Students with IEPs
295,000
~16% of students
Data Section
Special Education & 2e
Data on students with IEPs, 504 plans, twice-exceptional learners, graduation rates, and post-secondary outcomes.
Data as of Loading...
Key Insights
AISpecial Education Statistics Overview
2025 Report Card: Special Education Gains
Graduation Rate Gap Narrowed
Students with IEPs showed 4.3% increase - among the strongest gains of any student group.
9th Graders On-Track
Improved for all student groups, with special education students showing steady gains.
Equity Focus
ISBE's Equity Journey Continuum targets support toward schools with underperforming student groups.
SPED Ages 3-4
26,705
vs prior yearSpecial education enrollment
SPED Graduation Rate
76.3%
largest gain4-year cohort (2025)
Post-Secondary Enrollment
42%
Within 1 year
Students by Disability Category
Bar chart showing Students by Disability Category. Highest: Specific Learning Disability at 98,000. Lowest: Developmental Delay at 30,000.
| Category | Value |
|---|---|
| Specific Learning Disability | 98,000 |
| Speech/Language | 58,000 |
| Autism | 48,000 |
| Other Health Impairment | 42,000 |
| Developmental Delay | 30,000 |
Graduation Rate Trends
Special education vs general education (2019–2025)
Trends from 2019 to 2025. SPED Grad Rate: increased from 68 to 76.3. General Ed Grad Rate: increased from 69 to 77.
Twice-Exceptional (2e) Students
Data on students who are both gifted and have a disability or learning difference.
Students Served Under IDEA
266,749
14.4% of 1,858,551 Illinois public school students — U.S. Dept. of Education Civil Rights Data Collection, 2020-21
Section 504-Only Students
68,389
3.7% of Illinois public school students with a 504 plan but no IEP — CRDC 2020-21
Identified 2e Students
Not reported
Neither ISBE nor federal collections publish a count of students who are both gifted-identified and have an IEP/504, so no Illinois figure is shown.
Understanding 2e Students
Twice-exceptional (2e) students possess both high cognitive abilities and one or more disabilities. These students often face unique challenges as their giftedness can mask their disabilities, and their disabilities can mask their giftedness.
Common 2e Profiles:
- • Gifted with Learning Disabilities
- • Gifted with ADHD
- • Gifted with Autism Spectrum Disorder
- • Gifted with Processing Disorders
Data Limitations:
- • No unified state tracking system for 2e
- • District-level identification varies widely
- • National estimates applied to state data
Post-Secondary Transition Outcomes
Where students with disabilities go after high school compared to general education peers.
| Outcome (1 Year Post-HS) | Students with Disabilities | General Education | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| Enrolled in Higher Education | 24% | 52% | -28% |
| Enrolled in Other Postsecondary | 18% | 12% | +6% |
| Competitively Employed | 32% | 28% | +4% |
| Other Employment | 14% | 5% | +9% |
| Not Engaged | 12% | 3% | +9% |
Source: ISBE Post-Secondary Outcome Survey, 2023