Study Shows Higher Graduation Rates for Students with Disabilities in W.Va.

A new report released this week shows students in West Virginia with disabilities are graduating from high school at a greater percentage than the national average. 

The report is called Diplomas Count 2015: Next Steps-Life After Special Education. It’s published annually by a national education magazine, Editorial Projects in Education Research Center and Education Week, that analyzes data from the U.S. Department of Education’s office of special education programs.

Nearly 73 percent of West Virginia students with disabilities ages 14-21 exited high school with a regular diploma in the 2012-2013 school year, according to the report. The national average was about 65 percent.

The report also shows that almost all of West Virginia students with disabilities spend only about 40 percent of the school day in regular classrooms, compared to a national rate where the population spends about 92 percent of the school day in regular classrooms.

Overall, the state’s graduation rate looks to be climbing. 2013 numbers rose to 81 percent, up from 78 percent in 2011.

The report is called Diplomas Count 2015: Next Steps-Life After Special Education. It’s published annually by a national education magazine, Editorial Projects in Education Research Center and Education Week, that analyzes data from the U.S. Department of Education’s office of special education programs.