Supporting Students with Health Conditions in District of Columbia Public Schools
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Key Findings
- About 27 percent of students in DCPS had a reported health condition in 2018/19, which may be an undercount, as it is lower than the percentage reported in other data sources for the city.
- Health conditions are most prevalent among DCPS students who are male, who are Black/non-Hispanic, who are economically disadvantaged, or who attended school outside of their ward of residence.
- Asthma is the most prevalent health condition, reported by 16 percent of students in DCPS, which is double the national average.
- Among students with a reported health condition, 28 percent receive support through a Section 504 plan or an individualized education program.
- Students with any reported health condition generally had poorer education outcomes than students without a health condition.
The District of Columbia Public Schools (DCPS) partnered with REL Mid-Atlantic to better understand the prevalence of health conditions among its students, as well as the available supports for students with health conditions. The study also examined the relationship between health conditions and education outcomes. DCPS expects to use the results of the study to inform an action plan for equitably supporting students with health conditions.
The study focused on a core set of conditions of particular interest to DCPS: asthma, attention deficit hyperactive disorder, mental health conditions, diabetes, food allergies, anaphylaxis, and intellectual and developmental disability or delay.
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