FOR RELEASE: November 29, 2000	Contact:         Jim Bradshaw (202) 401-2310

The U.S. Department of Education today celebrated the 25th anniversary of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) by releasing its annual report to Congress on special education, which shows a record 55 percent of America's students with disabilities are graduating from high school at a time when dropout rates are falling and more disabled students are attending regular classes alongside nondisabled students than ever before.

The report coincides with the 25th anniversary of President Ford signing on Nov. 29, 1975, the Education for All Handicapped Children Act, now known as IDEA. The law guarantees the entitlement of a "free appropriate public education" to the nation's children and youth with disabilities.

"In the last quarter-century our public schools have made incredible progress in assuring an excellent education for America’s students with disabilities," said U.S. Secretary of Education Richard W. Riley. "Twenty-five years ago, IDEA opened the doors to our schoolhouses for students with disabilities. Today, millions of students with disabilities attend our public schools. We have made steady progress toward educating students with disabilities, including them in regular classrooms, graduating them with the proper diploma and sending them off to college."

Judith E. Heumann, assistant secretary for special education and rehabilitative services, echoed Riley's comments.

"The changes have been significant," Heumann said. "Some states actually had laws that specifically excluded certain children. Today, we are bridging these gaps, and students with disabilities are not only attending classes alongside their nondisabled peers – they are graduating with regular diplomas and moving on to higher education and the world of work."

Heumann attributed these successes to the efforts of parents, teachers and school administrators.

Among the report's highlights:

• A record 55.4 percent of students with disabilities graduated from high school in 1997-98, up from 53.5 percent in 1996-97 and continuing a four-year rise.
• Dropout rates fell to 31 percent in 1997-98, declining from 32.7 percent the previous school year and 34.7 percent in 1993-94.
• A record 46.4 percent of disabled students ages 6-21 were served in the regular classroom at least 80 percent of the school day in 1997-98. That's up from 45.7 percent in 1996-97.
• The number of children in special education – 6.1 million in 1998-99 – continues to rise at about three percent a year with the greatest growth occurring in the preschool program.
• The largest increase in students served has been those listed in the category of "Other Health Impairments," which includes those with attention deficit disorder (ADD) and attention deficit hyperactive disorder (ADHD).
• Autism continues to rise, due to better diagnosis and identification, as well as reclassification of students in the newer disability categories.

The report identifies the significant progress that has been made in providing education opportunities to children with disabilities.

"Prior to the 1970s, millions of children with disabilities received inadequate or inappropriate special education services from the public schools. Another one million children were excluded from school altogether," the report said. "In fact, for much of the history of American public schools, services to children with disabilities 'were minimal and were provided at the discretion of local school districts.' "

Public attitudes have changed too, the report said.

For instance, for the first 15 years of its history, the act referred to "handicapped children" and "handicapped infants and toddlers." A decade ago, however, Congress significantly

changed the wording of the law by renaming the statute and amending references to "handicapped children" to read "children with disabilities."

"The change reflected both the activism of persons with disabilities and their advocate and an increasing public awareness that disability is a natural part of the human experience and in no way diminishes the right of individuals to participate in or contribute to society," the report states.

NOTE TO EDITORS: The 22nd annual report to Congress is posted on the department's web site at http://www.ed.gov/offices/OSERS/OSEP/index.html#Publications. Copies are also available by calling the department's "ED Pubs" service at 1-877-4-ED-PUBS, faxing 1-301-470-1244 or writing ED Pubs, P.O. Box 1398, Jessup, Md. 20794-1398.

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Percentage of students with disabilities leaving the education system who

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