New York Special Education: New data shows higher suspension and dropout rates
An Independent Budget Office report details disparities for students with disabilities in the 2024-2025 school year, noting that emotional disability classifications face suspension rates of 13.1%.
By Tomas Gonzalez ·
The New York City Independent Budget Office released a new analysis of the city’s special education system on Wednesday, the same day the New York Independent Budget Office examined student data from the 2024-2025 school year. The report focuses on enrollment patterns, disciplinary actions, and academic outcomes for students receiving special education services.
According to the IBO, students with disabilities faced higher dropout rates than their peers without disabilities. The data shows these students were less likely to graduate within the standard four-year high school period. A larger share of students with disabilities remained enrolled in high school beyond that timeframe compared to other students.
During the 2024-2025 academic year, students with disabilities made up 23.3% of the total student body in traditional public and charter schools from kindergarten through 12th grade. The report identifies speech or language impairments, learning disabilities, and autism as the primary categories, with these three classifications accounting for more than 80% of all special education enrollments in the city.
Disciplinary data reveals a gap in suspension rates. Students with disabilities were suspended at a rate of 3.4%, whereas the rate for students without disabilities was 1.9%. The disparity was most pronounced among students classified with an emotional disability. The suspension rate for this group reached 13.1%, which is more than twice the rate observed in other disability categories.
Academic completion also varied by disability type. The IBO found that students with autism, emotional disabilities, or intellectual disabilities had lower high school completion rates than other students with disabilities. Placement in specific facilities also correlated with disability status. A large majority of students at Passages Academy in the Bronx and East River Academy on Rikers Island had disabilities. Students with emotional disabilities represented the largest share of the population at these sites.
The findings arrive as the city faces scrutiny over the rising costs of special education services provided outside the public school system. The Department of Education did not respond to requests for comment by press time. The IBO noted that the city is working to expand special education programming within its own schools but warned that ongoing policy changes could affect student outcomes.
The report lists several policy shifts that may influence future data. These include the expansion of public preschool to 2- and 3-year-olds, which could lead to earlier evaluation and diagnosis. It also cites imminent changes to high school graduation requirements in New York State, which include making Regents exams optional, and the state class size mandate.
Rich Candia, a retired New York City public school teacher, emphasized the need for earlier identification of disabilities. He stated that the education system often fails to identify disabilities at an early age, delaying intervention until students are older. Candia said that elementary schools frequently fail to assess students, resulting in established behavioral patterns by the time they reach intermediate or high school.
Nationally, the number of students receiving special education services has grown, with autism and multiple disabilities among the fastest-growing classifications between 2023 and 2024. The IBO noted that research indicates academic achievement increases when students receive appropriate services. A 2026 study of students in Massachusetts, Indiana, and Connecticut found that academic achievement improved after students began receiving special education support.
Debra Altman, a mother from Staten Island, said her daughter Jasmine, who has autism, struggled in both private and public kindergarten classes due to a lack of support. Altman said securing an advocate and the right placement at P.S./I.S. 25 made a difference. Jasmine, now 16 and a junior at Staten Island Tech, has a 96 average and is taking three college courses. Altman noted that her daughter was the first student from District 75 to pass the SHSAT test and gain acceptance to the specialized high school.
