OSEP Fast Facts Looks at Race and Ethnicity of Children with Disabilities Served under IDEA

By the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services

WASHINGTON (August 13, 2021) – The Office of Special Education Programs released an OSEP Fast Facts and supplemental tool focused on race and ethnicity of children with disabilities served under IDEA served under Part B of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act.

Highlights from an OSERS Blog include:

• Asian students with disabilities are more likely to be identified with autism or hearing impairment than all students with disabilities and less likely to drop out and more likely to graduate with a regular high school diploma than all students with disabilities.
• Black or African American students with disabilities are more likely to be identified with intellectual disability or emotional disturbance than all students with disabilities and more likely to receive a disciplinary removal than all students with disabilities.
• Hispanic students with disabilities are more likely to be identified with hearing impairment or specific learning disability than all students with disabilities.
• American Indian or Alaska Native students with disabilities are more likely to drop out than all students with disabilities and less likely to be inside regular class less than 40% of the day than all students with disabilities.
• White students with disabilities are more likely to be served inside a regular class 80% or more of the day than all students with disabilities and less likely to be identified with specific learning disability or intellectual disability than all students with disabilities.

Additionally, OSEP released a “Hand In Hand” supplemental tool that parents and stakeholders can use alongside the new OSEP Fast Fact. This new tool guides users through the OSEP Fast Facts and is presented with critical questions to allow parents and other stakeholders to engage with the materials.

OSEP Fast Facts is an ongoing effort to display data from the 12 data collections authorized under IDEA Section 618 into graphic, visual representations with the intent to present 618 data quickly and clearly.

Visit the OSEP Fast Facts page for existing and future Fast Facts.

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Last modified on August 13, 2021