2008 - 2009 Georgia Special Needs Scholarship Program End of School Year Report For Georgia General Assembly (O.C.G.A. 20-2-2118) Georgia Department of Education 2008 – 2009 Georgia Special Needs Scholarship Program End of School Year Data Report Executive Summary Senate Bill 10 as signed into law on May 18, 2007, created the Georgia Special Needs Scholarship (GSNS) Program which allows parents of eligible special needs students to transfer their children to another public school, public school system, state school, or approved participating private school. The report contained herein represents the results for the 2008 - 2009 school year as required by O.C.G.A. § 20-2-2118, which stipulates that the Governor’s Office of Student Achievement, in conjunction with the Georgia Department of Education shall provide the General Assembly not later than December 1 of each year with a report regarding the scholarship program for the previous fiscal year. 2008 - 2009 Program Highlights • Number of participating private schools increased from 117 private schools in 2007-2008 to 145 private schools in 2008-2009, an increase of 28 schools. Î 12 was the average number of students enrolled in private schools. Î 1 - 60 was the range of students enrolled in each private school. Î 10 private schools did not enroll any students under the GSNS Program. • Public school student participation in the program increased by 697 with 1,596 students enrolled in private schools at the start of the 2008 - 2009 school year. • Of the 825 students that completed the 2007 - 2008 school year in the GSNS Program, 675 enrolled at private schools to continue participation in the 2008 - 2009 school year. • Of the 1,596 students enrolled: Î 31% Female, 69% Male. Î 39% Black, 56% White, 5% Asian/Hispanic/Native American/Multi-Racial. Î 32% Eligible for Free and Reduced Lunch, 68% Not Eligible for Free and Reduced Lunch. Î 316, or 23% were fifth grade students; the largest grade represented. Î 457 or 29% had a disability type of Other Health Impairment. Î 447 or 28% had a disability type of Specific Learning Disability. • $9,294,728 was paid in FY09 for the scholarships to students. • $6,331 was the average annual scholarship amount for students. • $2,592 - $13,586 was the range for individual scholarship amounts. • At the end of the 2008 - 2009 school year, 1,463 students were enrolled in private schools; a decrease of 133 students or approximately 8%. Kathy Cox, State Superintendent of Schools November 23, 2009, Page 2 of 26 Georgia Department of Education 2008 – 2009 Georgia Special Needs Scholarship Program End of School Year Data Report 2008 - 2009 Georgia Special Needs Scholarship Program Students’ Pre/Post Assessment and Information: • Private schools were asked to provide pre- and post-assessment information on GSNS students enrolled at their schools for the subjects of Reading and Math. • At the end of the school year, private schools with scholarship students, submitted assessment information for 1,464 students. • Private schools reported the following: Math Î 23% of their students showed progress of less than one year. Î 11% of their students showed no progress. Î 36% of their students showed progress of one school year. Î 30% of their students showed progress of more than one school year. Reading Î 21% of their students showed progress of less than one year. Î 12% of their students showed no progress. Î 37% of their students showed progress of one school year. Î 30% of their students showed progress of more than one school year. Kathy Cox, State Superintendent of Schools November 23, 2009, Page 3 of 26 Georgia Department of Education 2008 - 2009 Georgia Special Needs Scholarship Program End of School Year Report Description Value Total number of Private Schools submitting an application for participation in 2008 - 2009 school year. 152 Total number of Private Schools Participating in GSNS for 2008- 2009 School Year. 145 Total number of Private Schools with enrolled Scholarship Students. 135 Number of Private Schools with 10 or More Students. 52 Number of Private Schools with Less than 10 Students. 83 Total number of Students Receiving Scholarships. 1,596 Highest Enrollment in a Single School. 60 Number of Returning Private Schools. 117 Number of New Private Schools Participating in the Program. 28 Average number of Scholarship Students Per School. 12 Range of Student Enrollment for the 135 Participating Private Schools. 1 - 60 Georgia Public School Systems Impacted by Scholarship Student Withdrawals. 63 Range of Special Need Scholarship Withdrawals in Georgia Public School Systems. 1 - 282 Financial Information Amount Total Scholarship Payments Statewide for FY09. $9,294,728 Range of Annual Scholarship Amounts for GSNS Students. $2,592 to $13,586 Median Scholarship Payment for the 1,596 students. $6,153 Average Annual Scholarship Amount for the 1,596 students. $6,331 Kathy Cox, State Superintendent of Schools November 23, 2009, Page 4 of 26 Georgia Department of Education 2008 - 2009 Georgia Special Needs Scholarship Program End of School Year Report Race/Ethnicity Count Percentage Asian 17 1.1% Black 628 39.3% Hispanic 25 1.6% Native-American 4 0.3% Multi-racial 37 2.3% White 885 55.5% Total 1,596 100% GSNS Students by Race & Ethnicity N=1,596 Asian 1% (O.C.G.A. 20-2-2118) Black 39% White 56% Hispanic Native‐ 2% Multi‐racial American 2% 0% Kathy Cox, State Superintendent of Schools November 23, 2009, Page 5 of 26 Georgia Department of Education 2008 - 2009 Georgia Special Needs Scholarship Program End of School Year Report Eligibility Count Percentage Eligible for Free Lunch Program 408 25.6% Eligible for Reduced Lunch Program 100 6.3% Not Eligible 1,081 67.7% Eligibility Unknown 7 0.4% Total 1,596 100% Free & Reduced Lunch Eligibility Eligibility N=1,596 Unknown 0% Eligible for Free Lunch Program (OCGA202(O.C.G.A. 20-2-2118)2118) 26% Not Eligible 68% Eligible for Reduced Lunch Program 6% Kathy Cox, State Superintendent of Schools November 23, 2009, Page 6 of 26 Georgia Department of Education 2008 - 2009 Georgia Special Needs Scholarship Program End of School Year Report Program code Disability Type Count Percentage 1 Blind 0 0.0% 2 Deaf and Blind 2 0.1% 3 Speech-Language Impairment 158 9.9% 6 Autism 161 10.1% 7 Traumatic Brain Injury 5 0.3% 8Significant Developmental Delay 68 4.3% P Mild Intellectual Disability 70 4.4% Q Moderate Intellectual Disability 29 1.8% R Severe Intellectual Disability 6 0.4% S Profound Intectual Disability 1 0.1% T Emotional & Behavioral Disorder 152 9.5% U Specific Learning Disability 447 28.0% V Orthopedic Impairment 11 0.7% W Hearing Impairment 11 0.7% X Deaf 7 0.4% Y Other Health Impairment 457 28.6% Z Visual Impairment 1 0.1% NA Not Available 10 0.6% Total 1,596 100% GSNS Students by Disability Type 447 457 158 161 152 68 70 29 0 2 5 6 1 11 11 7 1 10 Kathy Cox, State Superintendent of Schools November 23, 2009, Page 7 of 26 Georgia Department of Education 2008 - 2009 Georgia Special Needs Scholarship Program End of School Year Report Gender Count Male 1,109 Female 487 Total 1,596 GSNS Students by Gender N=1,596 Female 31% (O.C.G.A. 20-2-2118) Male 69% Kathy Cox, State Superintendent of Schools November 23, 2009, Page 8 of 26 Georgia Department of Education 2008 - 2009 Georgia Special Needs Scholarship Program End of School Year Report Grade in 2006-2007 Count Percentage KK 102 6.4% 1st 107 6.7% 2nd 169 10.6% 3rd 194 12.2% 4th 167 10.5% 5th 316 19.8% 6th 151 9.5% 7th 115 7.2% 8th 116 7.3% 9th 96 6.0% 10th 46 2.9% 11th 13 0.8% 12th 4 0.3% Total 1,596 100% GSNS Students by Grade for 2008‐2009 316 (O.C.G.A. 20-2-2118) 194 169 167 151 116 107 115 102 96 46 13 4 KK 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th 7th 8th 9th 10th 11th 12th Kathy Cox, State Superintendent of Schools November 23, 2009, Page 9 of 26 Georgia Department of Education 2008 - 2009 Georgia Special Needs Scholarship Program End of School Year Report 2008 - 2009 Georgia Special Needs Scholarship Program Students’ Pre/Post Assessment and Information: • Private schools were asked to provide pre- and post-assessment information on GSNS students enrolled at their schools for the subjects of Reading and Math. • Students were assessed with over 55 different types of assessment instruments, e.g., the Iowa Tests of Basic Skills, Stanford Achievement Tests. • Four students, via parent request, participated in the State assessment system in their resident school. • At the end of the school year, private schools with scholarship students, submitted assessment information for 1,464 students. Subject: Math Count Percentage Progress of less than one school year 333 23% No progress 166 11% Progress of one school year 528 36% Progress of more than one school year 437 30% The number of students reported who had pre- and post-assessment scores. 1,464 100% GSNS Students Math Results 23% Progress of less than one 30% school year No progress Progress of one school year 11% Progress of more than one school year 36% Kathy Cox, State Superintendent of Schools November 23, 2009, Page 10 of 26 Georgia Department of Education 2008 - 2009 Georgia Special Needs Scholarship Program End of School Year Report Subject: Reading Count Percentage Progress of less than one school year 312 21% No progress 177 12% Progress of one school year 539 37% Progress of more than one school year 436 30% The number of students reported who had pre- and post- assessment scores.