Advocate for Inclusive Education

Let's start with data

Who is included in California?

Federal legislation, particularly the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), has been setting standards for inclusive education for decades. It’s designed to ensure that children with disabilities are educated alongside their peers as much as possible and are placed in what’s called the “least restrictive environment” (LRE).

Here's what you need to know: IDEA requires schools to report how many students with disabilities (ages 5-22) spend 80% or more of their school day in a regular classroom (#A), how many spend less than 40% of their day in a regular classroom (#B), and how many are placed in separate schools, hospitals, or other specialized settings (#C). This information, known as LRE data, is provided by the U.S. Department of Education and broken down by state, eligibility or disability category, gender, and race. It’s also analyzed for any disparities by the Office of Civil Rights and reported for each Local Education Authority (LEA) in their annual performance reports.

But here’s the catch: just being in a regular classroom doesn’t mean a child is truly included. A student might spend the entire day in a general education classroom but work only with an aide, interact mainly with that aide, and follow a separate curriculum. This situation would still count in the 80% LRE data, but it doesn't necessarily reflect meaningful inclusion.

True inclusion means your child is not ONLY present but also actively engaged in the general education curriculum and part of the classroom community. They need to be welcomed, valued, and supported in their learning. While LRE data helps us compare schools and track progress, it doesn’t fully capture the quality of inclusion.

To get a clearer picture of how your district or school is doing, check out the Annual Performance Report Dashboard, where you can see detailed LRE data specific to your area

Is California Improving?

California Schools Ranked Fourth Worst in the U.S. for Inclusive Education measured by LRE data.

Last year we reported that in 2021-2022, 60.82 percent of children with disabilities (CWD) in California spent 80 percent of their day or more in a regular classroom, 17.38 percent were partially included, spending 79-40 percent of their day in a regular classroom. 18.6 percent of children with disabilities (CWD) spent 40 percent or less in that classroom. Adding the 2.16 percent who were in a separate school, that means 20.76 percent of disabled students spent most of their day in a segregated special education classroom, away from students without disabilities, making California the fourth-worst-performing state in the nation for including CWD in regular classrooms. (CA is actually in the top 4 for EX-cluding)

This year the Department of Education reported the same data for 2022-2023, 61.45 percent of children with disabilities (CWD) in California spent 80 percent of their day or more in a regular classroom, 16.89 percent were partially included, spending 79-40 percent of their day in a regular classroom. 18.42 percent of children with disabilities (CWD) spent 40 percent or less in that classroom. Remember that 40 percent or less bucket includes students who spent NO time (zero percent) in the general education classroom, but were instead in segregated special education classrooms in public schools.

Adding the 2.14 percent who were in a separate school, that means 20.56 percent of disabled students spent most of their day in a segregated special education classroom, away from students without disabilities.

As you can see the numbers barely moved and California is still the fourth-worst-performing state in the nation for including Children with Disabilities in regular classrooms. (CA is actually in the top 4 for EX-cluding)

For students with ID 8.97% were in regular classrooms for 80% of the day. 20.73% are included for 79%-40% of the school day. 62.75% are in regular classrooms for less than 40% of the day and 6.49% are in separate schools.

California Students with Intellectual and Multiple Disabilities are Most Excluded from the General Education Classroom

Under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), students can qualify for Individualized Education Plans (IEPs) in 13 distinct disability categories. Most IEPs are granted for Specific Learning Disabilities, Speech and Language Impairments, or Other Health Impairments. However, data reveals a concerning trend: students eligible under Intellectual Disabilities (ID) and Multiple Disabilities categories face significantly lower inclusion in general education settings.

The overall data on the Least Restrictive Environment (LRE) can be misleading. High inclusion rates for students with Speech and Language Impairments or Specific Learning Disabilities, such as Dyslexia, create an illusion of widespread integration. These students typically spend the majority of their school day in general education classrooms. This masks the reality of substantial segregation experienced by students with extensive support needs, highlighting a critical area for advocacy and improvement.

Can California Do Better?

Many states do much better at educating students with intellectual disabilities. While the percentage of students with ID in California in segregated learning environments most of the day (69.23) has barely changed from the previous year (70.36 in 2021-22), California has moved up one place on the list of states from the third worst state to the fourth worst state for including students with intellectual disabilities.

Look at District of Columbia that has moved from second worst to sixth worst with 32.92% of students with ID spending more than 40% of their day in a regular classroom

If you want to use any of our charts to advocate you are very welcome to but please give Include CA credit.

LRE data has barely shifted over 5 years!