054 | 1.4 |
| Visual impairments | 18,129 | 0.4 | 5,682 | 3.1 | 23,811 | 0.5 |
| Autism | 12,238 | 0.3 | 3,289 | 1.8 | 15,527 | 0.3 |
| Deaf-blindnessb/ | 773 | 0.0 | 652 | 0.4 | 1,425 | 0.0 |
| Traumatic brain injury | 2,906 | 0.1 | 997 | 0.5 | 3,903 | 0.1 |
| All disabilities | 4,452,117 | 100.0 | 181,557 | 100.0 | 4,633,674 | 100.0 |
a/ Percentages sum within columns.
b/ 8,404 persons between the ages of birth to 21 have been identified by coordinators of the State and Multi-State Services for Children with Deaf-Blindness. They are required under [20 U.S.C. Sec. 1422(C)(1) AND (2)] to conduct an annual census of all persons under 22 years of age that meet the federal definition for Deaf-Blindness (Federal Registry 1991, p. 51585). For a full report contact the Severe Disabilities Branch of OSEP.
Source: U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs, Data Analysis System (DANS).
| Disability | Educational Environment a/ | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Regular Classs | Resource Room | Separate Class | Separate School | Residential Facility | Homebound/ Hospital | |
| Specific learning disabilities | 24.7 | 54.2 | 20.0 | 0.9 | 0.1 | 0.1 |
| Speech or language impairments | 85.5 | 9.1 | 3.9 | 1.4 | 0.1 | 0.1 |
| Mental retardation | 5.1 | 25.4 | 59.2 | 8.8 | 1.2 | 0.3 |
| Serious emotional disturbance | 15.8 | 27.8 | 36.9 | 13.9 | 4.0 | 1.5 |
| Multiple disabilities | 6.2 | 18.1 | 47.1 | 22.6 | 3.8 | 2.2 |
| Hearing impairments | 27.0 | 20.5 | 31.2 | 9.6 | 11.5 | 0.1 |
| Orthopedic impairments | 32.4 | 21.0 | 34.3 | 7.3 | 0.9 | 4.1 |
| Other health impairments | 35.3 | 27.6 | 21.4 | 3.3 | 0.5 | 11.8 |
| Visual impairments | 39.6 | 21.2 | 19.6 | 8.5 | 10.6 | 0.4 |
| Autism | 4.7 | 6.9 | 48.5 | 35.9 | 3.1 | 0.9 |
| Deaf-blindness | 5.8 | 6.2 | 36.3 | 21.2 | 28.6 | 1.8 |
| Traumatic brain injury | 7.8 | 9.0 | 23.7 | 53.4 | 3.7 | 2.4 |
| All disabilities | 34.9 | 36.3 | 23.5 | 3.9 | 0.9 | 0.5 |
a/ Data for students placed in public and private separate schools and in public and private residential facilities have been combined for presentation in this table.
Source: U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs, Data analysis System (DANS).
The number of teachers employed to serve children and youth with disabilities ages 6 through 21 from 1990-91 to 1991-92 increased 3.8 percent, while the number of children served over the period increased by 3.0 percent. For students ages 3 through 5, the number of special education teachers employed increased by 15.7 percent for the same time period (Table 1.8).
| Disability | Teachers | Students |
|---|---|---|
| Specific learning disabilities | 97,805 | 2,369,385 |
| Speech or language impairments | 43,610 | 1,000,154 |
| Mental retardation | 43,142 | 533,715 |
| Serious emotional disturbance | 29,496 | 402,668 |
| Multiple disabilities | 7,767 | 103,215 |
| Hearing impairments | 7,025 | 60,896 |
| Orthopedic impairments | 3,612 | 52,921 |
| Other health impairments | 2,159 | 66,054 |
| Visual impairments | 3,025 | 23,811 |
| Autism | 1,126 | 15,527 |
| Deaf-blindness | 150 | 1,425 |
| Traumatic brain injury | 68 | 3,903 |
| Cross-categoriala/ | 69,919 | a/ |
| Total | 308,904 | 4,633,674 |
a/ Teachers in cross-categorical programs teach classes with students having varying disabilities. No data are available on the number of students served in cross-categorical programs.
Source: U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs, Data Analysis System (DANS).
For 1991-92, States reported a shortage of approximately 27,000 teachers and more than 5,400 teacher aides to serve school-age children. For three- through five-year-old children with disabilities, 2,288 preschool teachers were needed during the 1991-92 school year, 11.2 percent fewer than in 1990-91 (Table 1.10).
| Disability | Number of Teachers Needed | Percentage of All Teachers Needed |
|---|---|---|
| Specific learning disabilities | 8,003 | 29.3 |
| Speech or language impairments | 3,907 | 14.3 |
| Mental retardation | 3,079 | 11.3 |
| Serious emotional disturbance | 4,724 | 17.3 |
| Multiple disabilities | 700 | 2.6 |
| Hearing impairments | 727 | 2.7 |
| Orthopedic impairments | 313 | 1.1 |
| Other health impairments | 260 | 1.0 |
| Visual impairments | 336 | 1.2 |
| Autism | 326 | 1.2 |
| Deaf-blindness | 41 | 0.1 |
| Traumatic brain injury | 35 | 0.1 |
| Cross-categorial | 4,833 | 17.7 |
| Total | 27,282 | 100.0 |
Students with disabilities who attended regular schools had higher absenteeism and dropout rates, and lower grades, than the general student population. Poor results were disproportionately experienced by students in the largest disability categories -- those with learning disabilities, mental retardation, and serious emotional disturbance.
Students with disabilities who graduated from high school earned 22 credits, as compared to 23 credits earned by graduates from the general student population. On average, States require graduating students to have earned 11 or 12 credits in academic subjects. Overall, students with disabilities who graduated met this requirement, earning an average of 12 (55 percent) of their total credits in academic classes, compared to the 15 (69 percent) earned by students in the general population.
As a group, students with disabilities spent 70 percent of their time in regular education settings. The amount of time spent in regular classrooms ranged from 87 percent of class time for students with visual impairments to 32 percent of class time for those with multiple disabilities. However, performance is more likely to be influenced by the extent of placement in regular education academic classes than by placement as a whole. As a group, students with disabilities spend 33 percent of their time in regular education academic classes. Students with disabilities who spent most of their time in regular education classes were 10 percent more likely to fail a class in ninth grade than peers who spent just half their time there.
Nearly all students with disabilities had some type of occupational vocational education while in secondary school, although their experience varied considerably. Students with learning disabilities were most likely to have concentrated in a vocational content area. To some extent, vocational instruction, as an alternative to academic curricula, ameliorates course failure and assists in dropout prevention. Student participation in work experience programs also had a sizeable positive impact on student performance .
On average, students with disabilities who remained in high school for four grade levels missed nearly 3 weeks of school per year. Students not assigned a grade level missed 16 days per year. Absenteeism levels varied widely. Approximately 50 percent of students with disabilities missed 10 or fewer days of school per year. Between 21 and 25 percent missed 4 weeks or more of the typical 39-week school year. Average absenteeism differed significantly for students in different disability categories. Students with SED or other health impairments missed more school than their peers in most other disability categories. Ethnic group membership also appears strongly related to absenteeism (Table 3.6).
| STUDENT CHARACTERISTICS | Average Days Absent in Grade: | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 9 through 12 | |
| All disabilitiesa/ | 14.8 (.9) | 14.5 (.7) | 16.4 (.9) | 14.5 (.6) | 13.1 (.6) |
| Specific learning disability | 14.2 (1.2) | 14.5 (1.0) | 16.6 (1.0) | 14.9 (.9) | 13.4 (.8) |
| Serious emotional disturbance | 17.9 (2.2) | 18.1 (1.9) | 19.7 (2.1) | 17.9 (1.6) | 15.3 (1.5) |
| Speech or language impairment | 11.0 (2.3) | 12.6 (1.6) | 12.5 (2.0) | 11.4 (1.1) | 10.5 (1.2) |
| Mental retardation | 16.3 (2.5) | 15.3 (1.4) | 15.9 (1.5) | 13.3 (1.1) | 11.7 (1.0) |
| Visual impairment | 11.8 (1.5) | 13.0 (1.5) | 11.9 (1.4) | 12.8 (1.3) | 11.2 (1.1) |
| Hard of hearing | 10.8 (1.1) | 10.6 (.9) | 12.4 (1.2) | 11.4 (.9) | 10.6 (.8) |
| Deafness | 9.5 (1.2) | 10.1 (1.2) | 12.8 (1.8) | 11.5 (1.2) | 10.7 (1.1) |
| Orthopedic impairment | 13.5 (1.7) | 16.6 (1.9) | 13.2 (1.4) | 13.1 (1.2) | 12.7 (1.0) |
| Other health impairment | 16.3 (2.5) | 21.5 (3.3) | 18.0 (2.1) | 17.7 (2.1) | 15.3 (2.4) |
| Multiple disabilities | 14.6 (2.9) | 14.6 (3.2) | 14.0 (2.5) | 10.9 (1.7) | 11.5 (1.8) |
| Ethnic background | |||||
| White | 12.3 (1.0) | 13.3 (9.7) | 15.1 (1.0) | 13.2 (.7) | 12.2(.7) |
| African American | 18.6 (2.2) | 18.6 (1.8) | 18.8 (2.2) | 19.1 (2.0) | 16.5 (1.8) |
| Hispanic | 18.8 (4.2) | 15.8 (4.4) | 14.7 (3.8) | 13.9 (3.1) | 11.2 (2.2) |
| Annual household income | |||||
| < $12,000 | 18.8 (2.4) | 20.0 (2.0) | 20.2 (2.2) | 16.9 (1.8) | 16.8 (1.6) |
| $12,000-$25,000 | 14.9 (1.6) | 15.9 (1.6) | 16.8 (1.8) | 14.5 (1.3) | 13.5 (1.6) |
| > $25,000 | 10.9 (1.2) | 11.2 (1.0) | 12.9 (1.2) | 11.7 (.7) | 10.4 (.7) |
| Samples sizes: | |||||
| All disabilitiesa/ | 1,900 | 1,979 | 1,985 | 2,442 | 1,692 |
| Specific learning disability | 383 | 391 | 416 | 522 | 336 |
| Serious emotional disturbance | 186 | 197 | 166 | 208 | 132 |
| Speech or language impairment | 172 | 171 | 174 | 232 | 162 |
| Mental retardation | 300 | 295 | 290 | 348 | 217 |
| Visual impairment | 179 | 189 | 180 | 222 | 162 |
| Hard of hearing | 231 | 258 | 259 | 319 | 248 |
| Deafness | 116 | 122 | 123 | 162 | 119 |
| Orthopedic impairment | 177 | 179 | 191 | 233 | 167 |
| Other health impairment | 98 | 113 | 124 | 132 | 98 |
| Multiple disabilities | 55 | 59 | 57 | 58 | 47 |
| Ethnicity: White | 1,098 | 1,149 | 1,202 | 1,492 | 1,707 |
| Ethnicity: African American | 371 | 378 | 333 | 394 | 280 |
| Ethnicity: Hispanic | 131 | 149 | 148 | 166 | 124 |
| Income < $12,000 | 361 | 364 | 354 | 416 | 290 |
| Income $12,000-$25,000 | 404 | 431 | 447 | 526 | 379 |
| Income > $25,000 | 712 | 756 | 780 | 970 | 703 |
a/ Each grade level sample includes all students with data for that grade level, whether or not data exist for those same students for other grade levels. The sample for the cumulative measures on tables in this chapter is made up of those students for whom data were available for all four high school grade levels. Students not assigned to grade levels are not included here because they often did not earn academic credits.
Standard errors are in parentheses.
Source: National Longitudinal Transition Study.
Students with disabilities who completed 4 years of high school earned a cumulative GPA of 2.3, compared to a national average of 2.6 earned by students in the 1980 sophomore class. Students in different disability categories earned quite different grades. Students who were deaf or hard of hearing or with orthopedic impairments consistently earned the highest GPAs and had the lowest number of course failures. Students with learning disabilities or serious emotional disturbance tended to earn lower GPAs and to fail more often. Sixty-two percent of students with disabilities failed at least one class while in secondary school.
Approximately 30 percent of students with disabilities enrolled in high school failed to complete secondary schooling. In addition, earlier NLTS findings showed that approximately 8 percent of students with disabilities dropped out of school before enrolling in ninth grade. Factors influencing the likelihood of completing high school included disability category, ethnic background, and household income. (Table 3.9.)
| Percentage Dropping Out In: | Primary Disability Category: | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| All Disabilitiesa/ | Specific Learning Disability | Serious Emotional Disturbance | Speech or Language Impairment | Mental Retardation | Visual Impairment | Hard of Hearing | Deafiness | Orthopedic Impairment | Other Health Impairment | Multiple Disabilities | |
| 9th grade | 5.3 (.7) | 4.4 (.9) | 8.6 (1.8) | 6.1 (1.7) | 7.3 (1.4) | 1.8 (1.0) | 3.5 (1.1) | 1.1 (.9) | 1.3 (.8) | 5.4 (1.9) | .7 (1.1) |
| Sample size | -4,368 | 889 | 475 | 396 | 635 | 374 | 522 | 262 | 421 | 270 | 118 |
| 10th grade | 6.6 (.8) | 5.5 (1.1) | 14.9 (2.4) | 3.8 (1.4) | 7.4 (1.5) | 4.7 (1.6) | 2.5 (1.0) | .5 (.6) | 3.2 (1.2) | 7.5 (2.3) | 1.7 (1.8) |
| Sample size | 4,158 | 848 | 431 | 369 | 590 | 367 | 505 | 259 | 413 | 254 | 116 |
| 11th grade | 9.8 (1.0) | 9.6 (1.4) | 16.2 (2.7) | 7.1 (1.9) | 9.5 (1.7) | 3.4 (1.4) | 4.7 (1.4) | 5.9 (2.1) | 4.1 (1.4) | 11.4 (2.9) | 7.3 (3.5) |
| Sample size | 3,917 | 794 | 368 | 351 | 550 | 350 | 491 | 258 | 400 | 235 | 114 |
| 12th grade | 8.9 (1.0) | 9.7 (1.5) | 16.0 (2.9) | 6.1 (1.9) | 5.5 (1.4) | 2.2 (1.1) | 3.3 (1.2) | 3.5 (1.7) | 4.4 (1.5) | 4.7 (2.1) | 1.5 (1.7) |
| Sample size | 3,528 | 699 | 305 | 319 | 488 | 329 | 465 | 239 | 370 | 202 | 106 |
| Cumulative | 29.9 (1.0) | 28.5 (2.0) | 48.1 (3.1) | 23.4 (2.9) | 29.9 (2.5) | 12.1 (2.4) | 14.9 (2.2) | 11.3 (2.8) | 13.5 (2.4) | 27.4 (3.8) | 13.5 (4.5) |
| Sample size | 4,399 | 897 | 483 | 398 | 643 | 375 | 523 | 263 | 420 | 271 | 120 |
a/ All disabilities includes youth in each of the 11 Federally defined disability categories. Percentages are reported separately only for categories with at least 15 students.
Standard errors are in parentheses.
Source: National Longitudinal Transition Study.
During the 1992-93 school year, 402,668 children and youth ages 6 through 21 identified as having SED were served under the Part B and Chapter 1 (SOP) programs. Students with SED accounted for 8.7 percent of all children who received special education services.
The number of children identified with SED has increased by more than 120,000 since the 1976-77 school year, and increased 1 percent between 1991-92 and 1992-93. Among all students with disabilities served, the percent with SED served under Part B has increased from 7.5 percent in 1976-77 to 8.3 percent in 1992-93. Identification rates for students with SED vary widely among the States.
Students with SED have lower grades and higher dropout reates than any other group of students with disabilities. About 17 percent of youth with SED go on to college compared with 53 percent of students without disabilities. Students with SED also have difficulty maintaining jobs. Twenty percent are arrested at least once before they leave school, and 37 percent are arrested within a few years of leaving school. By 2 years after school exit, 2.4 percent of students with SED are living in a correctional facility, compared with 0.3 percent of all youth with disabilities.
The National Center on Educational Outcomes (NCEO), with funding through IDEA, has been working since 1990 to address issues related to assessing educational results for students with disabilities. Below are some of the results and planned activities of the NCEO:
| NCEO Domain | Data Collection Programa/ | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CPS | HSTS | MF | NAEP | NALS | NCS | NELS | NHES | NHIS | NHSDA | NLTS | NSFG | YRBS | |
| A. Presence and Participation | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | ||
| B. Accommodation and Adaptation | X | X | |||||||||||
| C. Physical Health | X | X | X | X | X | X | |||||||
| D. Responsibility and Independence | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | |||||
| E. Contribution and Citizenship | X | X | X | X | X | ||||||||
| F. Academic and Functional Literacy | X | X | X | X | X | ||||||||
| G. Personal and Social Adjustment | X | X | X | X | X | ||||||||
| H. Satisfaction | X | X | |||||||||||
a/
CPS = Current Population Survey, March Supplement
HSTS = High School transcript Study
MF = Monitoring the Future
NAEP = National Assessment of Educational Progress
NALS = National Adult Literacy Survey
NCS = National Crime Survey
NELS = National Education Longitudinal Study
NHES = National Household Education Survey
NHIS = National Health Interview Survey
NHSDA = National Household Survey of Drug Abuse
NLTS = National Longitudinal Transition Study
NSFG = National Survey of Family Growth
YRBS = Youth Risk Behavior Survey
Source: National Center on Educational Outcomes (NCEO).
Combined Part B and Chapter 1-Handicapped funding has increased from about $373 million in 1977 to $2.173 billion in FY 1993. However, the allocation in constant dollars (base year 1977) has risen at a much slower pace. The per-child allocation under Part B of $411 for FY 1993 represents $169 in constant dollars, slightly more than the 1978 level of $156.
OSEP reviews plans submitted by States on a staggered three-year schedule, to assure that SEA policies and procedures are consistent with the requirements of IDEA, Part B. State Plans must be approved by the Secretary of Education before funds can be allocated to the State. OSEP provided substantial technical assistance to States submitting plans in 1993 for FYs 1994-1996 and to States submitting State Plans for FYs 1995-1997 in 1994. The centerpiece of this technical assistance was the State Plan Academies that provided training to key staff members from SEAs that would be submitting plans.
Twenty-one States and Outlying Areas submitted plans for the three-year period covering FYs 1994-1996. Across these States, a number of concerns were raised during the State Plan review process; issues identified most frequently were related to a State's Comprehensive System of Personnel Development (CSPD) and placement of students in the least restrictive environment.
OSEP conducts on-site monitoring reviews of States and territories receiving financial assistance under Part B about once every 4 years as part of the Federal program review process. During the 1992-93 school year, on-site monitoring reviews were conducted in 15 States and Outlying Areas. Eleven draft monitoring reports and eight final reports were issued during FY 1993. Two concerns were noted in all eight final reports. These were related to SEA approval of LEA applications that did not meet all Federal application requirements, and incomplete or ineffective SEA monitoring procedures for determining compliance of public agencies providing educational services to children with disabilities.
[Preschool Grants for Children with Disabilities]