A growing number of students in the nation’s public schools have been identified as having disabilities, according to comprehensive new data released by the federal government, and these children are significantly more likely to experience physical restraint, seclusion, and other severe forms of exclusionary discipline than their non-disabled peers.
The findings, compiled through the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights data collection, indicate that students with disabilities now account for 19% of the nearly 50 million children enrolled in public schools across the United States. This represents a noticeable upward shift compared to previous tracking cycles. Specifically, the data shows that 15% of public school students receive specialized educational services under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, commonly referred to as IDEA. Meanwhile, an additional 4% of students receive accommodations and services under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, which ensures that students with physical or mental impairments that substantially limit a major life activity are provided equal access to an education.
These sobering figures are drawn from extensive reports submitted by 17,591 school districts nationwide, encompassing well over 97,000 individual schools during the 2023 through 2024 academic year. While the U.S. Department of Education initially made raw enrollment and district-level numbers public in August, the agency has now published a comprehensive analytical report that reflects critical, nationwide findings. This report sheds light not only on academic enrollment trends, but also on deeply entrenched systemic inequities regarding student access to courses, qualified teachers, and fair disciplinary practices.
The Office for Civil Rights typically conducts this critical civil rights data collection on a biennial basis. The sweeping survey mandates participation from all public school districts, charter schools, alternative learning environments, juvenile justice educational facilities, and various other educational institutions that receive federal financial assistance. By gathering this extensive information, the federal government aims to monitor compliance with civil rights laws and identify areas where educational access and treatment are compromised for vulnerable student populations.
When examining the trajectory of these enrollment metrics over recent years, the share of students identified with disabilities has climbed steadily. In the prior civil rights data collection cycle published just two years earlier, students with disabilities accounted for approximately 17% of the total public school population. The new data indicates that this figure has now risen to 19%, reflecting a broader national trend of identification and reporting.
Within this broader demographic, the scope of services provided under IDEA is vast. Roughly 7.6 million students ranging from preschool through high school received specialized support services under IDEA during the 2023–2024 academic year. Demographic breakdowns within this group reveal notable patterns, including the finding that about two-thirds of the students served under IDEA are boys. These children often require individualized education programs, known as IEPs, which are tailored blueprints designed to meet their unique learning, behavioral, and developmental needs in the classroom environment.
However, the new data release underscores a persistent and troubling paradox: while specialized programs are theoretically designed to support these students, children with IEPs face disproportionately harsh disciplinary measures that separate them from their peers and disrupt their academic progress.
The disparity is particularly stark when examining extreme disciplinary interventions such as physical restraint and seclusion. Although children with individualized education programs account for just 15% of the overall public school population, they represent an overwhelming 68% of all students who experience seclusion—a practice wherein a student is forcibly isolated in a room or area from which they are prevented from leaving. Furthermore, these same students account for a staggering 73% of all children who are subjected to physical restraint by school staff.
The disproportionate treatment extends beyond seclusion and physical restraint into traditional exclusionary discipline practices as well. According to the federal data, students with IEPs account for approximately a quarter of all students who receive either in-school or out-of-school suspensions. Additionally, this same student demographic represents 23% of all student expulsions nationwide. These figures highlight a systemic reliance on punitive measures for students whose behaviors may stem from their underlying disabilities or unmet educational and emotional needs.
These persistent disparities have drawn sharp criticism from advocacy groups and educational equity watchdogs who monitor the civil rights of children in American schools. Denise Marshall, the chief executive officer of the Council of Parent Attorneys and Advocates—a national nonprofit organization dedicated to protecting the civil and legal rights of students with disabilities and their families—spoke out about the implications of the new federal data.
According to Marshall, the numbers demonstrate that systemic inequalities remain deeply entrenched in the nation’s public education system. She pointed out that students with disabilities, alongside students who are Black, continue to be subjected to disproportionately high rates of exclusionary discipline, physical restraint, and seclusion compared to their peers.
Marshall emphasized that every single instance in which a school chooses to resort to suspending, restraining, or secluding a child represents a fundamental breakdown in the educational process. In her view, when these measures are used, the child is effectively removed from the learning environment, meaning the educational program has ultimately failed to support them. Furthermore, Marshall stressed that effective, evidence-based alternatives to exclusionary discipline and physical intervention are well-known and widely available within the educational field, arguing that school districts must be held accountable for implementing those alternatives rather than relying on punitive measures. She concluded that simply publishing the raw data and documenting the disparities through federal reports is no longer sufficient to address a crisis that impacts millions of vulnerable children across the country.
