Over a Four-Year Period, Top ranked NYC-DOE Screened High Schools Doubled the Number of Students with an IEP - 2021 Update - Key Findings and Observations

Sep 15, 2026

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A 2021 update summarizes how top ranked NYC-DOE screened high schools changed student enrollment of learners receiving Individualized Education Programs (IEP) over a four-year span. Using 2015-16 and 2019-20 data, the report highlights a doubling of IEP enrollment overall, driven primarily by screened admissions high schools. It identifies which schools reached 10% and 15% thresholds, notes outliers such as LaGuardia’s low percentage and limited growth, and flags open questions needing further research into student experience, accommodations, services, and parent support models.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages5

Reading Time13 min

AccessFree to download

Over a Four-Year Period Update

IEP Enrollment Trends (2015-16 vs 2019-20)

School-Level Threshold Findings (10% and 15%)

Outlier Case: LaGuardia High School

Questions for Further Research

David Rubel Education Policy Consultant [www.davidrubelconsultant.com](www.davidrubelconsultant.com) 2021 Update Over a Four-Year Period, Top ranked NYC-DOE Screened High Schools Doubled the Number of Students with an IEP | Top Ranked NYC-DOE High Schools | Total Enrollment | 2015-16 | % | | 2019-20 | % | | | Change between 2015-16 and
2019-20 | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Screened Admissions High Schools | | | | | | | | | | | N.Y.C. Lab School for Collaborative Studies | 514 | 86 | 16.3 | | 98 | 19 | | | 2.7 | | Frank Sinatra School of the Arts High School | 851 | 82 | 9.64 | | 157 | 18.4 | | | 8.7 | | Columbia Secondary School | 698 | 58 | 8.31 | | 122 | 17.4 | | | 9.1 | | Leon M. Goldstein High School for the Sciences | 977 | 146 | 14.94 | | 170 | 17.4 | | | 2.4 | | Professional Performing Arts High School | 577 | 66 | 11.44 | | 93 | 16.1 | | | 4.6 | | Eleanor Roosevelt High School | 541 | 45 | 8.32 | | 85 | 15.7 | | | 7.3 | | Baruch College Campus High School | 487 | 61 | 12.53 | | 74 | 15.1 | | | 2.5 | | Hunter Science High School | 455 | 52 | 11.43 | | 65 | 14.2 | | | 2.7 | | Scholars' Academy | 1,311 | 10 | 0.7 | | 180 | 13.7 | | | 12.9 | | Millennium High School | 674 | 64 | 9.5 | | 91 | 13.5 | | | 4.0 | | Beacon High School | 1,469 | 104 | 7.08 | | 193 | 13.1 | | | 6.0 | | Bard High School Early College | 613 | 5 | 0.82 | | 65 | 10.6 | | | 9.7 | | Baccalaureate School for Global Education | 557 | 5 | 0.90 | | 51 | 9.15 | | | 8.2 | | Bard High School Early College Queens | 637 | 7 | 1.10 | | 53 | 8.32 | | | 7.2 | | Townsend Harris High School | 1,219 | 18 | 1.48 | | 89 | 7.3 | | | 5.8 | | Medgar Evers College Preparatory School | 1,414 | 61 | 4.31 | | 95 | 6.7 | | | 2.4 | | Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art | 2,946 | 57 | 1.93 | | 107 | 3.6 | | | 1.6 | | Total | 15,940 | 927 | 5.8 | | 1788 | 11.2 | | | 5.4 | | SHSAT Exam Schools | | | | | | | | | | | Brooklyn Latin School, The | 785 | 15 | 1.9 | | 23 | 2.9 | | | 1.0 | | High School of American Studies at Lehman College | 382 | 13 | 3.4 | | 8 | 2.1 | | | -1.3 | | Bronx High School of Science | 2,981 | 33 | 1.1 | | 47 | 1.5 | | | 0.3 | | Brooklyn Technical High School | 6,040 | 86 | 1.4 | | 95 | 1.5 | | | 0.0 | | Staten Island Technical High School | 1,335 | 14 | 1.0 | | 19 | 1.4 | | | 0.3 | | Stuyvesant High School | 3,381 | 18 | 0.5 | | 16 | 0.4 | | | -0.1 | | Queens High School for the Sciences at York College | 480 | 0 | 0 | | 1 | 0.2 | | | 0.20 | | Total | 15,384 | 179 | 1.1 | | 209 | 1.3 | | | .2 | Source: NYC-DOE 2019-20 Demographic Snapshot. The NYC-DOE Demographic Snapshot defines Students with disabilities as any child receiving an Individualized Education Program (IEP) as of the end of the school year (or March 06 for 2019- 2021 Update Findings and Observations In 2013, I issued a report A Question for Discussion-Can we hope to see the next Richard Branson, David Boies, Whoopi Goldberg, Charles Schwab, Steven Spielberg, and Wendy Wasserstein in New York City’s Top Public High Schools? 2014 that looked at how students with an IEP were represented at the top 25 high schools ranked by the NYS ELA exam average score for incoming 9th graders 1. The group of 25 high schools includes the seven SHSAT exam and eighteen screened admissions. The report also provided an analysis of student needs, resources and comparable student academic support models found in other high schools (public and private) outside the NYC-DOE system. There was a report update in 2016. It’s now nine years since then Chancellor Walcott issued a directive for the screened high schools to start admitting more students with special needs. "Ensuring that incoming ninth graders with disabilities have the same access to screened high schools is just one way that we're raising academic standards for all of our students," Walcott said. 2 Th

FAQs

What does the update measure regarding IEP students over time?

It tracks how the number and percentage of students receiving an Individualized Education Program (IEP) changed from 2015-16 to 2019-20 in NYC-DOE top ranked screened and SHSAT exam high schools.

Which schools show the largest improvements in IEP enrollment?

The increase is described as occurring with screened admissions high schools, with many schools reaching higher IEP enrollment thresholds such as at least 10% and at least 15%.

Why is LaGuardia High School highlighted in the report?

LaGuardia is noted as having the lowest IEP percentage among the screened schools and also the lowest increase, which the report treats as surprising given related background observations and prior reporting.

What topics still require further research?

The report lists questions about student lived experience, whether parents and students feel supported, access to ICT/SETSS services, teacher accommodation willingness, and models that could be replicated elsewhere, including how parents use the Comprehensive Education Plan (CEP).

Sep 15, 2026

Uploaded by Sage