How Is Special Education Funded?: Issues and Implications for School Administrators

Abstract

Special education enrollments, and consequently overall costs, continue to rise with no apparent relief in sight. To clarify the fiscal challenges con fronting local special education administrators today, this article provides background on how special education is funded in the United States and dis cusses trends in special education enrollments and spending and their impli cations for school leaders. It also offers strategies that local leaders might consider to better meet the needs of students with disabilities in the current environment of fiscal restraint and increased accountability.

Finnish reform of the funding and provision of special education: the views of principals and municipal education administrators

“…This is an important operative principle which distinguished the Finnish model from purely medical-psychological models even before the Basic Education Act reforms (Itkonen and Jahnukainen 2010;Jahnukainen 2011). In addition, prompted by the amended Basic Education Act, local authorities pay more attention to early intervention, which is one way in which an education provider can affect special education and thus also the increase of costs (Parrish and Wolman 2004).…”

Chartering the Way to a Free and Appropriate Public Education (FAPE): The Challenges for Charter Schools to Provide FAPE

“…4 After IDEA funds are sent to the states, specific state funding formulas are used to distribute special education funds to districts. Parrish and Wolman (2004) outline the state special education formulas that include the following:…”

Secondary School Inclusion Rates: The Relationship Between the Training and Beliefs of School Site Principals and the Implementation of Inclusion

“…Realistically, their beliefs regarding how their decision may affect their school's budget may influence program choices. The effects of funding issues surrounding students with disabilities range from the political arena to the actual placement decisions being made at the school sites (Parrish & Wolman, 2004).…”

“…It is their influence that has considerable influence regarding placement decisions for students with disabilities (Parrish & Wolman, 2004). Also, the principal sets the tone in the school, and that tone then gets translated into decisions made by the school staff, decisions such as placement of students with disabilities (Parrish, 2004).…”

“…Also, the principal sets the tone in the school, and that tone then gets translated into decisions made by the school staff, decisions such as placement of students with disabilities (Parrish, 2004).…”