{"id":{"repo_id":"ku","oai_identifier":"oai:kuscholarworks.ku.edu:1808/38025"},"canonical_url":"https://search.dev.ndltd.org/etd/ku/oai:kuscholarworks.ku.edu:1808/38025","repository":{"repo_id":"ku","name":"University of Kansas","base_url":"https://kuscholarworks.ku.edu/server/oai/request"},"display":{"title":"Dollars and Inclusion: Investigating the Impact of Per Pupil Funding on Inclusive Practices in Special Education","abstract":"This study investigates the impact of per-pupil funding on inclusive placements in special education in New Jersey, focusing on factors influencing inclusive practices. Inclusion is a fundamental right for students with disabilities, requiring adequate funding to be effectively implemented. Using hierarchical linear modeling, this research analyzes the relationship between per-pupil funding and inclusion rates while controlling for various school-level and district-level variables, including socioeconomic status (SES), race, community type, school type, enrollment, disability categories, out-of-district placements, and extraordinary aid. Key findings reveal that schools with higher percentages of white students and larger enrollments exhibit higher rates of inclusive placements. Additionally, districts with higher out-of-district placements tend to have higher inclusion rates within their schools. Contrary to expectations, neither per-pupil funding nor extraordinary aid significantly correlate with inclusion rates. The study highlights the significant role of demographic factors and school size in shaping inclusive practices and underscores the need for targeted attention to policies and practices in the state of New Jersey. Future research should explore the relationship between enrollment and inclusion, the impact of racial composition on funding equity, and the effectiveness of various fiscal incentives in promoting inclusion. This research contributes to our understanding of the complex factors influencing inclusive education and provides valuable insights for policymakers and educators aiming to create more equitable educational environments.","abstract_html":"This study investigates the impact of per-pupil funding on inclusive placements in special education in New Jersey, focusing on factors influencing inclusive practices. Inclusion is a fundamental right for students with disabilities, requiring adequate funding to be effectively implemented. Using hierarchical linear modeling, this research analyzes the relationship between per-pupil funding and inclusion rates while controlling for various school-level and district-level variables, including socioeconomic status (SES), race, community type, school type, enrollment, disability categories, out-of-district placements, and extraordinary aid. Key findings reveal that schools with higher percentages of white students and larger enrollments exhibit higher rates of inclusive placements. Additionally, districts with higher out-of-district placements tend to have higher inclusion rates within their schools. Contrary to expectations, neither per-pupil funding nor extraordinary aid significantly correlate with inclusion rates. The study highlights the significant role of demographic factors and school size in shaping inclusive practices and underscores the need for targeted attention to policies and practices in the state of New Jersey. Future research should explore the relationship between enrollment and inclusion, the impact of racial composition on funding equity, and the effectiveness of various fiscal incentives in promoting inclusion. This research contributes to our understanding of the complex factors influencing inclusive education and provides valuable insights for policymakers and educators aiming to create more equitable educational environments.","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Cosand, Kylene"],"institution":"University of Kansas","degree_name":null,"degree_level":null,"degree_discipline":null,"degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":[],"advisors":["Robinson, Suzanne"],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2024,"date_issued":"2024-01-01","date_published":"2024-01-01","updated_at":"2026-07-24T02:46:40Z","subjects":["Education finance","Education policy","Special education","finance","inclusion","New Jersey"],"languages":["en"],"rights":[],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier.other","label":"Dc Identifier Other","values":["http://dissertations.umi.com/ku:19687"],"render_values":[{"text":"http://dissertations.umi.com/ku:19687","href":"http://dissertations.umi.com/ku:19687","code":true}]}]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://hdl.handle.net/1808/38025","outbound_label":"Handle","outbound_source":"dc:identifier.uri"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor.advisor","label":"Advisor","values":["Robinson, Suzanne"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Cosand, Kylene"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.accessioned","label":"Dc Date Accessioned","values":["2026-04-22T18:32:50Z"]},{"key":"dc:date.available","label":"Dc Date Available","values":["2026-04-22T18:32:50Z"]},{"key":"dc:date.issued","label":"Date","values":["2024-01-01"]},{"key":"dc:publisher","label":"Institution","values":["University of Kansas"]},{"key":"dc:type","label":"Dc Type","values":["Dissertation"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["Education finance","Education policy","Special education","finance","inclusion","New Jersey"]}]},{"id":"language_rights","label":"Language and Rights","entries":[{"key":"dc:language.iso","label":"Language (ISO)","values":["en"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier.other","label":"Dc Identifier Other","values":["http://dissertations.umi.com/ku:19687"]},{"key":"dc:identifier.uri","label":"Identifier URI","values":["https://hdl.handle.net/1808/38025"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["This study investigates the impact of per-pupil funding on inclusive placements in special education in New Jersey, focusing on factors influencing inclusive practices. Inclusion is a fundamental right for students with disabilities, requiring adequate funding to be effectively implemented. Using hierarchical linear modeling, this research analyzes the relationship between per-pupil funding and inclusion rates while controlling for various school-level and district-level variables, including socioeconomic status (SES), race, community type, school type, enrollment, disability categories, out-of-district placements, and extraordinary aid. Key findings reveal that schools with higher percentages of white students and larger enrollments exhibit higher rates of inclusive placements. Additionally, districts with higher out-of-district placements tend to have higher inclusion rates within their schools. Contrary to expectations, neither per-pupil funding nor extraordinary aid significantly correlate with inclusion rates. The study highlights the significant role of demographic factors and school size in shaping inclusive practices and underscores the need for targeted attention to policies and practices in the state of New Jersey. Future research should explore the relationship between enrollment and inclusion, the impact of racial composition on funding equity, and the effectiveness of various fiscal incentives in promoting inclusion. This research contributes to our understanding of the complex factors influencing inclusive education and provides valuable insights for policymakers and educators aiming to create more equitable educational environments."]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Dollars and Inclusion: Investigating the Impact of Per Pupil Funding on Inclusive Practices in Special Education"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor.advisor":["Robinson, Suzanne"],"dc:creator":["Cosand, Kylene"],"dc:date.accessioned":["2026-04-22T18:32:50Z"],"dc:date.available":["2026-04-22T18:32:50Z"],"dc:date.issued":["2024-01-01"],"dc:description.abstract":["This study investigates the impact of per-pupil funding on inclusive placements in special education in New Jersey, focusing on factors influencing inclusive practices. Inclusion is a fundamental right for students with disabilities, requiring adequate funding to be effectively implemented. Using hierarchical linear modeling, this research analyzes the relationship between per-pupil funding and inclusion rates while controlling for various school-level and district-level variables, including socioeconomic status (SES), race, community type, school type, enrollment, disability categories, out-of-district placements, and extraordinary aid. Key findings reveal that schools with higher percentages of white students and larger enrollments exhibit higher rates of inclusive placements. Additionally, districts with higher out-of-district placements tend to have higher inclusion rates within their schools. Contrary to expectations, neither per-pupil funding nor extraordinary aid significantly correlate with inclusion rates. The study highlights the significant role of demographic factors and school size in shaping inclusive practices and underscores the need for targeted attention to policies and practices in the state of New Jersey. Future research should explore the relationship between enrollment and inclusion, the impact of racial composition on funding equity, and the effectiveness of various fiscal incentives in promoting inclusion. This research contributes to our understanding of the complex factors influencing inclusive education and provides valuable insights for policymakers and educators aiming to create more equitable educational environments."],"dc:identifier.other":["http://dissertations.umi.com/ku:19687"],"dc:identifier.uri":["https://hdl.handle.net/1808/38025"],"dc:language.iso":["en"],"dc:publisher":["University of Kansas"],"dc:subject":["Education finance","Education policy","Special education","finance","inclusion","New Jersey"],"dc:title":["Dollars and Inclusion: Investigating the Impact of Per Pupil Funding on Inclusive Practices in Special Education"],"dc:type":["Dissertation"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T02:46:40Z"}