State Report Card:
Curriculum and Instruction

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Students with Disabilities

arrow View/download Placement and Educating Students in the Least Restrictive Environment (PDF, 2 pages, 61KB)

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Placement
WHAT YOU ARE LOOKING AT

The Placement chart shows the breakdown, by district, of the population of students receiving special-education services.

There are six groups of students receiving special-education services:

  • very young (pre-kindergarten) students
  • public-school students who are over 18 years of age
  • students who have been enrolled by their parents (or guardians) in nonpublic schools
  • students who are homebound or hospitalized
  • students educated in separate schools solely for students with disabilities
  • students enrolled in public schools (grades K through 12)

Public-school districts pay for the entire or partial cost of special education of each of these students. The two right-hand columns show the total dollar amount and the per-pupil expenditure for special-education services for each district (and for the state as a whole).

Note that there are two ways to take the census of students receiving special-education services. This table shows the complete census. But when reporting the “percent of K-12 students with IEPs” (see following page, “Students with Disabilities: Least Restrictive Environment”), we eliminate from the calculation pre-kindergarten students and students whose parents enroll them in nonpublic schools. We do this because pre-kindergarten students and students in nonpublic schools without disabilities are also eliminated from the calculation of total number of students.

Please note that there are an additional 149 K-12 students (statewide) who are educated in separate schools outside of Rhode Island. Data on these students are not included in the bar graphs. The expenditures for these students, however, are included in the total expenditures and per-pupil expenditures columns on the right-hand side of the report.

Please also note that data and expenditures for students with disabilities in the 3 district-operated charter schools are not included in the bar graphs or expenditures for the districts (Cranston and Providence), though the expenditures for these students are included in the State of Rhode Island totals.

WHAT YOU ARE LOOKING FOR

The per-pupil expenditures for students with disabilities can be affected by many factors, including the severity of a student’s disability and the number of students with disabilities supported by District funds. In evaluating special-education programs, it is important to consider not only the District expenditures on students with disabilities but also the assessment results and graduation rates of those students.

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Least Restrictive Environment
WHAT YOU ARE LOOKING AT

The set of bar graphs on the second page shows you, by school district, the extent to which students receiving special-education services are included within general-education classrooms. The first (left-hand) segment of each bar shows the percentage of students who are included about 80% of the time or more. The districts are ranked by this indicator—the districts at the top of the chart include most or all of their students with disabilities about 80% of the time or more.

The second segment shows the percentage of students receiving special-education services included from about 40% of the time to about 80% of the time; the third segment shows the percentage of students receiving special-education services who are included within general-education classrooms less than 40% of the time.

The fourth segment of each bar shows the percentage of students receiving special-education services in the district who are sent to separate special schools, generally on a tuition basis. The fifth segment shows the percentage of students with disabilities who are homebound or hospitalized. The sixth segment shows the percentage of students who are educated in residential schools.

Each bar accounts for all students receiving special-education services in the district. At the right-hand side of each bar, you can see the percentage of public-school students in the district, Grades K-12, who are receiving special-education services.

Note that there are two ways to take the census of students receiving special-education services. The table on the preceding page (“Students with Disabilities: Placement”) shows the state and district expenditures for all students receiving special-education services. But when reporting the “percent of K-12 Students with IEPs” we eliminate from the calculation pre-kindergarten students and students whose parents enroll them in nonpublic schools. We do this because pre-kindergarten students and students in nonpublic schools without disabilities are also eliminated from the calculation of total number of students.

WHAT YOU ARE LOOKING FOR

What is most important is that each student receives the appropriate education. That varies by student. On occasion, the appropriate education for a particular student means outplacement to a separate school.

Ideally, however, most students with disabilities should have access to the general-education curriculum and instruction as much as possible; most students with disabilities learn best when they are included in the classroom with general-education students. So you are looking to see that your district includes most or all of its students within general-education classrooms at least 80% of the time.
The information on this table is most useful when viewed alongside assessment data for the students with disabilities.

  • Are the students with disabilities in the school or district performing as well as the general-education students on the state assessments?
  • Are their test scores improving over time?
  • Is the school or district meeting its annual targets for students with disabilities?

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