Restructuring Special Education Funding in New York To Promote the Objective of High Learning Standards for All Students

This paper provides a national perspective on special education finance and related reform issues and proposals, with emphasis on those of particular relevance for the state of New York. It also looks specifically at the current New York funding system as it pertains to students with disabilities and concludes with several observations. First, the proposed state reforms relating to a funding system based on a count of all students, rather than just special education students, and using the proposed poverty adjustment, appears to support many of New York's reform goals. Second, the decision to maintain separate funding systems for special education students with excessively high costs in public schools or those with disabilities requiring summer programs or educated in approved private special education schools, seems likely to conflict with the states' reform goals of ensuring that students with disabilities are educated with their nondisabled peers to the greatest extent possible. Lastly, while the proposed fiscal reforms may foster a more supportive environment for higher learning standards, strategies for ensuring that students with disabilities are fully included in the state's system of accountability will need to be carefully devised and implemented if significant gains are to be realized. (Contains 33 references.) (CR)