This study explores the funding variations by English local authorities (LAs) in January 2014 for pupils with special educational needs and disability (SEND). Two quintile groups (n = 30) are used for comparing LAs with low and high levels of statements and case studies are presented to further explore the allocations. The research findings…

Nearly 6.5 million students in the United States ages 3 through 21 are currently classified as requiring special education. Those students have physical, developmental, and emotional disabilities that make educational endeavors more challenging for teachers, administrators, and the students themselves. Yet historically, the needs of special…

This article explores whether two popular policy initiatives are compatible or conflicting strategies for enhancing educational equality in diverse large urban centers. These two initiatives are (1) charter school expansion and (2) improvement of resource equity across urban public school systems through policies often referred to as weighted…

In line with the increasing policy emphasis on inclusive education, there is now a greater focus on how best to provide for students special educational needs (SEN) in mainstream schools. However, there is little consensus internationally as to the most equitable way in which to support these students. Despite ongoing evaluations of the existing…

The cost of educating students with disabilities and how to fund their services have been the subject of a number of studies since 1982 that were conducted by the National Association of State Directors of Special Education (NASDSE) and/or projects conducted by the American Institutes for Research's (AIR) Center for Special Education Finance…

The aim of this research is to study the effectiveness of general education funding system from the perspective of equal and equal educational opportunities for all in Georgia. Following the objective, the research aimed to respond three main research questions: 1. is the school financing formula effective and efficient enough to be administrated…

This study is the twelfth in a series of studies conducted by the American Association of School Administrators (AASA) on the impact of the economic downturn on schools. AASA launched the series in fall 2008 in response to state budget shortfalls, federal buyouts and interventions, and a series of additional events characterizing a slowing,…

Three studies are described in this article. Each is focused on a different aspect of the long-standing initiative that supports special education doctoral students. This initiative is one of the discretionary programs of the Individuals With Disabilities Education Improvement Act that is managed by the U.S. Department of Education's Office of…

The policy shift to inclusion of students with disabilities in the general classroom, broad interest in school reform, and desire to implement new instructional arrangements for all students is spurring changes in state funding systems for special education. Deliver-system weights, population-based funding, and funding models should help revamp…

This report presents an overview of the revised preschool funding formula under the 1997 amendments of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act and perceptions of some state education agencies (SEA) staff on the initial impact of the funding changes. New features include a hold harmless base amount that is equal to the preschool grant…

A study in seven Quebec First Nations communities determined per-pupil expenditures on education, excess costs of special education, and unmet special needs; developed five funding formulas for special education; and estimated their potential impact on First Nations communities locally and across Canada. Total special education costs were high…

Tennessee data were analyzed for four years before and five years after the funding formula for special education was changed from a "flat" rate to a "weighted" formula. The weighted formula was associated with a statistically significant decrease in less restrictive placements and a reliable increase in more restrictive…

The Center for Special Education Finance (CSEF) provides policymakers and administrators at all governmental levels with data, analyses, expertise, and opportunities to share information about special education finance issues. One of CSEF's major activities is the periodic collection and dissemination of information on state funding systems for…

The Center for Special Education Finance (CSEF)--housed in the American Institutes for Research (AIR) and one of several research centers funded by the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP), U.S. Department of Education--provides policymakers and administrators at all governmental levels with data, analyses, expertise, and opportunities to…

As a result of a 1992 West Virginia Department of Education plan to fully include students with disabilities, this project examined the effects of school funding practices and personnel practices such as certification, training, and teaching practices on the inclusion of students with disabilities in regular education classrooms. Information was…