Contain special education costs through approaches other than census funding while maintaining quality programs¶

Strategy · All strategies
Evidence · 1 claim (1 mixed) · 1 study (1 associational), q2 · 0 of 1 report an effect size · 1 claim rests on one study

Description¶

Beyond census funding, the brief "describes other ways in which states and districts may be able to contain special education costs while maintaining quality programs." These alternatives are offered to states and districts seeking cost containment without relying solely on enrollment-based aid, complementing the brief's analysis of the census model itself.

Design Implications¶

Context¶

Requirements¶

• States and districts must balance cost containment with maintaining quality special education programs

Constraints¶

• The abstract does not specify or evaluate the individual alternative approaches

Target Learners¶

• students with disabilities in K-12 districts

Target Learning Goals¶

• sustaining quality special education programs at contained cost

Claims¶

• Per-student special education costs fall with enrollment up to an ideal size, then rise as diseconomies of scale set in [~W]

Related Strategies¶

• Ease census funding equity concerns through targeted policy options

Examples¶

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Key Sources¶

• Elizabeth Dhuey, Stephen Lipscomb. (2013). Funding Special Education by Total District Enrollment: Advantages, Disadvantages, and Policy Considerations. Education Finance and Policy, vol. 8, issue 3. https://direct.mit.edu/edfp