Characteristics of Special Education Placements: Findings From Probability Samples in Five Metropolitan School Districts

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Abstract
Characteristics of classroom placements were studied for a probability sample of approximately 950 special needs children enrolled in kindergarten through sixth grade in five major metropolitan school districts. Across all special education students, 58% spent the majority of their school day in a regular class, 38% spent the majority of their school day in a special class, and 4% attended special schools. The regular classes in which special education children were enrolled resembled other regular classes in overall size and student composition. By contrast, special classes were smaller and more heterogeneous, and classes in special schools were especially small and heterogeneous. The proportion of time spent in regular education varied significantly both by the child's primary handicap and the school district in which the child lived, but sizable variations also were found within disability groups and within districts. For learning-disabled, mentally retarded, and physically/multiply handicapped children, variations in placement were found to be associated with student socioeconomic status and race or ethnicity.