By the Office of Special Education Programs
The Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) released two new OSEP Fast Facts that take a closer look at the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) Section 618 data submitted for School Year (SY) 2020-21 and fall 2021:
- IDEA Section 618 Data Collected on Children with Disabilities Served under IDEA, Part C in the time of the COVID-19 Pandemic, and
- IDEA Section 618 Data Collected on Children with Disabilities Served under IDEA, Part B in during the time of the COVID-19 Pandemic.
The Part C infographics looks at data related to infants and toddlers, birth through age 2, with disabilities, and the Part B infographic looks at data related to children and youth, ages 3 through 21, with disabilities.
In these infographics, OSEP highlights examples of state-submitted data notes that reference the impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on these data collections.
Highlights from IDEA Section 618 Data Collected on Children with Disabilities Served Under IDEA, Part C During the Time of the COVID-19 Pandemic
- There was close to a 15% drop in the number of infants and toddlers served under IDEA, Part C in 2020-21. In 2021-22, the number served was back to 95% of the number of infants and toddlers served in 2019.
- There was a decrease in the percent of infants and toddlers receiving services in a community-based setting and an increase in those receiving services in the home setting from 2019-20 to 2021-22.
- There has been a steady increase in the number of infants and toddlers who reached age three, exiting IDEA, Part C from 2016-17 to 2019-20 and then nearly a 9% drop in 2020-21.
- There was an overall drop in written signed complaints, mediations, and due process complaints filed in 2020-21.
Highlights from IDEA Section 618 Data Collected on Children with Disabilities Served Under IDEA, Part B During the Time of the COVID-19 Pandemic
- There was a less than 1% drop in the number of children with disabilities, ages 3-21, served under IDEA, Part B from SY 2019-20 to SY 2020-21. In SY 2021-22, the number served under Part B increased above the number served in SY 2019-20.
- The Department of Education (ED) waived the reporting of the statewide assessments in SY 2019-20, and ED offered states flexibilities regarding the timing, length and type of administration of assessments in SY 2020-21. Therefore, assessment data for SY 2020-21 may not be comparable to other years. A visualization in the Fast Fact explores the uncertainty of the assessment data during this time.
- After a slight upward trend in the number of total disciplinary removals of children with disabilities, ages 3-21, from SY 2016-17 to SY 2018-19 there was a 73% drop in disciplinary removals from 2018-19 to 2020-21.
- There was an overall drop in the number of written signed complaints and mediations in SY 2020-21. However, the trend in the number of total due process complaints filed increased over time from SY 2016-17 to SY 2020-21.
Visit the OSEP Fast Facts page for existing and future Fast Facts.
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