Children And Education
Students Receiving Special Education Services

Increasing


Students Receiving Special Education Services

What does this measure?

Percent of students (ages 6-21) classified with disabilities and receiving special education services.

Why is this important?

Students receiving special education services can be at greater risk for poor school performance, including lower test scores and a higher chance of dropping out. The proportion of students in special education can significantly affect a school district's budget, as some students may require intensive services. This proportion also can be an indicator of the effectiveness of intervention programs aimed at addressing problems in early years and preventing students from being classified with disabilities.

How does our county compare?

In 2020, 19% of Lancaster County students and 20% of Lancaster School District students received special education services, an increase of 6 percentage points for the County and a decrease of 2 percentage points for the School District since 2000. These rates were similar to the state (at 20%) which has seen an increase of 7 percentage points since 2001. Lancaster County and Lancaster School District had higher proportions than the nation, at 14%, which has remained essentially flat since 2000.

Notes about the data

Data are from the National Center for Education Statistics. Varying school district practices on classifying students as having disabilities can impact the numbers. Also, school districts known for effective special education programs may attract more students with disabilities.

Students Receiving Special Education Services
200020012002200320042005200620072008200920102011201220132014201520162017201820192020
Pennsylvania12%13%13%14%14%15%16%16%17%17%16%17%17%17%17%18%18%19%19%20%
Lancaster County13%14%15%15%16%16%16%16%17%17%17%16%16%16%16%16%17%17%18%18%19%
School District of Lancaster22%23%23%22%25%24%23%20%21%21%20%20%21%20%21%20%19%19%20%20%20%
Cocalico School District12%13%14%14%15%16%16%16%17%17%16%16%16%16%16%17%17%18%20%21%21%
Columbia Borough School District24%24%26%25%26%25%25%24%23%26%24%23%23%24%24%25%27%28%32%29%28%
Conestoga Valley School District9%10%11%12%13%14%14%14%13%14%14%15%14%14%15%15%16%17%18%17%17%
Donegal School District15%16%18%18%17%17%17%18%18%19%17%16%15%15%16%16%18%18%19%19%19%
Eastern Lancaster County School District11%10%12%11%12%12%12%13%13%13%13%12%13%14%13%14%14%16%16%17%18%
Elizabethtown Area School District13%14%14%15%16%15%14%14%15%15%14%14%13%14%14%15%15%16%17%17%18%
Ephrata Area School District10%11%13%13%15%15%16%15%16%16%16%16%17%18%19%19%19%20%21%20%21%
Hempfield School District12%12%14%14%15%16%16%17%17%18%17%17%16%17%17%17%18%18%19%20%21%
Lampeter-Strasburg School District10%11%12%12%14%14%14%15%16%16%16%15%14%13%13%14%13%14%16%15%15%
Manheim Central School District12%12%14%15%17%16%17%17%18%18%17%16%15%14%15%14%15%16%17%17%18%
Manheim Township School District10%10%11%11%11%11%11%12%12%12%13%13%12%12%12%12%12%13%14%15%15%
Penn Manor School District12%13%14%14%15%16%16%16%17%18%18%17%18%18%19%19%19%19%19%19%19%
Pequea Valley School District13%10%12%14%14%14%15%16%18%20%19%19%19%20%20%22%21%23%24%25%25%
Solanco School District8%9%9%9%10%10%12%12%13%14%14%14%15%14%15%15%17%18%18%20%21%
Warwick School District14%15%16%16%16%17%17%18%17%16%16%15%13%13%12%13%13%13%14%14%15%
La Academia Partnership Charter School25%27%21%16%20%18%20%15%15%15%13%15%14%16%14%18%17%18%22%29%
Berks County10%11%11%12%13%14%14%15%16%17%18%18%18%19%19%19%20%20%21%22%23%
Chester County11%11%12%13%13%14%15%16%17%17%17%17%17%17%17%18%18%18%19%19%19%
Cumberland County12%13%13%13%14%13%14%15%15%15%16%15%15%15%15%15%15%15%15%16%17%
Dauphin County12%14%13%14%15%16%16%17%17%17%17%17%17%17%16%17%17%18%18%19%20%
Lebanon County11%12%12%13%13%14%14%15%15%15%16%17%17%17%18%18%19%19%20%20%20%
York County14%14%14%14%15%16%16%16%17%17%16%16%16%16%16%16%17%17%17%18%18%

Source: National Center for Education Statistics




Number of Students Receiving Special Education Services
200020012002200320042005200620072008200920102011201220132014201520162017201820192020
Pennsylvania222,584232,056242,837253,129260,909267,682292,649293,865295,028294,592295,077294,963295,501294,997296,959302,540310,244319,733326,985338,355
Lancaster County9,0459,41110,14810,44811,08311,29511,42411,55511,60211,56211,31011,04410,85610,94310,99711,06011,21611,72812,24112,38712,718
School District of Lancaster2,3112,4212,5052,4822,7412,7012,6562,4152,4222,3782,2802,2272,2342,2622,2842,2242,1342,1242,2012,1922,172
Cocalico School District415442469498543593576588583574550524513497506514512560600641638
Columbia Borough School District358349393388376362361352337355324310309324321338357378408383385
Conestoga Valley School District335370419467500541542556528548565588577600633636675721755717723
Donegal School District370416442453424446465511503540490464425443453462519552564584563
Eastern Lancaster County School District386343420388430420428450454436438384394434420431445473511530536
Elizabethtown Area School District522535531577607587552578586576570563534542562578585621632650693
Ephrata Area School District433492538548594614637616635643640669718763794793791851874852859
Hempfield School District8818759951,0281,0901,1411,1601,2321,2481,2411,2171,1961,1401,1421,1271,1611,1991,2591,2851,3551,440
Lampeter-Strasburg School District302332371382434462459515524526501460426414412413400427485449470
Manheim Central School District387383426461512500527542556522490465441406433406432472510518550
Manheim Township School District495520563605616607623663697705742753736727700679697725807849920
Penn Manor School District6276697337618168588638768819139318979329259529919841,0081,0011,0051,041
Pequea Valley School District236199229271265277290307338363332334320332318359329353368368371
Solanco School District359357365359377395461484504514515531546524525524605635638671678
Warwick School District628682725763748776808852792711709654583578527524518533566575614
La Academia Partnership Charter School2624171015161814171617242630273436364865
Berks County6,4637,0147,4848,1918,7319,4339,92810,97411,11311,83012,48312,69112,92212,93613,02613,11613,29113,63714,09914,85315,331
Chester County6,7277,4128,0408,6539,15610,09010,66611,99212,44512,66012,80513,57813,39813,52313,92714,06614,12414,53815,12915,74515,759
Cumberland County2,9173,1893,2093,3223,4313,4143,5783,9323,8813,8733,9373,8373,8793,8843,8773,9773,9644,0154,0854,3684,620
Dauphin County4,7335,1815,2405,4775,9976,1426,2626,8626,9157,0917,1567,1867,1547,1717,3267,4187,5698,0818,4619,1339,993
Lebanon County1,9142,0942,0762,3212,4232,5802,6422,8862,8972,9113,0473,1273,2033,3363,3633,5173,6503,7673,8513,9343,959
York County8,8358,9409,0919,44110,13110,49810,73711,39211,42211,37411,10211,09910,94310,66410,94210,86711,30811,24011,55311,86412,003

Source: National Center for Education Statistics
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INDICATORS TREND
Prekindergarten Participation Increasing
Student Performance on Grade 3 English Not Applicable
Student Performance on Grade 3 Math Not Applicable
Student Performance on Grade 8 English Not Applicable
Student Performance on Grade 8 Math Not Applicable
Student Performance in Grade 11 Math Not Applicable
Student Performance in Grade 11 English Decreasing
Per-Student Spending Maintaining
Students Receiving Special Education Services Increasing
Rate of Foster Care Admissions Decreasing
Single-Parent Families by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Disengaged Youth Maintaining
Plans of High School Graduates Not Applicable
Enrollment in Local Colleges Decreasing
College Graduation Rates Decreasing
Brain Drain/Gain Increasing
Education Levels of Adults by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Average Charitable Giving Maintaining
Voter Registration Rate Not Applicable
Voter Participation Rate Increasing
Age of Housing Stock Not Applicable
Violent Crime Rate Maintaining
Incarceration Rate Decreasing
Incarceration Rate by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Population Density Increasing
Air Quality Increasing
Water Use Decreasing
Waterways Impaired by Pollution Not Applicable
Population by Age Not Applicable
Change in Population by Age and Gender Not Applicable
Population by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
People with Disabilities Maintaining
Foreign-Born Population Increasing
Language Diversity Increasing
Change in Employment by Sector Not Applicable
Sector Share of Total Jobs Not Applicable
Workers by Occupation Not Applicable
Change in Labor Force Decreasing
People Entering/Leaving County/Region for Work Not Applicable
Average Salary by Sector Not Applicable
Change in Average Salary Since 2000 Increasing
Female to Male Earnings Ratio Maintaining
Employer Size Not Applicable
Change in Number of Businesses by Sector Increasing
Change in Total Agricultural Sales Increasing
Spending for Local Government Maintaining
Spending for School Districts Maintaining
Children Living in Poverty Increasing
Children in Poverty by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
People Living in Poverty Increasing
People Living in Poverty, by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Veterans Living in Poverty Decreasing
Working Poor Maintaining
Median Household Income by Household Type Not Applicable
Median Household Income, by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Living Wage Not Applicable
Unemployment Rate by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Households Receiving SNAP by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Household Receiving Temporary Assistance Increasing
Students Eligible for Free/Reduced Price Lunch Increasing
Median Home Value Maintaining
Occupied Housing Units Maintaining
Homeownership Rate, by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Cost of Homeownership by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Median Rent Maintaining
Cost of Renting Increasing
Households Without Vehicles Decreasing
Means of Transportation to Work, by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
People Without Health Insurance Decreasing
Early Prenatal Care by Mother's Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Health Status Decreasing
Prevalence of Mental Illness Maintaining
Adults Who are Overweight or Obese Not Applicable
Mortality Rates Decreasing
Fatal Drug Overdoses Increasing
Cancer Incidence Decreasing
Households With Internet Access Not Applicable
High-Tech Jobs Increasing
STEM Graduates Increasing
Science and Engineering Research and Development Maintaining
Single-Parent Families by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Education Levels of Adults by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Incarceration Rate by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Population by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Children in Poverty by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
People Living in Poverty, by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Median Household Income, by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Unemployment Rate by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Households Receiving SNAP by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Homeownership Rate, by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Cost of Homeownership by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Early Prenatal Care by Mother's Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable


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