The 17th annual report to Congress describes progress in implementing the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) based on data collection and analyses of the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP). A list of acronyms and an executive summary providing highlights of the report by chapter precede the report's main body. The seven chapters then present comprehensive information on the following topics: (1) school-age students with disabilities served, placement and exiting patterns, and personnel who provide special education and related services; (2) meeting the needs of infants, toddlers, and preschool children with disabilities; (3) the relationship of secondary school experiences to the early post-school results of youth with disabilities; (4) educational results for students with disabilities; (5) financing services for students with disabilities; (6) assisting states and localities in educating all children with disabilities; and (7) serving students with disabilities in rural areas. Extensive appendices include 36 data tables on child counts, educational environments, populations, personnel, exiting, and finance; summaries of studies conducted under the State Agency/Federal Evaluation Studies program; data on services for children and youth with deaf-blindness; profiles of OSEP's program agenda; a summary of Regional Resource Center Activities; activities and results from the State Systems Change Transition Grants; activities of the Parent Training and Information Centers; activities of three OSEP-funded information clearinghouses; and a description of a Knowledge Utilization Plan for facilitating the use of information for program improvement. An additional 75 tables and 7 figures throughout the report provide additional detail. (DB)