Dive Brief:
- More than half of U.S. states and territories did not meet annual targets for implementing federal special education services for students with disabilities ages 3-21, according to a summary of the state determinations issued June 18 by the U.S. Department of Education.
- The latest annual state determinations for implementing the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act also found that only 22 states meet the law’s implementation requirements and improvement efforts for early intervention services to infants and toddlers with disabilities and developmental delays.
- As schools experience both an uptick in the number of students with disabilities qualifying for special education services and a special educator shortage, the IDEA state and district accountability system play an important role in ensuring schools are meeting students’ needs.
Dive Insight:
The recent state determinations issued by the Education Department are based on an analysis of performance indicators from fiscal year 2024.
The accountability measurements for IDEA Part B, for students ages 3-21, and for Part C, for infants and toddlers, gauge both compliance with IDEA rules and progress in improving student outcomes such as family perspectives on early intervention, preschool transition planning, graduation rates and participation in inclusive classrooms.
This year's analysis is based on data from FY24 or for two or more prior consecutive years. Likewise, states are required to make district-level IDEA determinations under the same measurement system.
There were 20 states and the Republic of Marshall Islands that received a "meets requirements" rating for IDEA's Part B services for students ages 3-21. Another 33 states and territories received a “needs assistance” rating for one, two or more consecutive years.
Four states — Maine, New Mexico, New York and Vermont — in addition to the Bureau of Indian Education and the District of Columbia were labeled as "needs intervention."
For IDEA Part C early intervention services, 22 states "meets requirements" and 28 states, American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands and the District of Columbia received a “needs assistance” rating for one, two or more consecutive years.
Louisiana was the only state targeted as "needs intervention" for Part C. No state or territory received the lowest determination for IDEA Part B or Part C of "needs substantial intervention."
States that received a “needs assistance” rating for two or more consecutive years will face enforcement actions from the Education Department that include requiring states to access technical assistance, labeling the state as a high-risk grantee, or directing the use of state set-aside funds to areas in need of improvement. States with a "needs intervention" determination can face stricter enforcement actions.
States receiving annual IDEA funds must develop a state performance plan that details their efforts to comply with the law and how they are improving outcomes for children. States submit an annual performance report to detail their progress on meeting their targets, and the Education Department reviews those reports to make the annual state determinations.
In fiscal year 2026, Congress funded IDEA services for infants, toddlers, students and young adults at $15.5 billion. Special education services are also funded by state and local monies.
Last week, the Education Department announced it was transferring some key special education programming to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The division of responsibilities is detailed in an interagency agreement, which includes the intention of HHS taking the lead on annual state IDEA performance determinations going forward.
About 8.2 million students ages 3-21 qualified for IDEA Part B services in 2024. That was a 3.8% increase from the year before. IDEA’s Part C program served nearly 460,000 infants and toddlers with disabilities and developmental delays in 2024.
While the number of students with disabilities increases, the special education field has a shortage of qualified teachers. Special education has been the top staffing shortage area in U.S. schools since the 1990s, said Bellwether Education Partners in a 2019 data analysis.
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