Overview Report
This page provides information on available data and reports for Connecticut's students with disabilities. Learn more about interactive reports published by the Connecticut State Department of Education (CSDE), data files published by the US Department of Education, and Connecticut's State Systemic Improvement Plan.
See related links at the bottom of the page for the accommodations and restraint and seclusion reports.
Interactive Reports
Prevalence rate is a statistic about the identification of students with disabilities eligible for special education and related services. Connecticut has seen increases in the the number and percent of students with disabilities statewide over the last five years. The overall decreasing public school enrollment causes the prevalence rate to appear to grow at a much faster rate than one would perceive from actual special education count data.
View the interactive Primary Disability (prevalence rate) report.
For students with disabilities, time spent with nondisabled peers is an important indicator of access to the general curriculum. It is a method for measuring if students are being educated in their least restrictive environment, in compliance with the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).
View the interactive Time with Nondisabled Peers report.
Some students with disabilities attend educational settings other than the resident district’s schools including public schools in other districts or private schools. View the interactive Students with Disabilities Attending Out-of-District Schools/Programs.
Approved Private Special Education Programs (APSEPs) are special education programs in private facilities with CT State Board of Education approval. APSEPs include private day and residential schools, hospitals, rehabilitation centers, and treatment centers.
View the interactive APSEP Dashboard.
Also available are the Special Education Annual Performance Reports for each district.
Special Education Data Files
There are 12 data collections authorized under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) Section 618: under Part B: (1) Child Count; (2) Educational Environments; (3) Personnel; (4) Exiting; (5) Discipline; (6) Assessment; (7) Dispute Resolution; and (8) Maintenance of Effort Reduction and Coordinated Early Intervening Services; and Under Part C: (9) Child Count; (10) Settings; (11) Exiting; and (12) Dispute Resolution. View the IDEA Section 618 data files.
Connecticut’s State Systemic Improvement Plan (SSIP)
What is the State Systemic Improvement Plan (SSIP)?
The U.S. Department of Education (USDE) has revised its accountability system under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). Results-Driven Accountability (RDA) shifts the USDE’s accountability efforts from a primary emphasis on compliance to a framework that focuses on improved results for children with disabilities, while continuing to ensure States meet IDEA requirements. RDA emphasizes improving child outcomes such as performance on assessments, graduation rates, and early childhood outcomes. To support this effort, States are required to develop a State Systemic Improvement Plan (SSIP). USDE expects that: (1) the SSIP will be developed in a manner that is aligned with the State’s existing improvement initiatives and reform efforts and, (2) a State’s focus on results will drive innovation in the use of evidence-based practices in the delivery of services to children with disabilities, which will lead to improved results. View the Connecticut State Systemic Improvement Plan (SSIP) .
Connecticut’s State Identified Measurable Goal for Children with Disabilities (SIMR)
As part of the SSIP, all states are required to select the area or result to be improved for children with disabilities called the SIMR. With the input of stakeholders and through the process of data analysis and infrastructure analysis, Connecticut selected the following SIMR: Increase the reading performance of all 3rd grade students with disabilities statewide, as measured by Connecticut’s English Language Arts (ELA) Performance Index.