When you search for schools on IEP Guide you will see a column called Students with Disabilities % or SWD %. Here is what it means and how to use it.
What SWD % Measures
SWD % is the percentage of a school's total enrolled students who have an active IEP under IDEA. If a school enrolls 500 students and 60 have IEPs, the SWD % is 12%. This data comes from the U.S. Department of Education's Civil Rights Data Collection (CRDC) and is publicly available for nearly every public school.
What a Higher SWD % Can Signal
A higher SWD % generally means the school has more experience supporting students with disabilities and is more likely to have dedicated special education staff on-site — speech-language pathologists, occupational therapists, school psychologists, and paraeducators. These schools have typically built systems around supporting diverse learners.
What a Lower SWD % Can Signal
A very low SWD % at a large school may mean students with more significant needs are placed elsewhere, or that the school has limited special education resources. However it is not always a negative sign — smaller or newer schools may simply serve fewer students overall.
How to Use SWD % When Comparing Schools
Do not use SWD % alone. Combine it with: the type of special education program (RSP, SDC Mild/Moderate, SDC Moderate/Severe), specialist staff on-site, student-to-teacher ratio in the SDC, and whether the school has experience with your child's specific disability. SWD % is a starting point — school visit questions give you the full picture.