Presentation by Rebecca H. Cort, Deputy Commissioner Office of Vocational and Educational Services for Individuals with

1. The State of Special EducationOctober 2009 Presentation by Rebecca H. Cort, Deputy CommissionerOffice of Vocational and Educational Services for Individuals with Disabilities Statewide Briefing, October 2009

2. Performance Indicators Graduation rates Drop out rates Participation & performance on State Assessments High suspension rates Placements in least restrictive environment Preschool outcomes Parental involvement Post school outcomes Results Compliance Indicators • Timely evaluations • Timely services • Transition planning • Disproportionality by race/ethnicity due to inappropriate policies and procedures

3. Academic Outcomes and Students with Disabilities

4. Trend in Percent of Students with Disabilities Graduating with Regents or Local Diploma After 4 Years as of June • 2004 cohort results of 41.3% exceeded the IDEA target of 38% • Future targets are more rigorous: 2008-09 target is 44% 2009-10 target will be 49% 2010-11 target will be 52% (This slide presents data available when each APR was prepared. Later changes made by SED to 2001 and 2002 total cohort data are not reflected here.) NYSED, VESID APR Feb 2009 data as of 1/23/09, Indicator #1

5. Trends in Percent of Students with Disabilities Graduating with Regents or Local Diploma After 4 Years as of June By Need Resource Capacity of School Districts • Average and Low Need districts exceeded the 38% target set for the 2007-08 school year. • High Need districts are improving but did not meet the target • Wide variations in outcomes across school districts (This slide presents data available when each APR was prepared. Later changes made by SED to 2001 and 2002 total cohort data are not reflected here.) NYSED, VESID APR Feb 2009 data as of 1/23/09, Indicator #1

6. 2004 Total Cohort Status after Four Years as of June(n=31,252 students with disabilities) *AHSEP = Alternative High School Equivalency Preparation program

7. More students with disabilities graduate after 5 years. Percent of Students with Disabilities Graduating with Regents or Local Diploma After 4, 5 and 6 Years - Through June

8. 2004 Total Cohort after Four Years as of June: Graduation, IEP Diploma and Dropout Rates • There are wide variations across school districts in the ways that students with disabilities leave school. • Different types of exit have post school consequences for young adults with disabilities. 2004 Total Cohort 10,112 2,408 1,612 2,633 10,221 4,102 NYSED, VESID APR February 2009, Indicators #1 & 2)

9. Percentage of Students with Disabilities Dropping Out after Four Years as of June • 2007-08 Statewide results of 16% exceeded the target that no more than 19% would drop out. NYSED, VESID APR Feb 2009 data as of 1/23/09, Indicator #2

10. Percentage of Students with Disabilities Dropping Out after Four Years as of June • All Need Resource Categories show significant improvement, but not all met the 2007-08 target to reduce to 19% or below, particularly in the Large 4 Cities. • Future targets will be more rigorous • 2008-09 target is no more than 18% • 2009-10 target will be no more than 16% • 2010-11 target will be no more than 15% NYSED, VESID APR Feb 2009 data as of 1/23/09, Indicator #2

11. Getting There from Here: Proficiency on State Assessments

12. Participation Rate of Students with Disabilities Subgroup on State Assessments NYS achieved the participation rate target for all grades and subjects except high school ELA in 2007-08. Target 95% NYSED, VESID APR Feb 2009 data as of 1/23/09, Indicator #3

13. Percent of School Districts Making Adequate Yearly ProgressFor Students with Disabilities in All Required Subjects and Grades NYS exceeded the SPP AYP target in 2007-08. Target 58% NYSED, VESID APR Feb 2009 data as of 1/23/09, Indicator #3

14. Getting There from Here Grades 3-8 English Language Arts (ELA)

15. Increasingly students with disabilities are demonstrating proficiency by scoring at Levels 3 & 4 on Grade 3-8 ELA assessments. Percent of Students with Disabilities at Levels 3-4 in ELA

16. Proficiency is improving in every Need/Resource Capacity category of school districts on Grade 3-8 ELA assessments. But Gaps among school districts in these categories persist. Percent of Students with Disabilities at Levels 3-4 in Grades 3-8 ELA

17. Fewer students with disabilities are demonstrating serious academic difficulties by scoring at Level 1 on the ELA examinations. Percent of Students with Disabilities at Level 1 in ELA

18. Fewer students with disabilities demonstrate serious academic difficulties in each of the Big Five Cities. But, more students in Big Five Cities score at Level 1 compared to rest of school districts. Percentage of Students with Disabilities Scoring at Level 1 in Grades 3-8 ELA

19. Proficiency continues to improve for students with disabilities in all racial/ethnic groups across Grades 3-8 ELA. Percent of Students with Disabilities at Levels 3-4 in ELA

20. There were slight improvements in every grade on the Grade 3-8 ELA, but the performance of students with disabilities who are also English language learners (ELL) is very low Percent of ELL Students with Disabilities at Levels 3 and 4 in ELA

21. The gap between students with disabilities who were and were not English language learners (ELL) occurs even in Low Need districts. Percentage of students with disabilities scoring at Level 3 and 4 in 2009 Grades 3-8 ELA

22. The gap between performance of students with disabilities and general education students at proficient levels in Grades 3-8 ELA is significant in all Need/Resource categories of school districts. Percent of General Education and Students with Disabilities at Levels 3-4 in 2009 Grades 3-8 ELA

23. Getting There From Here: Grades 3-8 Math Proficiency

24. Increasingly, students with disabilities are showing proficiency by scoring at levels 3 & 4 on the Grade 3-8 Mathematics assessment. Percent of students with disabilities scoring at levels 3 or 4

25. Proficiency of students with disabilities in Grades 3-8 math improved in each of the Big Five Cities. But, fewer students in Big Five Cities demonstrate proficiency compared to rest of school districts. Percent of Students with Disabilities at Levels 3 and 4 in Math

26. Students with Disabilities Scoring at Level 1on 2009 Grades 3-8 Mathematics • There is a substantial decease in the percentage of students with disabilities scoring at Level 1 in all grades in Mathematics in each of the past three years.

27. High School English and Math Proficiencies

28. 2008 Regents English Examination & Students with Disabilities Data represents Public Schools, Including Charter Schools • More students passed in 2008 with a 65 than attempted this exam in 1997. • The number of students with disabilities tested has grown more than 5 times. • Of the students tested in 2008, more than 2/3 passed with a score of 55-100.

29. Students with Disabilities taking Regents Examinations in Sequential Mathematics Course I or Math A • Since 1997, the number of students with disabilities tested has grown nearly 5 times. • In 2008, more than twice as many passed at 65 than attempted these examinations in 1997. *Note: Beginning 1999, students took either the Math A or Sequential Mathematics Course I. The Course 1 examination ended in 2002. School Report Card, 2007-08

30. Since higher standards were adopted in 1996, more than 13 times as many students with disabilities are earning Regents diplomas. Regents Diplomas Awarded to Students with Disabilities

31. Regents Competency Tests (RCTs) & Students with Disabilities • Large numbers of students with disabilities are tested on most RCT examinations. • From 2002 to 2008 the number of students tested in RCT for Reading increased by 76%; Writing by 66%; and Mathematics by 36%. Public Schools, Including Charter Schools

32. Percent of Students with Disabilities Passing Regents Competency Tests (RCTs) • The RCTs remain a tool for helping students with disabilities meet graduation requirements. • Lower percentages of students with disabilities pass the RCT in Mathematics compared to Reading and Writing. 6,146 7,212 6,456 6,137 6,404 3,723 4,737 5,861 4,950 3,968 11,159 5,839 6,308 6,309 5,967 7,187 10,030 8,163 8,083 7,519 7,152 Data represents Public Schools, including Charter Schools

33. Suspensions of Students with Disabilities

34. The number of school districts that suspend at least 2.7% of students with disabilities for more than 10 days is increasing.  111 additional districts in 2007-08 were so close to the cut point that they have been informed that they are at risk of future identification.

35. Percent of Students with Disabilities Being Suspended More than 10 Days in a School Year By Need Resource Capacity of School Districts • Buffalo, Rochester and Syracuse have a combined rate of suspensions more than 3 times the Statewide rate. • Urban-Suburban High Need districts are increasing their rates of long term suspensions, not decreasing them. APR February 2009, Indicator #4A

36. Least Restrictive Environment

37. 1996-97 Public and Private Special Education Placements at Separate Sites for Each BOCES Region and New York City 2 Regions - Less than 2% at Separate Public Sites 9 Regions - 2-4.3% at Separate Public Sites National Average : 4.3 percent 12 Regions - 4.4-7% at Separate Public Sites 16 Regions - Over 7% at Separate Public Sites Separate Settings are defined as schools attended exclusively by students with disabilities; these settings include Chapter 853, Special Act, State Operated and State Supported schools, separate BOCES sites and New York City separate public schools. 5/98

38. Students with Disabilities (Ages 4-21) in Separate Settings By BOCES Region and New York City Based on 2008-09 VR-5 Data 26 of 38 regions (68%) placed 4.3% or fewer Students with Disabilities in Separate Sites in 2008-09 compared to only 28% in 1996-97 Only 2 of 38 regions (5%) placed 7% or more Students with Disabilities in Separate Sites in 2008-09 compared to 72% in 1996-97 Less than 2% (17) 2-4.3% (9) 4.4-6.9% (11) More than 6.9% (2) GS Separate Settings are defined as schools attended exclusively by students with disabilities; these settings include Chapter 853, Special Act, State Operated and State Supported schools, separate BOCES sites and New York City separate public schools 7/8/08

39. Placement of School-Age Students with Disabilitiesin the Least Restrictive Environment All targets were met but compare NYS on the 2nd & 3rd categories with national data. NYSED, VESID APR Feb 2009 data as of 1/23/09, Indicator #5

40. Preschool Outcomes

41. Preschool Special Education Program Outcome Measurespercent of children entering below age expectations who, by the time of exit in 2007-08… NYSED, VESID APR Feb 2009 data as of 1/23/09, Indicator #7

42. Disproportionality by Race / Ethnicity

43. The special education classification rate is increasing *Methodology revised in 2002-03 **2007-08 was the first year classification rates were based on counts of students with disabilities collected through the Student Information Repository System (SIRS)

44. Classification rates vary by Need/Resource categories *Methodology revised in 2002-03 **2007-08 was the first year classification rates were based on counts of students with disabilities collected through the Student Information Repository System (SIRS)

45. The special education classification rate is climbing for racial/ethnic groups, and highest for Black and American Indian students.

46. Disproportionate Representation by Race/ Ethnicity, 2008-09Scope of Disproportionality Within Districts Numbers of School Districts Identified by their Data as Having Disproportionate Representation by Race/Ethnicity or being At Risk on Key Indicators

47. Disproportionate Representation by Race/ Ethnicity, 2008-09:Duration of Disproportionality for Districts Numbers of School Districts Identified by their Data as Having Disproportionate Representation by Race/Ethnicity or being At Risk on Key Indicators

48. 2007-08 Statewide Data • Identification – 17 districts + 5 at risk • 13 Black students, 3 Hispanic, 1 American Indian • Classification – 18 districts • 14 for Black students – 8 – ED, 2 MR, 2 OHI, 2 LD • 3 for Hispanic students – 2 SLI, 1 MR • 1 for American Indian - LD • Placement – 5 districts + 4 at risk • 4 for placement of Black students in separate settings • 1 for placement of Black students for less than 40% in regular classes • Suspension – 21 districts + 10 at risk • 20 for suspension of Black students • 1 for American Indian students

49. Initial Evaluations – Preschool and School Age Early Intervention to Preschool Services by the 3rd birthday

50. Timely Evaluations of Children Referred for Special Education(target is 100%) Percent of timely evaluations conducted for children referred NYSED, VESID APR Feb 2009 data as of 1/23/09, Indicator #11