Definition: The number of standard diploma graduates divided by the number of students with disabilities who completed their education (received either a standard diploma, GED, special diploma, certificate of completion or special certificate of completion) or dropped out.

Source: Florida Department of Education, Bureau of Exceptional Education and Student Services, LEA Profile

2025 Target: 48.4%

Below is a comparison of the value for this indicator among seven coastal counties: Charlotte, Sarasota, Collier, Lee, Manatee, Hillsborough, and Pinellas. These counties have been recommended as comparable counties by Sarasota County Government.

Students with Developmental Disabilities: Graduation Rate (2014-2015 School Year)

In 2015, 62% of potential graduates with disabilities in Sarasota County graduated from high school with a standard diploma. The graduation rate has increased by 8% since 2006, and increased by 18% between 2014 and 2015. There has been no clear consistent trend for the past five years.

According to a recent report by the National Center on Secondary Education and Transition, factors related to graduation rates for students with developmental disabilities include: accurate identification of the disability, provision of needed accommodations, and assurances that a student’s true academic skills are measured in assessments, rather than elements of the disability. Students with developmental disabilities who graduate have more opportunities for employment and post-secondary education.