(WWJ) -- Michigan’s first special education benchmark report is shining a light on disparities in the educational system.
The Autism Alliance of Michigan compiled the report from publicly available data gathered from across the state.
Dropping enrollment in Michigan schools has been a topic in recent years, but the report shows that the number of students receiving services is increasing.
The state is above average in the number of students spending the majority of their day in a regular classroom. 73% of K-12 students in Michigan spend at least 80% of their day in regular classrooms. The national average is 68%.
Heather Ekner, Director of Statewide Education for Autism Alliance of Michigan, said there are concerns when looking at the data. Special Education in the state has remained mostly stagnant for years. She said the graduation rate for students with disabilities is an example of this.
Michigan announced that the graduation rate for 2024 was 82.8%, the highest since the 2008 adoption of a new method to calculate the rate. The graduation rate for students with disabilities in Michigan is 60%, well below the national rate of 71%.
Preschool education has also been an area of concern. While the state is above average for inclusive education for K-12 students, the same cannot be said for those in Pre-K. The national average for students participating in general education classes is 43%, while Michigan’s is 21%.
Ekner said this first report will serve as a baseline to measure improvements in the state.
Special education funding has been a topic of discussion for many policy makers and educators. Michigan has a funding model that many critics say is outdated and inefficient. The MI Special Education Finance Reform Blueprint is another initiative being spearheaded by the Autism Alliance of Michigan.
According to the organization, “Michigan covers just 28.6% of special education costs – among the lowest in the country – often leaving schools without the resources they need to fully support students.” They said the result is that fewer than 15% of students with disabilities in the state are proficient in reading or math.
Ekner said parents of students with disabilities shouldn’t feel hopeless, regardless of the data. The Michigan Parent, Advocate and Attorney Coalition connects parents with others who are working to support and drive reform of special education.