One of the most significant achievements of IDEA is the increased inclusion of children with disabilities in general education classrooms. In 2023-24, more than 59% of children ages 3-5 (not in kindergarten) with disabilities were in general education classrooms 80% or more of their school day. In California, 34.14 % of children ages 3-5 were enrolled in a regular early childhood program.
For those of us who love numbers and enjoy visuals to describe them, this Office of Special Education Programs web page is worth exploring. It describes the educational environments, gender, race, ethnicity and disability types of children with disabilities served in the United States with colorful easy to read graphs and visuals. It compares the percentage of students with disabilities ages 3-5 by educational environment in program years 2012 and 2023.