State: Students with disabilities improving slowly

ALBANY N.Y.

Students with disabilities continue to post higher graduation rates and better test scores but still at unsatisfactory rates, state education officials said Monday.

After four years, nearly 38 percent of students with physical or learning disabilities who began high school in 2001 graduated with a Regents or local diploma. That compares to a 70 percent rate among general education students.

After five years, nearly 43 percent of that class of special education students earned Regents or school diplomas.

State officials noted that more special education students are taking five, six and seven years to graduate from high school. That requires more funding to cover a student beyond four years, but state education officials said it will pay off for employers and society to have more graduates.

“We are asking that districts be rewarded when they retain students with disabilities for five and six years,” said Rebecca Cort, a deputy commissioner of the state Education Department.

The data also showed that 22.8 percent of students in third through eighth grades with disabilities met all the state’s academic standards in English this year. That’s up from 20.2 percent a year ago, but remains at a low level.