New York Top 10 SWD School Districts

Ranked by SWD Support Score • Academic Performance • Special Education Infrastructure

Data current as of May 2026 from public government records

Acronyms used on this page — hover or tap for the full term

Methodology

Academic Performance

College readiness test results and the percentage of students meeting state standards in math and reading. Reflects overall instructional quality all students receive.

Special Education Support Quality

Whether specialist staff — SLP, OT, school psychologist, nurse, and BCBA — are physically present at the school in sufficient numbers for the students being served.

Program & Intensity Fit

Whether the school has the right classroom program for the severity level of students served. A resource room for Mild needs. A specialized SDC for Severe needs. Mismatch lowers the score.

T1 — Mild

RSP/Resource Room. Learning disabilities, speech, mild ADHD. Shared specialists acceptable.

T2 — Moderate

SDC Mild/Moderate. Mild autism, intellectual disability. Most specialists on-site.

T3 — Mod-Severe

SDC Moderate/Severe. All primary specialists must be on-site full-time.

T4 — Severe

Specialized center. Medically complex. Full dedicated staffing required. Shared nurse triggers an automatic critical warning.

District Rankings

Score legend:85–100 Excellent75–84 Good65–74 Moderate55–64 Low0–54 Critical

#	District	County	Tier	Students	SAT	Math %	ELA %	SWD %	▼ SWD Support Score	IEP-Ready Score	★
1	Scarsdale UFSD ✅ No vacancy	Westchester	T3 Mod-Severe	4,800	1390	80	84	13.5	71	79	4
2	Syosset Central SD ✅ No vacancy	Nassau	T2 Moderate	5,800	1330	75	80	14.2	68	75	3.5
3	Great Neck UFSD ✅ No vacancy	Nassau	T2 Moderate	6,500	1320	74	79	15	68	74	3.5
4	Jericho UFSD ✅ No vacancy	Nassau	T3 Mod-Severe	2,900	1360	77	81	14	67	75	3.5
5	Herricks UFSD ✅ No vacancy	Nassau	T2 Moderate	4,500	1290	70	75	14.5	65	72	3
6	Manhasset UFSD ✅ No vacancy	Nassau	T2 Moderate	2,600	1340	76	81	13.8	63	73	3.5
7	Cold Spring Harbor CSD ✅ No vacancy	Suffolk	T2 Moderate	2,400	1300	71	77	13.2	63	71	3
8	Rockville Centre UFSD ✅ No vacancy	Nassau	T2 Moderate	3,700	1280	69	75	14.8	63	70	3
9	Half Hollow Hills CSD ✅ No vacancy	Suffolk	T2 Moderate	8,500	1260	67	73	15.2	63	69	3
10	Bedford Central SD ✅ No vacancy	Westchester	T2 Moderate	4,200	1270	72	78	12.8	63	71	3

SWD% shown for context only and not used in any score. Hover the SWD Support Score and IEP-Ready Score headers to see how they differ.

District Profiles

Scarsdale UFSD

SWD: 71/100

Scarsdale, Westchester · 6 schools · 4,800 students

SWD Support Score

Intensity: Tier 3 — Mod-Severe

IEP-Ready Score

★ 4

1390

SAT · Acad 85

80% / 84%

Math / ELA

13.5%

SWD (info only)

SLP: ✅OT: ✅Psych: ✅Nurse: ✅BCBA: ✅

SWD Support — Mod-Severe Program:Full SLP, OT, BCBA on-site; SDC Mild through Mod; robust CSE process

🟢 Search this district at iepguide.org for school-level SWD%, SDC programs, and on-site specialist staffing.

✅ No current special-ed vacancies reported at Scarsdale UFSD.

Syosset Central SD

SWD: 68/100

Syosset, Nassau · 7 schools · 5,800 students

SWD Support Score

Intensity: Tier 2 — Moderate

IEP-Ready Score

★ 3.5

1330

SAT · Acad 81

75% / 80%

Math / ELA

14.2%

SWD (info only)

SLP: ✅OT: ✅Psych: ✅Nurse: ✅BCBA: ⚠️ Shared

SWD Support — Moderate Program:Strong CSE compliance; on-site SLP & OT; SDC range

🟢 Search this district at iepguide.org for school-level SWD%, SDC programs, and on-site specialist staffing.

✅ No current special-ed vacancies reported at Syosset Central SD.

Great Neck UFSD

SWD: 68/100

Great Neck, Nassau · 8 schools · 6,500 students

SWD Support Score

Intensity: Tier 2 — Moderate

IEP-Ready Score

★ 3.5

1320

SAT · Acad 80

74% / 79%

Math / ELA

15%

SWD (info only)

SLP: ✅OT: ✅Psych: ✅Nurse: ✅BCBA: ⚠️ Shared

SWD Support — Moderate Program:Multilingual CSE programs; on-site SLP, OT, psychologist; strong 12:1:1 ratios

🟢 Search this district at iepguide.org for school-level SWD%, SDC programs, and on-site specialist staffing.

✅ No current special-ed vacancies reported at Great Neck UFSD.

Jericho UFSD

SWD: 67/100

Jericho, Nassau · 4 schools · 2,900 students

SWD Support Score

Intensity: Tier 3 — Mod-Severe

IEP-Ready Score

★ 3.5

1360

SAT · Acad 82

77% / 81%

Math / ELA

14%

SWD (info only)

SLP: ✅OT: ✅Psych: ✅Nurse: ✅BCBA: ⚠️ Shared

SWD Support — Mod-Severe Program:Robust CSE; SLP & OT on-site; full SEIT for PreK; psychologist campus-based

🟢 Search this district at iepguide.org for school-level SWD%, SDC programs, and on-site specialist staffing.

✅ No current special-ed vacancies reported at Jericho UFSD.

Herricks UFSD

SWD: 65/100

New Hyde Park, Nassau · 5 schools · 4,500 students

SWD Support Score

Intensity: Tier 2 — Moderate

IEP-Ready Score

★ 3

1290

SAT · Acad 77

70% / 75%

Math / ELA

14.5%

SWD (info only)

SLP: ✅OT: ✅Psych: ✅Nurse: ✅BCBA: ✗

SWD Support — Moderate Program:CSE bilingual classification support; SLP & OT on-site

🟢 Search this district at iepguide.org for school-level SWD%, SDC programs, and on-site specialist staffing.

✅ No current special-ed vacancies reported at Herricks UFSD.

Manhasset UFSD

SWD: 63/100

Manhasset, Nassau · 3 schools · 2,600 students

SWD Support Score

Intensity: Tier 2 — Moderate

IEP-Ready Score

★ 3.5

1340

SAT · Acad 81

76% / 81%

Math / ELA

13.8%

SWD (info only)

SLP: ✅OT: ⚠️ SharedPsych: ✅Nurse: ✅BCBA: ✗

SWD Support — Moderate Program:Responsive CSE team; SLP on-site; OT itinerant

🟢 Search this district at iepguide.org for school-level SWD%, SDC programs, and on-site specialist staffing.

✅ No current special-ed vacancies reported at Manhasset UFSD.

Cold Spring Harbor CSD

SWD: 63/100

Cold Spring Harbor, Suffolk · 3 schools · 2,400 students

SWD Support Score

Intensity: Tier 2 — Moderate

IEP-Ready Score

★ 3

1300

SAT · Acad 78

71% / 77%

Math / ELA

13.2%

SWD (info only)

SLP: ✅OT: ⚠️ SharedPsych: ✅Nurse: ✅BCBA: ✗

SWD Support — Moderate Program:Active CSE; SLP on-site; SDC Mild/Mod strong

🟢 Search this district at iepguide.org for school-level SWD%, SDC programs, and on-site specialist staffing.

✅ No current special-ed vacancies reported at Cold Spring Harbor CSD.

Rockville Centre UFSD

SWD: 63/100

Rockville Centre, Nassau · 5 schools · 3,700 students

SWD Support Score

Intensity: Tier 2 — Moderate

IEP-Ready Score

★ 3

1280

SAT · Acad 76

69% / 75%

Math / ELA

14.8%

SWD (info only)

SLP: ✅OT: ⚠️ SharedPsych: ✅Nurse: ✅BCBA: ✗

SWD Support — Moderate Program:Full SDC and ICT programs; SLP on-site; strong detracking model

🟢 Search this district at iepguide.org for school-level SWD%, SDC programs, and on-site specialist staffing.

✅ No current special-ed vacancies reported at Rockville Centre UFSD.

Half Hollow Hills CSD

SWD: 63/100

Dix Hills, Suffolk · 11 schools · 8,500 students

SWD Support Score

Intensity: Tier 2 — Moderate

IEP-Ready Score

★ 3

1260

SAT · Acad 75

67% / 73%

Math / ELA

15.2%

SWD (info only)

SLP: ✅OT: ⚠️ SharedPsych: ✅Nurse: ✅BCBA: ✗

SWD Support — Moderate Program:Full CSE continuum; SDC Mild through Severe; SLP on-site all campuses

🟢 Search this district at iepguide.org for school-level SWD%, SDC programs, and on-site specialist staffing.

✅ No current special-ed vacancies reported at Half Hollow Hills CSD.

Bedford Central SD

SWD: 63/100

Bedford, Westchester · 6 schools · 4,200 students

SWD Support Score

Intensity: Tier 2 — Moderate

IEP-Ready Score

★ 3

1270

SAT · Acad 77

72% / 78%

Math / ELA

12.8%

SWD (info only)

SLP: ✅OT: ⚠️ SharedPsych: ✅Nurse: ✅BCBA: ✗

SWD Support — Moderate Program:Strong CSE compliance; SLP & OT on-site; resource rooms and SDC programs

🟢 Search this district at iepguide.org for school-level SWD%, SDC programs, and on-site specialist staffing.

✅ No current special-ed vacancies reported at Bedford Central SD.

Some specialist staffing is estimated from district averages and may not reflect every campus. Source: IDEA §618 personnel data (2024–25). Confirm with the district before placement decisions.

New York State IEP Guide — Downloadable Resource

A complete guide to the IEP process in New York — state-specific timelines, terminology, parent rights, and how to use iepguide.org for school placement research.

View Online Download PDF

For informational purposes only. Does not constitute legal advice.

For informational purposes only. Always consult a qualified special education advocate or attorney for guidance specific to your child's situation.

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