Approximately half of all students with disabilities in 2004–05 spent 80 percent or more of their day in a general classroom.

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), enacted in 1975,¹ requires public schools to make available to all eligible children with disabilities a free public education in the least restrictive environment² appropriate for their needs. In 1997, Congress passed amendments to IDEA,³ mandating for the first time that states collect data on the race/ethnicity of students identified as having special education needs. These data reveal an overrepresentation of some racial/ethnic minorities among students with disabilities (see NCES 2007-064, indicator 7).

Between 1995 and 2005, the percentage of students with disabilities spending 80 percent or more of the school day in a general classroom showed an overall increase from 45 to 52 percent (see table 31-1). At the same time, there was an overall decline (from 22 to 18 percent) in the percentage of students with disabilities spending less than 40 percent of their day in a general classroom. The percentage of students with disabilities who did not attend general schools showed little change, however, staying at approximately 4 percent over the 10-year span. Between the 2003–04 and 2004–05 school years, the percentage of students with disabilities spending 80 percent or more of the school day in a general classroom increased from 50 to 52 percent.

The percentage of time these students spent in a general classroom varied by race/ethnicity (see table 31-2). For example, White students with disabilities were more likely than students of any other race/ethnicity to spend 80 percent or more of their day in a general classroom. In contrast, Black students with disabilities were more likely than students of any other race/ethnicity to spend less than 40 percent of their day in a general classroom and were the most likely to receive education in a separate school facility for students with disabilities. American Indians/Alaska Natives and Hispanics with disabilities were less likely than students of any other race/ethnicity to receive education in a separate school facility for students with disabilities.

¹ The most recent reauthorization of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) occurred in 2004. (back to text)

² A least restrictive environment is determined on a case-by-case basis to ensure that each student’s special needs are met, while allowing that student the maximum possible exposure to students without disabilities as well as the general education curriculum. (back to text)

³ Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) Amendments of 1997 (P.L. 105-17). (back to text)