2025 Annual Report to Congress on the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)
IDEA, Parts B and C
This is the 47th Annual Report to Congress on the Implementation of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, 2025. Section 664(d) of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), as reauthorized in 2004, requires that the Department of Education report annually on the progress made toward the provision of a free appropriate public education to all children with disabilities and the provision of early intervention services to infants and toddlers with disabilities.
The 47th Annual Report to Congress on the Implementation of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, 2025 describes our nation’s progress in:
- providing a free appropriate public education (FAPE) for children with disabilities under IDEA, Part B, and early intervention services to infants and toddlers with disabilities and their families under IDEA, Part C;
- ensuring that the rights of these children with disabilities and their parents are protected;
- assisting States and localities in providing IDEA services to all children with disabilities; and
- assessing the effectiveness of efforts to provide IDEA services to children with disabilities.
The report focuses on children with disabilities being served under IDEA, Part B and Part C, nationally and at the State level.
Since the enactment of the Education for All Handicapped Children Act of 1975 (EHA), Public Law (P.L.) 94-142 and its successor statute, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA, or the Act), the Secretaries of the U.S. Department of Education (Secretary herein) and their predecessors, the Commissioners of Education at the U.S. Department of Health, Education, and Welfare, have been required to transmit to Congress an annual report to inform Congress and the public of the progress made in implementing the Act. The annual reports to Congress reflect a history of persistent commitment and effort to expand educational access opportunities and improve outcomes for children with disabilities.
The most recent reauthorization of IDEA (P.L. 108-446) occurred in December 2004, and Section 664(d) of IDEA continues to require the annual report to Congress. With the reauthorization of IDEA, the nation reaffirmed its commitment to improving the early intervention and educational results and functional outcomes for infants, toddlers, children, and youths with disabilities (collectively, this group may be referred to in this report as “children with disabilities”).
This year’s report, the 47th Annual Report to Congress on the Implementation of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, 2025[1] is being released during a historic milestone: the 50th anniversary of IDEA. The 50th anniversary of IDEA is a moment for reflection, celebration, and renewed commitment. The 47th Annual Report to Congress, 2025 describes our nation’s progress in (1) providing a free appropriate public education (FAPE) for children with disabilities under IDEA, Part B, and early intervention services to infants and toddlers with disabilities and their families under IDEA, Part C; (2) ensuring that the rights of these children with disabilities and their parents are protected; (3) assisting States and localities in providing IDEA services to all children with disabilities; and (4) assessing the effectiveness of efforts to provide IDEA services to children with disabilities. Through data reported in these annual reports to Congress, the nation can see the historical impact of the law, which is a reminder of how far we have come and the importance of continuing to advocate for the rights and opportunities of all children with disabilities:
- In 1976, 3.6 million children were served under EHA. Over 8 million children were served under IDEA in 2024.
- Over 15 percent of students enrolled in public school were served under IDEA in the 2022–23 school year, an increase from 8.3 percent in the 1976–77 school year.
- The percentage of school-aged students with disabilities spending 80 percent or more of their school day in the regular classroom has increased from 33.1 percent in 1990 to 67.8 percent in 2023.
- In the 2022–23 school year, 75.8 percent of students with disabilities exited school by receiving a regular high school diploma. In the 1987–88 school year, 42 percent of students with disabilities exited school by receiving a regular high school diploma.
This 47th Annual Report to Congress, 2025 follows the 46th Annual Report to Congress, 2024 in sequence and format, and it continues to focus on IDEA results and accountability. The report focuses on children with disabilities being served under IDEA, Part B and Part C, nationally and at the State level. Part B of IDEA provides funds to States to assist them in making FAPE available to eligible children with disabilities, ages 3 through 21, who are in need of special education and related services, whereas Part C of IDEA provides funds to States to assist them in developing and implementing statewide, comprehensive, coordinated, multidisciplinary interagency systems to make early intervention services available to all eligible children with disabilities, from birth through age 2, and their families.[2] Throughout this report, children with disabilities who receive services under IDEA, Part B, or under IDEA, Part C, are referred to as children served under IDEA, Part B; students served under IDEA, Part B; or infants and toddlers served under IDEA, Part C. “Special education services” and “services under IDEA, Part B” are terms used throughout this report to represent special education and related services provided under IDEA, Part B. Similarly, “early intervention services” is a term used synonymously with services provided under IDEA, Part C.
The most recent data presented in this report represent the following applicable reporting periods: fall 2023, school year 2022–23, or a 12-month reporting period during 2022–23. Where data are presented for a 10-year period, the oldest data are associated with fall 2014. Similar to the 46th Annual Report to Congress, 2024, the 47th Annual Report to Congress, 2025 contains the following six major sections that address the annual report requirements contained in Section 664(d) of IDEA. The sections are (1) a summary and analysis of IDEA Section 618 data at the national level[3]; (2) a summary and analysis of IDEA Section 618 data at the State level; (3) a summary and analysis of the U.S. Department of Education’s (Department) findings and determinations regarding the extent to which States are meeting the requirements of IDEA, Part B and Part C; (4) a summary of special education research conducted under Part E of the Education Sciences Reform Act of 2002; (5) a summary of national special education studies and evaluations conducted under Section 664(a) and (c) of IDEA; and (6) a summary of the extent and progress of the assessment of national activities, which focus on determining the effectiveness of IDEA and improving its implementation.
When EHA was passed 50 years ago, it was a profound declaration that every child, regardless of disability, deserved the opportunity to learn, grow, and contribute to their communities. Over the past five decades, IDEA has opened doors to educational opportunities and provided the framework for individualized services, ensuring that children’s unique needs are met and that the educational benefit they receive is meaningful. While the data in the 47th Annual Report to Congress, 2025 show this progress, they also highlight that our work as a nation in improving educational opportunities and outcomes for children with disabilities is far from over. It is imperative that we use this milestone anniversary to look ahead and commit to ensuring the next 50 years build on IDEA’s legacy of access and excellence in education for children with disabilities, so that each child with a disability reaches their full potential.
Following is a summary of each of the six sections and three appendices that make up the 47th Annual Report to Congress, 2025.
1 The year in the title reflects the U.S. Department of Education’s target year for submitting the report to Congress. The most current data in this report were collected from July 2022 through December 2023. These data have been available to the public prior to their presentation in this report. Subsequent references to this report and previously published annual reports will be abbreviated as the “XX Annual Report to Congress, Year” and will not include “on the Implementation of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act.”
2 A State may elect to make Part C services available to infants and toddlers with disabilities beyond age 3, consistent with IDEA Sections 632(5)(B) and 635(c) and 34 Code of Federal Regulations (C.F.R.) § 303.211. Data on these children are included in the annual reporting requirements for Part C under IDEA Sections 616, 618, and 642.
3 Section 618 data consist of (1) the number of infants and toddlers served under IDEA, Part C; the settings in which they receive program services; information on the transition at age 3 out of Part C; and dispute resolution information under IDEA, Part C; and (2) the number of children and students served under IDEA, Part B; the environments in which they receive education; their participation in and performance on State assessments (not available for school year 2019–20); information on their exit from special education services; the personnel employed to provide educational services to them; disciplinary actions that affect them; dispute resolution information under IDEA, Part B; and information related to local maintenance of effort reduction and coordinated early intervening services.
Section I contains national data pertinent to Part B and Part C of IDEA. It contains four subsections. The four subsections focus on infants and toddlers birth through age 2 served under IDEA, Part C; children ages 3 through 5 (early childhood) served under IDEA, Part B; students ages 5 (school age) through 21 served under IDEA, Part B; and children and students ages 3 through 21 served under IDEA, Part B. The exhibits provide information about the characteristics of infants, toddlers, children, and students receiving services under Part B and Part C; their disabilities; the settings in which they receive services; their exits from Part B and Part C programs; their disciplinary removals; and their legal disputes. This section also addresses the characteristics of the personnel employed to provide special education and related services for these children and students. The data presented in the exhibits and discussed in the bulleted text represent the 50 States, the District of Columbia (DC), the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico (Puerto Rico or PR), and the four outlying areas of American Samoa, Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (the Northern Mariana Islands), and the Virgin Islands of the United States (U.S. Virgin Islands). In addition, the exhibits that concern special education and related services provided under IDEA, Part B, include data for schools operated or funded by the Bureau of Indian Education (BIE) (referred to as Bureau of Indian Education schools or BIE schools) within the U.S. Department of the Interior, and the three freely associated states of the Federated States of Micronesia, the Republic of Palau, and the Republic of the Marshall Islands.
Section II contains State-level data regarding Part B and Part C of IDEA. This section is organized into four subsections that focus on infants and toddlers birth through age 2 served under IDEA, Part C; children ages 3 through 5 (early childhood) served under IDEA, Part B; students ages 5 (school age) through 21 served under IDEA, Part B; and children and students ages 3 through 21 served under IDEA, Part B. Each subsection addresses questions about the characteristics of infants, toddlers, children, and students receiving services under Part B and Part C; their disabilities; the settings in which they receive services; their exits from Part B and Part C programs; their disciplinary removals; and their legal disputes. This section also addresses the characteristics of the personnel employed to provide special education and related services for these children and students. The data presented in exhibits and discussed in the bulleted text represent the 50 States, the District of Columbia, Bureau of Indian Education schools, and Puerto Rico.
Sections 616(d) and 642 of IDEA require the Secretary to make an annual determination about the extent to which each State’s IDEA Part B and Part C programs are meeting the requirements of IDEA. To fulfill this requirement, the Secretary considers the State performance plan (SPP)/annual performance report (APR) of each State. Based on the information provided by the State in the SPP/APR, information obtained through monitoring reviews, and any other public information made available, the Secretary determines if the State meets the requirements and purposes of IDEA, needs assistance in implementing IDEA requirements, needs intervention in implementing IDEA requirements, or needs substantial intervention in implementing IDEA requirements. In June 2024, the Department issued determination letters on implementation of IDEA for the IDEA Federal fiscal year (FFY) 2022 SPP/APR reporting period (for data reported for the period July 1, 2022, through June 30, 2023) to 60 State educational agencies for Part B and to 56 State lead agencies for Part C. Section III presents the results of these determinations.
When Congress reauthorized IDEA in December 2004, it amended the Education Sciences Reform Act of 2002 (P.L. 107-279) by adding a new Part E to that Act. The new Part E established the National Center for Special Education Research (NCSER) as part of the Institute of Education Sciences (IES). NCSER began operation on July 1, 2005. As specified in Section 175(b) of the Education Sciences Reform Act of 2002, NCSER’s mission is to—
- Sponsor research to expand knowledge and understanding of the needs of infants, toddlers, children, and students with disabilities in order to improve the developmental, educational, and transitional results of such individuals;
- Sponsor research to improve services provided under, and support the implementation of, IDEA (20 United States Code [U.S.C.] § 1400 et seq.); and
- Evaluate the implementation and effectiveness of IDEA in coordination with the National Center for Education Evaluation and Regional Assistance.
Section IV of this report describes the research projects funded by grants NCSER awarded during the Department’s FFY 2024 (October 1, 2023, through September 30, 2024) under Part E of the Education Sciences Reform Act of 2002.
In the December 2004 reauthorization of IDEA, Congress required the Secretary to delegate to the Director of IES responsibility to carry out studies and evaluations under Section 664(a), (b), (c), and (e) of IDEA. As specified in Section 664(a) of IDEA, IES, either directly or through grants, contracts, or cooperative agreements awarded to eligible entities on a competitive basis, assesses the progress in the implementation of IDEA, including the effectiveness of State and local efforts to provide (1) FAPE to children and students with disabilities and (2) early intervention services to infants and toddlers with disabilities and infants and toddlers who would be at risk of having substantial developmental delays if early intervention services were not provided to them. Section V of this report describes the studies and evaluations authorized by Section 664(a) and (e) of IDEA and supported by IES during FFY 2024 (October 1, 2023, through September 30, 2024).
Under Section 664(b) of IDEA (as amended in 2004), the Secretary is responsible for carrying out a national assessment of activities supported by Federal funds under IDEA. As delegated by the Secretary, IES is carrying out this national assessment to (1) determine the effectiveness of IDEA in achieving its purpose; (2) provide timely information to the President, Congress, the States, local educational agencies (LEAs), and the public on how to implement IDEA more effectively; and (3) provide the President and Congress with information that will be useful in developing legislation to achieve the purposes of IDEA more effectively. The national assessment is designed to address specific research questions that focus on (1) the implementation and impact of programs assisted under IDEA in addressing developmental and academic outcomes for children with disabilities, (2) identification for early intervention and special education, (3) early intervention and special education services, and (4) early intervention and special education personnel. Section VI of this report describes studies supported in FFY 2024 (October 1, 2023, through September 30, 2024) that contribute to the national assessment.
Appendix A presents the numbers and percentages of the resident population represented by the infants and toddlers birth through age 2 served under IDEA, Part C, in 2023 in each State, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the four outlying areas, and the children ages 3 through 5 and students ages 6 through 21 served under IDEA, Part B, in 2023 in each State, the District of Columbia, Bureau of Indian Education schools, Puerto Rico, the four outlying areas, and the three freely associated states. It also presents the number of infants and toddlers birth through age 2, children ages 3 through 5 (early childhood), and students ages 5 (school age) through 21 served under IDEA in each State, the District of Columbia, Bureau of Indian Education schools, Puerto Rico, the four outlying areas, and the three freely associated states, by race/ethnicity.
Appendix B presents information about the children ages 3 through 5 (early childhood) and students ages 5 (school age) through 9 served under IDEA, Part B, under the category of developmental delay.[4] Exhibits B-1 and B-2 provide data on the percentages of resident populations in the 50 States, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico represented by the children ages 3 through 5 (early childhood) and students ages 5 (school age) through 9 served under IDEA, Part B, who were reported under the category of developmental delay, respectively, in each year, 2014 through 2023. Exhibit B-3 identifies whether each State, the District of Columbia, Bureau of Indian Education schools, Puerto Rico, the four outlying areas, and the three freely associated states reported any children ages 3 through 5 (early childhood) or any students ages 5 (school age) through 9 under the developmental delay category in 2023.
4 This descriptor and other IDEA Section 618 data descriptors in this report are italicized within exhibits, text, and notes to clarify that the reference is to a grouping of data.
Appendix C presents State-level information on the number of students who received coordinated early intervening services (CEIS) and the number and percentage of LEAs, including educational service agencies (ESAs), that were required to reserve 15 percent of IDEA Sections 611 and 619 funds for comprehensive CEIS due to being identified with significant disproportionality or that voluntarily reserved up to 15 percent of IDEA Sections 611 and 619 funds for CEIS. In addition, State-level data are presented on the number and percentage of LEAs, including ESAs, that met the IDEA, Part B, requirements under 34 Code of Federal Regulations (C.F.R.) § 300.600(a)(2) and had an increase in IDEA, Part B, Section 611 allocations and took the maintenance of effort (MOE) reduction pursuant to IDEA Section 613(a)(2)(C) in school year 2022–23.
Key Findings at the National Level
The 47th Annual Report to Congress, 2025 presents data collected from States. The report also includes information from studies, evaluations, and databases of the Institute of Education Sciences and U.S. Census Bureau. This section contains summaries of key findings from Section I of the report, “Summary and Analysis of IDEA [Individuals with Disabilities Education Act] Section 618 Data at the National Level.” For further information regarding the summarized national-level key findings below, the reader is advised to review the exhibit cited and its additional associated text.
- In 2023, there were 460,321 infants and toddlers birth through age 2 served under IDEA, Part C, in the 50 States and the District of Columbia. This number represented 4.2 percent of the birth through age 2 resident population. (Exhibit 1)
- Between 2014 and 2023, the percentage of the resident population of infants and toddlers served under IDEA, Part C, indicates an increasing trend. The only exception was between 2019 and 2020, when there was a decrease in the percentage of the population served. (Exhibit 2)
- In 2023, Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander infants and toddlers were more likely than those in all other racial/ethnic groups combined to be served under IDEA, Part C. Asian infants and toddlers were least likely to be served under IDEA, Part C, compared to all other racial/ethnic groups combined. (Exhibit 3)
- In 2023, there were 888,485 children ages 3 through 5 served under IDEA, Part B, in the 50 States, the District of Columbia, and Bureau of Indian Education schools. This number represented 7.8 percent of the resident population ages 3 through 5. (Exhibit 12)
- In 2023, the most prevalent disability category of children ages 3 through 5 (early childhood) served under IDEA, Part B, was developmental delay. The next most common disability category was speech or language impairment. (Exhibit 13)
- In 2023, American Indian or Alaska Native children, Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander children, and children associated with two or more races ages 3 through 5 (early childhood) were more likely to be served under IDEA, Part B, than children ages 3 through 5 (early childhood) in all other racial/ethnic groups combined. Asian children ages 3 through 5 (early childhood) were less likely to be served under IDEA, Part B, than children ages 3 through 5 (early childhood) in all other racial/ethnic groups combined. (Exhibit 14)
- In 2023, in each racial/ethnic group, more than 50 percent of children ages 3 through 5 (early childhood) served under IDEA, Part B, spent a portion of time in a regular early childhood program. Separate class was the most prevalent educational environment category for Asian children and Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander children. (Exhibit 16)
- In 2023, there were 6,900,750 students ages 6 through 21 served under IDEA, Part B, in the 50 States, the District of Columbia, and Bureau of Indian Education schools. This number represented 10.2 percent of the resident population ages 6 through 21. (Exhibit 19)
- Between 2014 and 2023, the overall trend of all the resident population age groups served under IDEA, Part B, has increased. The only exception was the resident population of ages 18 through 21. This age group decreased by 0.2 percentage points between 2014 and 2023. (Exhibit 20)
- In 2023, the most prevalent disability category of students ages 5 (school age) through 21 served under IDEA, Part B, was specific learning disability. (Exhibit 21)
- From 2020 through 2023, the most prevalent disability category for students ages 5 (school age) through 21 served under IDEA, Part B, was specific learning disability. The next most common disability category was speech or language impairment, followed by other health impairment. (Exhibit 22)
- From 2020 through 2023, the percentage of the population ages 5 (school age) through 21 served under IDEA, Part B, that was reported under the category of specific learning disability was more than 3 percent. (Exhibit 25)
- In 2023, for all disabilities, American Indian or Alaska Native students ages 5 (school age) through 21 were more likely to be served under IDEA, Part B, than students ages 5 (school age) through 21 in all other racial/ethnic groups combined. Asian students ages 5 (school age) through 21 were least likely to be served under IDEA, Part B, compared to students ages 5 (school age) through 21 in all other racial/ethnic groups combined. (Exhibit 26)
Last modified on June 25, 2026