Indicator 2 - Dropout

Definition

Percent of youth with IEPs dropping out of high school. (20 U.S.C. 1416 (a)(3)(A))

Measurement

States must report a percentage using the number of youth with IEPs (ages 14-21) who exited special education due to dropping out in the numerator and the number of all youth with IEPs who left high school (ages 14-21) in the denominator.

How is Colorado doing on this indicator?

Indicator 2 Graph - Dropping out increased this year from 18.68% in 2021-22 to 20.55% in 2022-23

Targets for the Current SPP/APR Cycle

**Indicator 2 targets - 6-year SPP/APR cycle**
Federal Fiscal Year (FFY)	2020	2021	2022	2023	2024	2025
Data from School Year	2019-20	2020-21	2021-22	2022-23	2023-24	2024-25
Target <=	18.75%	18.75%	16.67%	16.67%	14.59%	14.59%

Improvement Strategies for Transition-Age Students (Indicators 1, 2, and 14)

Graduation cap, electrician, health care worker, artist, soldier, teacher

Sequencing of Services Framework
- A multi-agency team has developed a sequencing of services framework to clarify student outcomes from junior high through age 24 and to identify the role of each stakeholder (families, community-centered boards, division of vocational rehabilitation, etc.) in assisting students to meet defined outcomes.
Capstone Projects
- CDE established a Capstone workgroup to build school district personnel’s knowledge of how to develop capstones aligned with school district graduation requirements for students with significant needs.
Equity work
- CDE/DVR/Colorado Community College System (CCCS) offers professional learning opportunities to school district personnel to assure equitable access of students with disabilities access to CTE programs (5-year project – 2021-2026):
- CDE will partner with the largest district in Colorado to improve dropout and graduation rates, and post-school outcomes for young men of color with disabilities.
Training and Technical Assistance
- CDE will partner with the Transition Coalition to train, mentor, and facilitate district teams to increase their knowledge of IDEA and secondary transition planning (Spring 2022)
- CDE is developing training on person-centered planning for students with disabilities (SY 2021-22)
- CDE is conducting parent focus groups to determine parent training needs, develop trainings to address needs for families and school district personnel (SY 2021-22)
- CDE provides opportunities for LEAs to engage in post-school outcomes data discussions to identify strengths in current practices and opportunities to improve response rate from Hispanic and Black students through the targeted support.
- CDE offers statewide regional trainings on a variety of transition topics
- CDE provides monthly transition talks related to all aspects of secondary transition planning
- CDE hosts a statewide conference, the Transition Leadership Institute, each year to build LEA knowledge of evidence-based secondary transition practices

Additional Resources

The feedback period has closed, and this video is included for information on the target-setting process (the Indicator 2 section starts at 00:00:14).

The Office of Dropout Prevention and Student Re-Engagement

For more information, contact:

Orla Bolger
Supervisor, Data and Monitoring Liaison
Email Orla Bolger
Phone: (720) 921-0524

Having trouble with this webpage?

If you have problems with broken links or accessing the content on this page, please contact the Exceptional Student Services Unit at ESSU@cde.state.co.us. Please copy the URL link for this page into the email when referencing the problem you are experiencing.