Plans to Further Improve Outcomes for Students With Disabilities Shared With State Board

Graduation Rates, Other Measures Are Showing Progress
But Still Need to Get Better

LANSING – Students with disabilities will benefit from Michigan Department of Education (MDE) plans to strengthen collaboration with local school districts to further improve special education services.

Department leaders at this week's State Board of Education meeting shared data that show greater academic success for students who receive special education services. They also discussed areas of focus to build upon improvements in graduation rates and other outcomes.

“We need to put all Michigan Students First—including young people with disabilities who need special education services provided in the least restrictive environment to prepare them for further learning, employment, and independence,” said State Superintendent Dr. Glenn Maleyko. “The Michigan Department of Education is committed to strengthening collaboration with local districts to ensure these students get the support they need to succeed.”

Increasing the percentage of all students who graduate from high school is Goal 5 in Michigan’s Top 10 Strategic Education Plan.

Four-year graduation rates for students with disabilities in Michigan increased by 5 percentage points from the 2014-15 school year to the 2024-25 school year—from 57.1% to 62.1%, according to a presentation to the State Board of Education today. Five-year and six-year graduation rates also improved during that period.

At the same meeting, the State Board of Education voted to form a bipartisan Special Education Committee focused on supporting statewide efforts to strengthen services, partnerships and outcomes for students with disabilities.

“Michigan has improved graduation rates and other outcomes for students with disabilities, but we have more work to do to get to where we want to be,” said Lohren Carter-Nzoma, who in April became deputy superintendent of the department division that includes special education services. “I want to work hand-in-hand with local educators to build a stronger system of support around Michigan so we can improve student achievement.”

Michigan students with disabilities who spend more time in general education have higher graduation rates, with the rate at 68.5% in the 2024-25 school year for students who spent 80% or more of their time in general education. That compared to a graduation rate of 52.6% for students in general education for 40% to 79% of the time and a 15.2% graduation rate for those who spent less than 40% of the school day in general education.

“This shows one of the reasons why it’s so important to educate students in the least restrictive environment by supporting districts, staff and parents with the necessary professional learning and actionable next steps to make this a reality,” Carter-Nzoma said.

MDE’s Office of Special Education monitors Michigan’s public schools for providing a free and appropriate public education for students eligible under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act in the least-restrictive environment by providing ongoing support and guidance. Building site visits conclude with development of 30-, 60- and 90-day plans in partnership with the intermediate school districts or regional service agencies and their member district schools. These plans come with ongoing technical assistance from the Office of Special Education to offer direct support based upon data and feedback.

Areas of focus to improve the graduation rate for students with disabilities include:

• Strengthening meaningful collaborative engagement between general education and special education.
• Ensuring positive behavioral interventions and supports. Data show graduation rates decline for students with disabilities who are suspended.
• Expanding high-quality professional learning and coaching.
• Improving high-quality individualized evaluations.
• Improving the meaningful individualized education program plan development sequence.
• Participating in authentic parental engagement and learning.
• Strengthening high-quality tiered instruction—which means developing multiple levels of instruction for the same lesson based on the learning needs of different students—and multi-tiered systems of supports—which ensure schools identify students who need extra support and provide the exact support they need to succeed.

MDE’s next steps for improving graduation rates for students who receive special education services are:

1. Facilitating ongoing discussions with a variety of stakeholders.
2. Leveraging research organizations.
3. Leveraging professional and advocacy partnerships.
4. Establishing an MDE webpage focused on guidance and resources on improving the graduation rate for students with disabilities.

In addition to Carter-Nzoma, other MDE officials who participated in the presentation were Deputy Superintendent Dr. Delsa Chapman of the Division of Assessment, School Improvement, and Systems Support, and Chantel Mozden, education consultant manager for the Office of Special Education.

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