As Detroit Public Schools rolls fall, proportion of special-needs students on rise
As Detroit Public Schools continues to suffer from an unprecedented enrollment decline, the proportion of students with special needs is growing, state and district data show.
This year, nearly one in every five students in Michigan's largest school district is in special education, according to DPS. That means about 9,000 students -- more than 18% of the estimated 49,900 in DPS -- have what is commonly called an Individualized Education Program (IEP) plan, which is mandated by the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act.
The DPS special-education population is up from 17% last year, compared with a state average of 12%, according to the Lansing-based Center for Educational Performance and Information. Before the school closure crisis began in 2004-05, DPS had about 14% special-education students.
The higher proportion of special-education students has led to shortages in some services and reassignments of students to larger classes, some parents said. Special-education regulations and many students' IEPs require low ratios of students to teachers. Severely disabled students require an aide to accompany them all day.
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