The New York State Education Department collects data regarding the manner in which students with disabilities exit special education, including students who are declassified and returned to general education programs, and postsecondary education and employment plans of students with disabilities. Such data are collected annually from public school districts, Boards of Cooperative Educational Services (BOCES), approved private schools for students with disabilities, State agency programs and Charter Schools. The enclosed PD-5C report has been designed to collect such information from Charter Schools. This form is identical to the form used by other educational institutions.

Compared to the PD-5C form for 2004-2005, the PD-5C for 2005-2006 has been revised in the following ways:

• The “Local Certificates” basis of exit category has been removed from Section A, Table 1 and Section B, Table 1 since local certificates could not be issued after February 1, 2005.

• The “Regents Diploma with Honors” exit category has been revised to “Regents Diploma with Advanced Designation and/or Honors" in Section A, Table 1 and Section B, Table 1 to reflect the current high school graduation credentials.

During 2005-2006, staff of the Strategic Evaluation Data Collection, Analysis and Reporting (SEDCAR) unit may be available to conduct a limited number of regional training programs regarding the various special education data forms (i.e., the PD forms). If you feel that such training would be useful to the data managers in your area, please contact your local Special Education Training and Resource Center (SETRC). The data collected through the PD forms are used in the following reports and activities:

• State Performance Plan and Annual Performance Report for Special Education

• Public reporting of LEA results against State targets established in the State Performance Report.

• Calculation of minimum amount of per-pupil IDEA funds to be sub-allocated or spent on services.

• Pocketbook of Goals and Results for Individuals with Disabilities

• Chapter 655 Report to the Governor and the Legislature on the Status of the State’s Schools

• Special Education Quality Assurance Reviews

• School District Report Cards

• BOCES Report Cards

• Charter School Report Cards

• Calculations to identify instances of possible race/ethnicity disproportionality

• Other reports required by State or federal statutes

• Evaluation of programs and policies

If you have any questions or are in need of assistance in completing this report, please contact SEDCAR by using the contact information provided in the letterhead. Thank you.

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The University of the State of New York
THE STATE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT
Office of Vocational and Educational Services for Individuals with Disabilities (VESID)
Strategic Evaluation Data Collection, Analysis and Reporting
One Commerce Plaza - Room 1613 — Albany, NY 12234-0001

*All correspondence from SEDCAR will be directed to the contact person identified in the PD web based data entry system at http://pd.nysed.gov. Please keep the contact person information current, including the e-mail address as most communication will occur via e-mail.

1. This report should be completed in consultation with school districts of residence personnel to confirm the exit status of students with disabilities who were enrolled in your school and provided special education services and who left your school during the reporting period.

2. In Section A, Table 1, Column A, Line 7, report the number of students, ages 4-13 who were declassified. In Column A, Line 9, report the number of school-age students, ages 4-13, who were returned to school district special education programs. In Section A, Table 1, Columns B-I, report the number of school age students (ages 14-21) who exited special education through the basis listed. In Section B, report the postsecondary education and employment plans of students with disabilities who have completed their program or dropped out.

3. The total number of students with disabilities for each exit category in Section B must equal the total number of such students reported in Table 1 of Section A.

4. The total number of students for whom race/ethnicity is provided in Section A, Table 1, Columns K-0 must equal the total number of students reported in Column I of the same table.

5. Wherever data are requested by student age, the age should be reported as of December 1, 2005 (e.g., a student who is 14 years and 10 months of age on December 1, 2005, should be reported as age 14).

6. When reporting race/ethnicity of students, report the number which appear to belong, identify with, or are regarded in the community as belonging to each race/ethnic group. Please report the race/ethnicity of students with disabilities consistently on all Department data collection instruments and consistently with how resident school districts report the race/ethnicity of such students on all Department data collection instruments. Each student should be counted once, in one of the following categories:
   American Indian/Alaskan Native: A person having origins in any of the original peoples of North and South America (including Central America) and who maintains tribal affiliation or community attachment.
   Asian or Pacific Islander: A person having origins in any of the original peoples of the Far East, Southeast Asia, the Indian subcontinent, or the Pacific Islands, including, for example, Cambodia, China, India, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Pakistan, the Philippine Islands, Thailand, and Vietnam. The Pacific Islands include Hawaii, Guam, and Samoa.
   Black or African American (not Hispanic): A person having origins in any of the Black racial groups of Africa.
   Hispanic or Latino: A person of Cuban, Mexican, Puerto Rican, South or Central American, or other Spanish culture or origin, regardless of race.
   White (not Hispanic): A person having origins in any of the original peoples of Europe, the Middle East, or North Africa.

7. In general, exiting students with disabilities should be reported once, with few exceptions. The following examples are provided for purposes of clarification.

   • A student who is declassified and returned to general education several times, should be reported once each year that he or she is returned to general education on Line 7 of Table 1, on page 5.

   • A student who receives a local diploma with a Regents endorsement should be reported in either Line 1 (Regents Diploma with Advanced Designation and/or Honors) or Line 2 (Regents Diploma-Regular) on page 5, Table 1.

   • A student, who previously received an IEP Diploma or Local Certificate, has continued in the special education program and does not receive a higher diploma should NOT be reported again.

   • A student who previously received an IEP Diploma or Local Certificate has continued in their special education program and received a Regents, Local or High School Equivalency (HSE) Diploma, should be included in the count for the given diploma (Lines 1-4) on page 5, Table 1.

   • A student who previously dropped out of school, re-entered this program, and received a diploma should be reported in the count for the given diploma (Lines 1-5) on page 5, Table 1. If, however, the same student dropped out again, in a different school year, without receiving a diploma or certificate, the student should not be reported again.

8. If you have any questions or are in need of assistance in completing this report, please contact the Strategic Evaluation Data Collection, Analysis and Reporting Unit by telephoning (518) 474-7965, or e-mail your questions to dataquest@nysed.gov.

*The number of students reported in Column P on each Line must be equal to the number of students reported in Column J on each Line.

*Employment can include regular competitive employment, supported employment, or sheltered employment, as long as the student will receive some compensation for work.