Multidistrict SELPAs without a large district received higher per pupil special education funding and had higher preK and K–12 inclusion rates than those with a large district¶

Claim · All claims
Evidence · 1 study (3 entries) · associational r2 · q2
Currency · newest study 2021 · not yet checked against its sources · not reviewed by a person

Subclaims¶

q2 i? Multidistrict SELPAs without a large district received higher per pupil state and federal special education apportionments than those with a large district ($600 versus $522). → Doutre 2021 q2 i? Multidistrict SELPAs without a large district placed higher proportions of preK students in regular early childhood programs than those with a large district (63 versus 50 percent). → Doutre 2021 (2) q2 i? Multidistrict SELPAs without a large district had a higher percentage of K–12 students spending 80 percent or more of the school day in general education than those with a large district (57 versus 53 percent). → Doutre 2021 (3)

Evidence¶

Doutre 2021¶

Doutre, S. M., Barrett, T., & Rice, J. (2021). California's Special Education Local Plan Areas: Funding patterns, inclusion rates, and student outcomes. Regional Educational Laboratory West at WestEd. https://ies.ed.gov/ncee/edlabs

q2 · i? · associational · r2

Descriptive comparison of 24 versus 59 multidistrict SELPAs; table 3 reports per pupil apportionment means of $600 versus $522 with a printed difference statistic of 0.68, marked as meaningful. The authors attribute the gap largely to historical per pupil rates in the funding formula.

"Per pupil state and federal special education apportionment ($) 522 (506–547) 600 (494–1,230) 0.68*"

Doutre 2021 (2)¶

Doutre, S. M., Barrett, T., & Rice, J. (2021). California's Special Education Local Plan Areas: Funding patterns, inclusion rates, and student outcomes. Regional Educational Laboratory West at WestEd. https://ies.ed.gov/ncee/edlabs

q2 · i? · associational · r2

Same SELPA-level descriptive comparison; table 3 reports preK regular early childhood program inclusion of "63 (8–100)" versus "50 (19–86)" percent with a printed difference statistic of 0.70, marked as meaningful.

"Preschool – percent received services in a regular early childhood program 50 (19–86) 63 (8–100) 0.70*"

Doutre 2021 (3)¶

Doutre, S. M., Barrett, T., & Rice, J. (2021). California's Special Education Local Plan Areas: Funding patterns, inclusion rates, and student outcomes. Regional Educational Laboratory West at WestEd. https://ies.ed.gov/ncee/edlabs

q2 · i? · associational · r2

Same SELPA-level descriptive comparison; table 3 reports K–12 80-percent-or-more inclusion of "57 (42–78)" versus "53 (42–68)" percent with a printed difference statistic of 0.56, and lower under-40-percent inclusion in SELPAs without a large district (17 versus 22 percent, statistic 0.88).

"K–12 – percent of students who spend 80 percent or more of the school day in a general education setting 53 (42–68) 57 (42–78) 0.56*"

Discussion¶

Related Claims¶

• No meaningful differences in characteristics, inclusion, or academic outcomes among midsized districts in SELPAs with versus without a large district — related
• Among small districts in multidistrict SELPAs, membership in a SELPA without a large district was associated with higher preK inclusion but lower K–12 inclusion — related
• No meaningful differences in academic outcomes (graduation, dropout, ELA/math/alternative assessment proficiency) exist between single- and multidistrict SELPAs or between SELPA compositions — related
• Single-district SELPAs had meaningfully lower inclusion rates, with a higher proportion of students with disabilities in general education less than 40 percent of the school day — related
• Federal IDEA funding has provided only about 15 percent of the national average per-pupil expenditure, versus the 40 percent originally promised — related
• A state funding report's research review, citing earlier studies, states that inclusive preschool special education benefits students with and without disabilities and that effective early education reduces later special education identification — related
• California's special education allocation is not purely census-based: legacy J-50 cost-based rates produce per-student funding ranging from $557 to more than $900 across SELPAs — related
• Per-student special education costs fall with enrollment up to an ideal size, then rise as diseconomies of scale set in — related