Quality Education
  • 4.1.1 Proportion of children and young people (a) in grades 2/3; (b) at the end of primary; and (c) at the end of lower secondary achieving at least a minimum proficiency level in (i) reading and (ii) mathematics, by sex
  • 4.1.2 Completion rate (primary education, lower secondary education, upper secondary education)
  • 4.2.1 Proportion of children aged 24-59 months who are developmentally on track in health, learning and psychosocial well-being, by sex
  • 4.2.2 Participation rate in organized learning (one year before the official primary entry age), by sex
  • 4.3.1 Participation rate of youth and adults in formal and non-formal education and training in the previous 12 months, by sex
  • 4.4.1 Proportion of youth and adults with information and communications technology (ICT) skills, by type of skill
  • 4.5.1 Parity indices (female/male, rural/urban, bottom/top wealth quintile and others such as disability status, indigenous peoples and conflict-affected, as data become available) for all education indicators on this list that can be disaggregated
  • 4.6.1 Proportion of population in a given age group achieving at least a fixed level of proficiency in functional (a) literacy and (b) numeracy skills, by sex
  • 4.7.1 Extent to which (i) global citizenship education and (ii) education for sustainable development are mainstreamed in (a) national education policies; (b) curricula; (c) teacher education; and (d) student assessment
  • 4.a.1 Proportion of schools offering basic services, by type of service
  • 4.b.1 Volume of official development assistance flows for scholarships by sector and type of study
  • 4.c.1 Proportion of teachers with the minimum required qualifications, by education level

    • 4.a.1 Proportion of schools offering basic services, by type of service

    Note: Analysis related to the provision of free and subsidized lunches can be found here. Research defining a “basic service” beyond the provision of food or servives for students with disabilities is ongoing. 

    “Special education services” include to services provided by schools for students with disabilities or with additional needs due to psychological or physical disorders. These services can also apply to students with behavioral and emotional problems or who have learning differences. Special services fall under the common terminology of “special education,” and are protected under U.S. federal law through the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and the Americans with Disabilities Act. Special services are normally at no-cost to the student’s family and can include specialized class instruction, in-class aids, transportation, speech-language services, occupational, physical, and psychological therapy, supportive technology, and school nurse services.

    In DC, there are four strategic goals for special education services: increase academic achievement, include more students, involve families in their child’s success, and prepare students for college and the workforce. Each year, DC publishes a resource guide for available special education programs which details how to become involved in special education depending on the type of school and needs of the child involved. In Maryland, special education services are also issued depending on the type of school and the needs of the child involved and are administered through the Maryland Department of Education. Maryland also has the Special Education State Advisory Committee (SESAC), mandated by IDEA. This committee assists the Maryland State Department of Education, Division of Early Intervention and Special Education Services with implementing special education strategies in public schools.

    Similarly, Virginia also bases special education services on the type of school and student’s needs. The Virginia Department of Education also publishes regulations for schools for best practices in providing educational services to students with disabilities. In 2021, the Virginia General Assembly passed several pieces of legislation that revised the Regulations Governing Special Education Programs for Children with Disabilities in Virginia. These revisions include the following: parents must be provided with drafts of individualized education plans for students before any meetings to discuss the plan, the definition of traumatic brain injury now includes injuries acquired due to a medical condition, such as stroke, anoxia, and aneurysm, and the Virginia Regulations now address the right of a parent to an independent educational evaluation at public expense to ensure consistency of federal guidelines. Virginia also has a SESAC, as mandated by IDEA to inform the Department of Education on best practices for special education services.