Education
The Kansas Special Education Expenditure Project provides special education expenditure information that is representive for the state of Kansas. The study, which began in January 2000, was conducted in tandem with the national Special Education Expenditure Project (SEEP), commissioned by the U.S. Department of Education, and with eight other state SEEP studies. The Kansas SEEP shares a common sore of research questions and methods with the national and state studies, although many aspects of the study are specific to Kansas' interests and policy concerns.
Objective of the study
The objective of the Kansas SEEP is to obtain special education spending estimates for the state, and to provide this information in light of various special education funding formulas that are currently in place across the nation. To these ends, this report presents both per student and total expenditure information, aling with breakdowns of these costs by key variables such as age group, service or resouce, category of diability, district type, educational environment, and "Abilities Index" score. This report also compares overall spending in Kansas may assess expenditure estimates in relation to other jurisdictions.
General Approach
Comprehensive in nature, the Kansas SEEP involves both self-administered surveys and the examination of existing documents and databases, at the state, district, and school levels. In order to ensure representation of the state whole, 34 districts and 100 schools were randomly selected across the state. District special education administrators, school administrators, staff knowledgeable about special education programs and services, general education teachers who interacted with special education students, special education teachers and related service providers, and special education aids were surveyed about how they spent their time and about the resources available in their classrooms. In addition, special education teachers and related service providers filled out surveys about special education students for whom they provided services. Documents and databases requested include budgets, salary reports, enrollment reports, personnel listings, rosters, and schedules.
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