The South Dakota Department of Education has posted its special education report for the 2016–2017 school year online. The report gives us mixed grades, with districts statewide missing key targets on graduation rates, dropout rates, and proficiency in reading and math:
Results vary from district to district. Aberdeen beat the state graduation rate for students on Individual Education Plans (88%) and had zero IEP dropouts. Our proficiency rates beat the state average but, at 21% in both reading and math, were still well below the state’s targets of 33% (reading) and 32% (math).
The twenty largest school districts in the state, representing over 64% of South Dakota’s K-12 student enrollment, are better at getting special-education students up to proficiency on reading than on math tests, but with the exception of Brandon Valley, they all fall short of the state’s target proficiency rates in both areas. Ten of the fifteen largest schools able to provide graduation data show special-ed graduation rates better than the statewide rate, but only Aberdeen beats the state target.
| District | Grad | Dropout | Prof-Read | Prof-Math |
| Sioux Falls 49-5 | 46.34% | 5.22% | 19.92% | 20.45% |
| Rapid City Area 51-4 | 54.26% | 3.40% | 17.98% | 17.19% |
| Harrisburg 41-2 | 63.16% | 2.63% | 24.46% | 25.08% |
| Aberdeen 06-1 | 88.24% | 0.00% | 21.00% | 20.87% |
| Brandon Valley 49-2 | 72.73% | 0.90% | 39.07% | 36.56% |
| Watertown 14-4 | 34.78% | 3.94% | 21.56% | 23.13% |
| Brookings 05-1 | 63.16% | 6.57% | 15.74% | 14.10% |
| Douglas 51-1 | 69.23% | 0.94% | 12.15% | 12.96% |
| Yankton 63-3 | 78.57% | 0.80% | 17.89% | 17.89% |
| Meade 46-1 | 80.00% | 0.00% | 23.33% | 25.00% |
| Mitchell 17-2 | 71.43% | 4.60% | 21.47% | 17.51% |
| Pierre 32-2 | 66.67% | 2.70% | 12.58% | 11.95% |
| Huron 02-2 | 33.33% | 3.74% | 16.90% | 16.82% |
| Spearfish 40-2 | X | 1.79% | 18.84% | 12.23% |
| Todd County 66-1 | 30.00% | 13.70% | 1.84% | 3.07% |
| Tea Area 41-5 | X | 1.92% | 20.43% | 18.28% |
| Oglala Lakota 65-1 | N/A | 6.25% | 5.03% | 4.47% |
| Belle Fourche 09-1 | 75.00% | 1.45% | 13.93% | 18.18% |
| West Central 49-7 | X | 0.00% | 17.72% | 16.46% |
| Dakota Valley 61-8 | X | 0.00% | 19.05% | 11.11% |
| State Target | 85.00% | 2.80% | 32.59% | 31.87% |
| State Average | 60.42% | 3.09% | 18.64% | 18.36% |
[X = fewer than ten students in sample, so not reported; N/A means not applicable, either no data collected or no students in sample.]
The number of pre-K-through-12 students in special education in South Dakota grew from 20,224 in fall 2016 to 21,088 in fall 2017. That’s an increase from 14.89% of preK–12 enrollment in the 2016–2017 school year to 15.36% in the school year just completed. In 2011, 17,825 special-ed students made up 13.77% of statewide preK–12 enrollment.
I question the target for SPED graduation rates. Frequently, students on IEPs who clearly need an additional one to three years of services or significant transitional services are intentionally withheld a regular diploma to continue services. The day they receive the diploma is the day their services end; otherwise, they continue until 21 or a graduation date, whichever is earlier.
Spencer, does the 85% target take into account the practice you mention? Does the target say to schools, “We dig that some students will need ongoing services beyond four years, but we believe 85% of students should be able to finish in four years”?
I agree with Spencer on this. Every student and every IEP is different, so applying a four year goal seems almost to be setting up districts to violate the law. It seems as if the goal is meant to push students out the door, rather than serving the needs of the student.
I worked with a number of students in the 18-20 year range transitioning from high school into an adult programs. In Dane County, WI, the school district is responsible for working with the student to find a vocational pathway, even to getting a first job. Adult programs often worked along side school Special Ed departments and with students still under the school district to obtain jobs, and to support them with vocational services when they do transition.