Report: Almost All Disabled Students Lack Access to College Readiness Programs

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The Individuals with Disabilities in Education Act requires schools to identify and serve children who need tailored support to succeed academically, and to “prepare them for further education, employment and independent living.” Organized as a series of six briefs, a new report from the Center for Learner Equity finds a devastating lack of access to the opportunities that make college possible. 

In the 2020-21 academic year, just 4.4% of charter school students with disabilities and 2.8% of those in traditional schools took Advanced Placement classes, versus 21% and 15% of general education students, respectively. 

Just 2.6% of charter school special education students and 3.4% of those in district-run schools took dual-enrollment college and university courses, versus 11.5% and 8% of their general education classmates. 

The number of youth with disabilities taking college admissions tests was less than 10% in district-run schools — half the rate of general education students. Almost 9% of special education students in charter schools took the ACT or SAT, compared with 13% of their non-disabled peers.

Researchers cautioned that those rates were likely impacted by COVID-related school closures and an increase in the number of colleges making the assessments optional. But they noted that the disparity has persisted since 2012.

“The bottom line is that the overall percentages are just unacceptable,” says Jennifer Coco, the center’s senior director of strategy and impact. “The research shows that 85% of students in special education are capable of achieving on grade level. There’s no barrier that’s stopping them if their needs are met.”

The report is the center’s fifth analysis of charter and district school enrollment of students with disabilities, based on the U.S. Department of Education’s Civil Rights Data Collection, which documents educational disparities. Analyzing recently released data from the 2020-21 school year, the new report is the first to look specifically at access to career- and college-readiness opportunities.

“In our minds, it’s a clear call to action,” says Coco. 

The center was launched in 2013 as the National Center for Special Education in Charter Schools, with a focus on improving conditions for children with disabilities in the charter sector. Though gaps have narrowed, charter schools have long enrolled fewer students who qualify for special education and are often ill-equipped to serve those with the most profound challenges. 

Charter schools were conceived in part as places where educators could innovate, and the most effective have refined approaches that create better outcomes for low-income children and students of color. But to date, except for a handful of schools, they have not identified better special education practices. 

The proportion of students with disabilities in charter schools rose from 10.7% in 2018 to 11.5% in 2021, an increase of 87,444 children. During the same period, the number of students in traditional district schools who have Individualized Education Plan, the legal documents that spell out how their needs will be addressed, rose from 13.2% to slightly more than 14%. 

The disparity in enrollment between charter and traditional schools is almost entirely in elementary and middle schools; high schools in both sectors serve special education students at roughly the same rate. Charter schools are much more likely to serve disabled children in general education classrooms, a practice that increases achievement for special education students. 

“85% of students in special education are capable of achieving on grade level. There’s no barrier that’s stopping them if their needs are met.”

The report notes 83% of charter school special education students spend more than 80% of their day in a regular classroom, compared with 67.5% in traditional schools. Just 1.3% of children with disabilities participate in gifted and talented programs in district schools, compared with 6.4% of all students. In charter schools, 0.6% of disabled pupils participate in gifted programs, compared with 2.4% of the general student body. 

In the 2019-20 academic year, some 20% of U.S. undergraduates had disabilities, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. They are less likely than non-disabled college students to attain a degree, however, raising concerns about making sure they graduate high school prepared for higher education.

In 2023, the six-year graduation rate for disabled students attending four-year colleges was 49.5%, compared with 68% of non-disabled students. Just 37% report their disability to their college, and of those who do, many don’t receive accommodations. A bill before Congress, the RISE Act, would require colleges to make it easier for students to get disability supports.

Finally, the center took a preliminary look at 176 charter schools that have a specific focus on students with disabilities, especially those with autism, emotional disturbances and intellectual disabilities. More than half of these schools are located in Florida, Ohio and Texas. Further study is needed to understand why families choose these segregated schools and how student services may differ from those provided in district-run classrooms.

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