Cross-posted from the National Center for Learning Disabilities
June 13, 2025
Saashya Rodrigo, Principal Researcher, National Center for Learning Disabilites
Being a student with a disability comes with numerous hurdles rooted in systemic barriers, societal stigma, and widespread misconceptions. The most prevalent disability type among US public school students is learning disabilities (LD). Given the invisible nature of LD, it unfortunately can go unnoticed and misunderstood by those with an LD and those around them.
Although research shows that students with LD can perform just as well as their non-disabled peers in an accessible and supportive environment, gaps in reading and math performance persist at the national level. Beyond academics, students with disabilities are twice as likely to receive out-of-school suspension than their non-disabled peers. Disciplinary actions like suspensions are barriers to learning and to accessing the accommodations and services mandated by law through students’ Individualized Education Programs (IEPs). Moreover, such disciplinary decisions may be influenced by stigma, misunderstandings, and the result of a failure to address student needs at the onset.
It is unacceptable that students with disabilities are twice as likely to drop out of high school compared to their non-disabled peers. It doesn’t have to be this way. It’s time to change the narrative. This is why the National Center for Learning Disabilities (NCLD) proudly represents the disability voice as one of the twelve organizing partners in the GRAD Partnership’s mission to improve high school graduation rates and postsecondary pathways across the nation.
NCLD is a founding member of the GRAD Partnership, established in 2022 with the shared commitment to working in collaboration with leading education organizations to maximize our collective impact on students’ ability to succeed in school. Since that time, NCLD has helped drive an agenda for scaling student success systems that serve all students, including those with LD. For example, at a 2023 convening in New Orleans, NCLD facilitated conversations among educators, caregivers, young adults, and researchers about current trends and issues faced by students with disabilities in their journey to high school success. We used results from digital polling, semi-structured brainstorming sessions, and interactive activities to craft a comprehensive report on the challenges faced by the special education population in schools and how to best leverage student success systems to ensure equity and success for all. NCLD also created an introductory video and a more concise snapshot video to highlight the findings from the convening. Since then, NCLD has participated in multiple GRAD Partnership convenings across the country, facilitating table talks and leading presentations about improving high school success for students with disabilities.
NCLD’s participation in the GRAD Partnership also presented an opportunity to add depth, breadth, and student voice to the literature base of exploratory research on the lived experiences of students with disabilities in their high school journey. To help fill gaps in the field, we designed a comprehensive research study to explore the critical factors leading to high school success versus high school incompletion among students with LD, centering the young adult voice. The survey was shaped using feedback from cognitive interviews with young adults with LD, resulting in survey questions and a survey format that was not just accommodating to the needs of those with LD, but also focused on critical issues relating to those at the center of this discussion. The inclusive nature of this study provides more authentic findings that are rooted in the LD voice.
The resulting High School Completion Study was conducted in 2024. It examined the high school completion experiences of 107 young adults (ages 18-24) with LD who either left high school without graduating or considered leaving but ultimately earned their high school diploma. The study identified barriers and protective factors influencing high school completion for students with LD. The survey specifically addressed topics such as school climate and safety, risk factors associated with leaving high school without graduating, mental health, supports for high school completion and transition planning, experiences with disability and special education, friendships and social supports, and adverse childhood experiences. Findings from the survey were expanded upon qualitatively in additional one-on-one interviews with 27 survey participants. The study highlighted important findings relating to students’ sense of agency, belonging, and connectedness, behavioral engagement, as well as access, use, and efficacy of high school completion and transition supports.
One of the most concerning findings from the study was that roughly one-third of respondents recalled not having their basic needs met during high school. This finding underscores the essential role that basic needs play in academic success and the road to high school graduation. When basic needs such as hunger, shelter, and physical and psychological safety are not met, the risk of dropping out of high school increases. Additionally, the study found these common experiences among respondents:
- Absenteeism, tardiness, and classroom disengagement
- Interactions with law enforcement
- A lack of autonomy and choice in the classroom and their educational path
- A lack of connectedness to teachers and peers, including experiences of bullying
- A lack of participation in high school transition supports
These results and implications for change in the field are expanded upon in a Call to Action report to be launched on June 24, 2025. The report highlights the importance of building inclusive, proactive, and holistic systems for success. This requires working collaboratively within schools, with communities and families, and placing student voice at the forefront of planning, implementation, and decision-making. We look forward to continuing to work with all The GRAD Partnership organizations to achieve these goals.