ERIC Number: EJ1008901
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2013-May
Pages: 40
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0895-9048
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: N/A
Special Education & School Choice: The Complex Effects of Small Schools, School Choice and Public High School Policy in New York City
Jessen, Sarah Butler
Educational Policy, v27 n3 p427-466 May 2013
This article begins to unpack the complex effects of the policies of both the small schools and choice on students with special needs. Drawing on qualitative data collected throughout the 2008-2009 academic year and a range of quantitative data from New York City's public high schools, the author shows that while small schools and choice are intended to expand schooling options for all, students with special needs often find that when entering the public high school choice process, their selection set is narrowed. For families of students with special needs, the lack of adequate special needs resources can preclude schools from being considered as viable options. In addition, schools of choice engage in practices to deter higher need students from applying. The combined influences of parent decision and school choice processes result in between-school sorting, with larger institutions receiving the bulk of the higher need population of students, which is reflected in the city's enrollment data. The findings raise questions about not only the effects of the small school reforms, but also about the role of choice policies in the public educational system. (Contains 4 notes, 2 figures, and 2 tables.)
Descriptors: School Choice, Special Education, Urban Schools, Public Schools, High Schools, Small Schools, School Policy, Student Needs, Decision Making, Parents, Accountability, Educational Change, Access to Education, Student Placement, Interviews, Grade 8, Middle School Students, School Counselors, Administrator Attitudes, Participant Observation, Parent Participation, Admission (School), Educational Policy, Equal Education, Student Rights, Inclusion, Self Contained Classrooms, Family Role, School Role, School Size, Grade 9, Data Analysis
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: High Schools
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: New York
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A