Educational Environments and Secondary School Outcomes Among Students Who Are D/deaf and Hard of Hearing in Special Education

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to provide updated national estimates on the annual number, educational environments, and secondary school outcomes of students who are D/deaf and hard of hearing (D/HH) receiving special education (SpEd) and related services in the United States. Method: We performed a retrospective cross-sectional descriptive analysis of Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, Part B, Section 618 data from 2012 to 2018. Participants included students 6–21 years old in SpEd with “hearing impairment” reported as their primary disability. The general population of students in secondary school served as a comparator, via Current Population Survey data. We described the annual number of students (a) overall, (b) by educational environment, and (c) by reason for exiting SpEd, including the proportion graduating from and dropping out of secondary school. We described variation over time. Results: The median annual number of students was 67,655, with minimal variation by year. The proportion in general education (GenEd) for ≥ 80% of the day increased by 4.2% over 6 years from 57.8% to 62.0%, whereas the proportions in GenEd for < 40% and 40%–79% of the day decreased by 1.6% and 1.3%, respectively. Proportions in the remainder of the environments changed < 1.0% each. Of exiters, 86.8% of students graduated, whereas 3.9% dropped out, compared to a dropout rate of 5.0% in the general population. Conclusion: From 2012 to 2018, students who are D/HH receiving SpEd in the United States have spent increasingly more time in GenEd, most graduated from high school, and few dropped out, with dropout patterns appearing similar to the general population.