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¶

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

Subclaims¶

q2 i? Compared to multidistrict SELPAs, single-district SELPAs had a meaningfully higher proportion of students with disabilities spending less than 40 percent of the school day in general education (25 versus 18 percent). → Doutre 2021

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 SELPA-level comparison (N = 42 single-district, N = 83 multidistrict) of 2016/17 IDEA Section 618 LRE data; table 2 reports means of "25 (8–39)" versus "18 (2–34)" with a printed difference statistic of 0.92, marked as meaningful above the 0.50 SD threshold. The authors interpret this as a more restrictive environment for some K–12 students.

"K–12 – percent of students who spend less than 40 percent of the school day in a general education setting 21 (2–39) 25 (8–39) 18 (2–34) 0.92*"

Discussion¶

Related Claims¶

• No meaningful differences in academic outcomes (graduation, dropout, ELA/math/alternative assessment proficiency) exist between single- and multidistrict SELPAs or between SELPA compositions — related
• 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 — 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 characteristics, inclusion, or academic outcomes among midsized districts in SELPAs with versus without a large district — related
• Inclusion of students with disabilities often falls short because efforts start from a place of exclusion, making students guests who must earn access — related