Educational Environment Data Collection and Reporting

Data Collection and Reporting

2006-07 and Beyond

Educational Environment reflects the extent to which students with disabilities are educated with their nondisabled peers. It does not reflect the amount of special education services.

CHANGES: This field was optional for 2006-07 ISES Count Date records and codes. This field is now required for all students with disabilities (Primary Disability <> N/NULL) beginning with 2007-08 ISES Count Date records. Significant changes in both codes and code descriptions themselves have occurred since 2006-07 data were collected. These changes are needed to meet new requirement of U. S. Department of Education.

CODES:

AGES 3-5: ATTENDS A REGULAR EARLY CHILDHOOD PROGRAM^*

Educational Environment Code Description/Comments

Regular Class at Least 80% A1 Student is inside the regular class with nondisabled peers 80% or more of the time. See calculation instructions below.

Regular Class 40-79%% A2 Student is inside the regular class with nondisabled peers 40% to 79% of time. See calculation instructions below.

Regular Class Less Than 40% A3 Student is inside the regular class with nondisabled peers less than 40% of the time. See calculation instructions below.

*A "regular early childhood program" is defined as a program that includes at least 50% nondisabled children and can include but is not limited to Head Start, kindergarten, private preschools, 4K, and group child care.

CALCULATING PERCENTAGE (AGES 3-5): When determining whether to report a child in A1, A2, or A3, you must calculate the percentage of time the child spends in the regular early childhood program. The numerator for this calculation is the amount of time per week the child spends in the regular early childhood program. The denominator for this calculation is the total number of hours the child spends in the regular early childhood program PLUS any time the child spent receiving special education and related services outside of the regular early childhood program. The result is multiplied by 100.

Hours in the School Week: The number of hours that a child can spend in a regular early childhood environment will vary widely. In order to enhance comparability of these data, it is important to set a standard. For the purposes of data collection, a standard school day for children ages 3 through 5 will be capped at a maximum of 8 hours per day. The hours are limited to Monday through Friday. If a child is in an educational environment for longer than 8 hours per day, such as in group child care, the amount of hours should be capped and the percentage should be calculated as if the child was only in an educational environment 8 hours per day. The number of hours that a child spends in a regular early childhood environment on the days that the total amount exceeds 8 hours per day should be reduced, not the number of hours spent in a special education early childhood program.

Determining Classroom Composition: It is necessary to determine if a program has more or less than 50 percent typically developing children when deciding if an educational environment is considered a regular early childhood program (codes A1, A2, or A3). At times this may not always be apparent. In those instances, it is important to rely on parents to report to IEP teams about the child's educational environment and classroom composition. If the parent does not know whether the child is in an educational environment that includes a majority of typically developing children, the IEP team should consider program's intention - was the program designed for typically-developing children?

AGES 3-5: DOES NOT ATTEND A REGULAR EARLY CHILDHOOD PROGRAM
Educational Environment	Code	Description/Comments
Special Education Classroom	B1	Student attends a special education early childhood program^**. Special education and related services are provided in a special education classroom
Separate School	B2	Student attends a special education early childhood program^**. Special education and related services are provided in a separate school
Residential Facility	B3	Student attends a special education early childhood program.^** Special education and related services are provided in a residential facility
Home	B4	Student does not attend a special education early childhood program; he or she receives any of his/her special education and related services in the home or the home of a caregiver (i.e. babysitter).
Service Provider	B5	Student does not attend a special education early childhood program; he or she receives all of his/her special education and related services from a service provider.

**A "special education early childhood program" is defined as a program that includes less than 50% nondisabled children.

AGES 6-21: ATTENDS A REGULAR SCHOOL OVER 50% of TIME
Educational Environment	Code	Description/Comments
Removed 0-20%	A	Student is removed from non-disabled peers 0-20 percent of the time. See calculation instructions below.
Removed 21-60%	B	Student is removed from non-disabled peers 21-60 percent of the time. See calculation instructions below.
Removed more than 60%	C	Student is removed from non-disabled peers more than 60 percent of the time. See calculation instructions below.

CALCULATING PERCENTAGE (AGES 6-21): Note: This calculation is not the same percentage reported as FTE on some district forms. To calculate the percentage of time removed from non-disabled peers, divide the number of hours the student is removed from their non-disabled peers in one week by the total number of hours in the school week. We use the school week since all student schedules are not the same each day. It is easier to convert hours to minutes for the calculations.

Hours in the School Week is defined as the amount of time school is in session. For example: School is in session M-Th from 8:15 - 3:00 and F from 8:15 - 2:00. This equals 32.75 hours per week or 1,965 minutes. This time includes lunch and recess periods as most children with disabilities are not generally removed during these times unless the IEP requires removal.

Hours Removed from Non-disabled Peers is defined as the amount of time the student is away from his/her non-disabled students to receive special education or related services outlined in their IEP. Examples include removals for special classes/related services such as SL or PT/OT or services in a special education classroom or in a resource room. Time spent outside the regular classroom receiving services unrelated to the student's disability (e.g., time spent receiving LEP services) should be considered time inside the regular classroom.

Unique Situations: Educational time spent in age-appropriate community-based settings that include individuals with and without disabilities, such as college campuses or vocational sites, should be counted as time spent inside the regular classroom. For example, a job placement at McDonalds would not be considered a removal because McDonalds employs non-disabled and disabled people. A placement at a sheltered workshop would be a removal as this environment is exclusively for people with disabilities. A student segregated at the library or the office without contact with non-disabled peers would be considered removed from his/her non-disabled peers.

AGES 6-21: ATTENDS OTHER FACILITIES
Educational Environment	Code	Description/Comments
Public Separate School	D	Student receives special education and related services for 51% to 100% of the school day in a public facility that is designed only for students with disabilities. This may include children and youth placed in: public day schools for students with disabilities (day students at WSD or WCBVI, Sybl Hopp, Lakeland School, etc.), or public day schools for students with disabilities for a portion of the school day (greater than 50 percent) and in regular school buildings for the remainder of the school day, or public residential facilities for students with disabilities IF the student does NOT LIVE at the facility.
Private Separate School	E	Student receives special education and related services for 51% to 100% of the school day in a private facility that is designed only for students with disabilities. This may include children and youth placed in: private day schools for students with disabilities (day students at Kradwell), or private day schools for students with disabilities for a portion of the school day (greater than 50 percent) and in regular school buildings for the remainder of the school day, or private residential facilities for students with disabilities IF the student does NOT LIVE at the facility.
Public Residential Facility	F	Student receives special education and related services for 51% o 100% of the school day in public residential facilities AND lives there during the school week. Do not include students who received educational programs at the facility, but do not live there. This category may include children and youth placed in: public residential schools for students with disabilities (3+ days/week living at WSD/WCBVI, etc) or public residential schools for students with disabilities for a portion of the school day (greater than 50 percent) and in separate day schools or regular school buildings for the remainder of the school day.
Private Residential Facility	G	Student receives special education and related services, at public expense, for 51% to 100% of the school day in private residential facilities designed only for students with disabilities and lives there during the school week. Do not include students who received educational programs at the facility, but do not live there. This category may include children and youth placed in: private residential schools for students with disabilities (living at Kradwell) or private residential schools for students with disabilities for a portion of the school day (greater than 50 percent) and in separate day schools or regular school buildings for the remainder of the school day.
Hospital	I	Student is placed in and receiving special education and related services in a medical treatment facility on an in-patient basis.
Homebound	J	Student receives ALL special education and related services in a homebound program.
Correctional Facilities	S	Student receives special education and related services in short-term detention facilities (community-based or residential) or correctional facilities. Students reported under this category were, prior to 2007-08, reported under environment codes A, B, or C.
Parentally Placed in Private Schools	T	Student is placed in a private school by their parents and their basic education (e.g., tuition) is paid for through private resources. Use this category to report children and youth who receive special education and related services at public expense from a local educational agency or intermediate educational unit under an individual service plan. Include children whose parents choose to home-school them, but who receive special education and related services at public expense

USES: The information submitted under Educational Environment is used to complete Wisconsin's Annual Report on the Implementation of FAPE (free appropriate public education) required under section 618 of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act of 2004. Educational environment is one of the indicators used by OSEP to select states for focused monitoring. This information is also collected and publicly reported at both a state and local level as one of the indicators of the State Performance Plan (SPP).

ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS ABOUT EDUCATIONAL ENVIRONMENT:

For additional information regarding educational environment codes, please review the Educational Environment webcast.