State releases special education report cards

Report cards showing special education data for every school and school district are now available on the Oregon Department of Education website. The report cards are a federally mandated compilation of results from the 2014-15 school year found in several previous ODE data releases.

“This is a snapshot of special education in Oregon, but it doesn’t tell the whole story,” Deputy Superintendent Salam Noor said. “Teachers, administrators and staff are hard at work every day working toward our shared vision that every student has access to and benefits from a world-class, well-rounded and equitable educational system.”

The report cards show the special education figures for each school and district in eight categories:

· Graduation rate – both 4 -year and 5-year cohort

· Dropout rate

· Timelines for referrals and eligibility determination

· Least Restrictive Environment – students served as much as possible with non-disabled peers

· Academic Achievement (Smarter Balanced assessment scores)

· Post-secondary outcomes when students with disabilities exit special education

· Disproportionality related to over- or under-representation in special education and over- or under-representation within specific disability category

· Parent survey results

The data reflect trends such as an increasing graduation rate and a focus on decreasing the dropout rate for students with special needs. The report cards also show Oregon’s strength compared to national figures when it comes to identifying children with special needs at a very young age and providing them with appropriate and timely services.

The report cards can be found on the ODE website .