IRS

Information and Reporting Services

2019-20 Criteria for Notification of Disproportionality

Suspension Disproportionality based on 2018-19 Data
Identification, Disability Category and Placement based on 2019-20 Data

Measurement: SED computed relative risk ratios for each race/ethnicity. The ratios are a comparison of the risk of each race compared to the risk of all other races combined. The ratios indicate how much more or less likely each race/ethnicity is to be suspended or identified as students with disabilities, identified in specific disability categories, or placed in certain settings compared to all other race/ethnicities combined.

  1. The district count of students with disabilities of a particular race/ethnicity are compared to the district count of all students with disabilities of the particular race/ethnicity who were enrolled in the district on the first Wednesday of October (October 2, 2018). This results in a district rate for students with disabilities of a specific race/ethnicity.
  2. The district count of students with disabilities of all other race/ethnicities are compared to the district count of all students with disabilities of all other race/ethnicities who were enrolled in the district on the first Wednesday of October (October 3, 2018). This results in a district rate for students with disabilities of all other specific race/ethnicities.
  3. The statewide count of students with disabilities of all other race/ethnicities are compared to the statewide count of all students with disabilities of all other race/ethnicities who were enrolled in the district on the first Wednesday of October (October 3, 2018). This results in a statewide rate for students with disabilities of all other specific race/ethnicities.
  4. In a district with at least 10 students with disabilities of all other race/ethnicities in Step 2 and at least 30 students with disabilities enrolled of all other race/ethnicities in Step 2, the rate in Step 1 is compared to the rate in Step 2.
  5. In a district that does not have at least 10 students with disabilities of all other race/ethnicities in Step 2 and does not have at least 30 students with disabilities enrolled of all other race/ethnicities in Step 2, the rate in Step 1 is compared to the rate in Step 3.

These steps are completed for the following categories:

  • Suspension in school for less than 10 days
  • Suspension in school for 10 or more days
  • Suspension out of school for less than 10 days
  • Suspension out of school for 10 or more days
  • Total Removals (the count of students with disabilities of the particular race suspended is based on the number of times students of a particular race/ethnicity were suspended.
  • Identification
  • Identification in a specific disability category (Autism, Emotional Disturbance, Intellectual Disability, Learning Disability, Other Health Impairment, and Speech or Language Impairment)
  • Placement (LRE Setting)

When a district shows disproportionality for three years in a row for the same race/ethnicity in the same category, the district is identified as having Significant Disproportionality, is subject to a monitoring review and is required to reserve 15 percent of IDEA funds (Sections 611 and 619) to provide Comprehensive Coordinated Early Intervening Services (CCEIS) for students in grades K-12. When a district shows disproportionality for one or two years, they are notified as being At Risk for Significant Disproportionality.

Criteria for Suspension Notification:
At least 10* students with disabilities of the particular race were suspended in the suspension category (the five categories are suspended in school up to 10 days, suspended in school over 10 days, suspended out of school up to 10 days. suspended out of school over 10 days and Total Removals*) AND

Any one of the following:

  • The relative risk ratio for any race/ethnicity suspended in or out of school for 10 or more days based on the number of students suspended for 10 or more days is 2.0 or higher; or
  • The relative risk ratio for any race/ethnicity suspended in or out of school for less than 10 days based on the number of students suspended for less than 10 is 3.0 or higher; or
  • The relative risk ratio for any race/ethnicity for Total Removals is 4.0 or higher based on the number of times students were suspended or removed for disciplinary reasons;

Criteria for Identification Notification:
At least 10 students with disabilities of the particular race/ethnicity were identified as students with disabilities AND the relative risk ratio for any race/ethnicity to be identified as students with disabilities is 2.5 or higher.

Criteria for Disability Category Notification:
At least 10 students with disabilities of the particular race/ethnicity were identified as students with disabilities in a specific disability category AND the relative risk ratio for any race/ethnicity to be identified as students with disabilities in a specific disability category is 4.0 or higher.

Criteria for Placement Notification:
At least 10 students with disabilities of the particular race/ethnicity were identified as students with disabilities and were placed inside a regular classroom less than 40% of the day AND the relative risk ratio for any race/ethnicity to be identified as students with disabilities and placed inside a regular classroom less than 40% of the day is 2.5 or higher.

At least 10 students with disabilities of the particular race/ethnicity were identified as students with disabilities and were placed in a separate setting AND the relative risk ratio for any race/ethnicity to be identified as students with disabilities and placed in a separate setting is 2.5 or higher.

Source of Suspension Data:
Numbers of suspensions were reported in the PD8 report for the 2018-19 school year in Table 1, Section 3, Column B Total, not including preschool children. The October 3, 2018 count of school-age students was reported through the Student Information Repository System (SIRS) and verified in the VR5 report, Section C, Report 14.

Source of Identification Data
The number of students with disabilities receiving special education by race/ethnicity as of October 2, 2019 were reported through the Student Information Repository System (SIRS) and verified in the VR5, Section C, Reports 15A + 15B. The total enrollment of all students (with and without disabilities) in the school district’s jurisdiction by race/ethnicity is the sum of the enrollment by race/ethnicity reported by each school building located in the district on October 2, 2019 through the Student Information Repository System (SIRS), including out-of-district placements.

Source of Disability Category Data
The number of students with disabilities receiving special education on October 2, 2019 by race/ethnicity and specific disability was reported through the Student Information Repository System (SIRS) and verified in the VR3 report (ages 4-5 plus ages 6-21). The total enrollment of all students (with and without disabilities) in the school district’s jurisdiction by race/ethnicity is the sum of the enrollment by race/ethnicity reported by each school building located in the district on October 2, 2019 through the Student Information Repository System (SIRS), including out-of-district placements.

Source of Placement Data
The number of students with disabilities by race/ethnicity and specific setting was reported through SIRS and verified in VR5, Section C, Reports 15A plus 15B.

Last Updated: September 25, 2020 12:49 PM