INDICATORS

EARLY LEARNING

K-12

•3.2.1 Number of FTE Students per FTE Teachers •3.2.2 Students with Poor Academic Performance •3.2.3 Student Attendance •3.2.4 Special Education Students •3.2.5 English Language Learners: Total & Share •3.2.6 Dropout Rate: 9th & 10th Grades •3.2.7 Public HS On-Time Graduation Rate •3.2.8 Public HS Extended Graduation Rate •3.2.9 Expenditures per Full-Time Student •3.2.10 Share of Youth Ages 16-19 Employed •3.2.11 K-12 Free/Reduced Price Lunch Program •3.2.12 Students Not Feeling Safe at School

K-12 STATE TESTING

HIGHER EDUCATION

EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT

EDUCATION

Chart More InformationDownload Data

Clicking on a legend item will show/hide corresponding data series.

Chart created using Highcharts.com

3.2.4 Total and Share of Public K-12 Students in Special Education

Why is this important?

Developmental delays or disabilities, whether emotional, mental, or physical, can place a child behind in many aspects of life. Early treatment for delays and special education are the best ways to help a child make progress, or even to catch up with his or her peers. These programs are offered at little or no cost to families depending on family income, and meet the unique needs of students with disabilities or delays.

According to the Washington State Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI), Special Education is “specially designed instruction that addresses the unique needs of a student eligible to receive special education services. Special education is provided at no cost to parents and includes the related services a student needs to access her/his educational program.”

For school age children, ages 3-21, eligible students receive written documents developed with identified delays or special needs called Individualized Education Programs (IEPs). IEP’s are specially designed instruction required for the student, as well as services related to delivery of this instruction (services could include language therapy, physical therapy, rehabilitation counseling services, supports for school staff, etc.). IEPs are developed as part of a collaborative effort between parents, school district personnel, and other IEP team members, and are reviewed and revised at least annually.

Special Education is a fundamental right protected by many federal laws such as Free Appropriate Public Education for Students with Disabilities (FAPE), the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) of 2004, and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973.

This indicator measures the total number and share of K-12 public school students in Skagit County who receive Special Education. Washington is offered as a benchmark. Additional information, including a breakdown by school district in Skagit County, can be found in the “Download Data” section.

Where are we?

During the 2023-2024 school year in Skagit County, there were a total of 3,134 public school students served in Special Education programs, increasing from 2,115, or by 48.22% since the 1998-1999 school year.

By comparison during the 2023-2024 school year, the share of the total public school student population who were served in Special Education programs in:

Skagit County was 17.9%, increasing from 11.5% during the 1998-1999 school year.
Washington State was 15.9%, increasing from 10.7% during the 1998-1999 school year.

Data Sources

State of Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction: Washington State Report Card

Select a school year, and in the dropdown menu titled "Select a Report Type", select "Apportionment"
Next, in the dropdown menu titled “Select an Organization Type”, select "District (CCDDD)"
Next, in the dropdown menu titled “Select an Organization”, select the desired school district or the "Statewide Summary"
Then choose "1735T Special Education.pdf" for Total Students in Special Education.
Then choose "1251 FTE.pdf" for Total Enrollment.

Notes:

1) Due to OSPI’s Accountability Rules, Institutional, Tribal, Reengagement and Alternative Schools with greater than 50% of their enrollment from outside of their district are not included in school district level data. As a result, some schools districts have high schools that aren’t being computed in the district level estimates (which can be found in the “Download Data” section), but are being counted in the county level estimates.

2) All children between the ages of 0-21 with qualifying conditions are eligible for Special Education services, but this indicator only tracks Special Education students in grades K-12.

The data visualization on this webpage may not be fully accessible for persons with disabilities. However, the source data will download in a file by clicking on the "Download Data" link above. If you would like assistance downloading the file or be provided a copy of the information on this webpage, please contact us at dpjones@ewu.edu.