Special Education by the Numbers
According to figures compiled by the Florida Department of Education (FLDOE) Bureau of Exceptional Education and Student Services in 2019, out of the 2.8 million students in Pre-K through 12th Grade in the State of Florida, approximately 414,000 have a disability. This accounts for 14% of all school children in the state. FLDOE collects data on the overall academic performance of its special education students. Below is data primarily collected from the students of the 2018-19 academic year:- 77.41% (with a target of 62.3%) graduated from high school in the 2016-17 academic year.
- 96% and 96.36% of special needs students participate in reading and math, respectively.
- Only 26.02% and 32.07% (with a target of 66.0%) of students demonstrate proficiency in reading and math, respectively.
- Only 25.58% (with a target of 39.00%) of students remained in higher education within one year of graduating secondary school.