Family & Community Special Communities
Special Education

Preliminary Study of the Special Education Standard for Services - February 2000

Part 2: Placement: does Massachusetts MPD standard result in different placement decisions?

Table 1³ provides basic data regarding the numbers of students with disabilities in "inclusive settings" (including services in the regular classroom and resource services), numbers of students in substantially separate classrooms, separate day schools (public and private), and separate residential schools (public and private). Some of the data are highlighted for quick reference.

Note: Public and private day or residential special education schools are combined in this table.

• The data show that Massachusetts' use of regular classroom settings (students with disabilities fully included with non-disabled students) is higher than the United States' average and higher than the selected comparison states.
• The data show that Massachusetts uses resource rooms less than the average in the United States and in the comparison states.
• When all in-district options are combined, Massachusetts' use of such options is consistent with the average use in other states and across the United States.
• The data show that Massachusetts' use of out-of-district programs (day and residential) is not substantially different from the United States average for 6-11 year olds. Although Massachusetts' use of out-of-district programs is slightly higher than the United States average for 12-17 year olds, it is consistent with similar patterns of placement in other comparison states.
• Massachusetts in FY 1997 had a higher percentage of students with disabilities ages 3-21 placed in separate day or residential programs (5.3%) compared to the rate for the U.S. as a whole (3.9%). However, in that same year New Jersey, operating under the FAPE standard, reported 9.3% of its students with disabilities ages 3-21 placed in separate day or residential programs.

Private vs. Public: Table 2 reviews the use of separate programs and compares the use of private separate day or residential schools and public day or residential schools.⁴

Since Massachusetts does not use publicly funded state schools and depends almost totally on the private sector when using separate settings, concerns have been raised that the MPD standard results in higher use of separate private settings. Review of the data in Table 2 focuses on whether the overall use of separate settings differs and then whether a comparison of public separate vs. private separate reveals any notable differences that may be related to the MPD standard.

• The data show that nationally, in Massachusetts, and in the comparison states the overall use of separate settings appears to be decreasing over time.
• The data show that although Massachusetts' use of private settings comprises a large percentage of the reported separate placement of students, it is not substantially different from that in other states that use private placements. It is worth noting that although Michigan has extremely limited access to private special education schools, its overall use of separate settings is very similar to Massachusetts.
• In comparing Massachusetts with states that appear to use private special education schools more than half of the time when making separate placements (MA, RI, NJ, & CT), Massachusetts use of separate settings and private settings is not remarkable. New Jersey, on the other hand, has a high use of separate settings and, consequently, private settings, although New Jersey operates under the FAPE standard.

The unremarkable nature of the placement data when comparing Massachusetts to the United States and to comparison states suggests that although the MPD standard may be a factor in placement decisions, it is difficult to isolate its effect. Various factors may affect placement decisions from state to state, including state standards, funding formulas, the use of state schools, the promotion of inclusive schooling practices, and the relative availability of private special education programs, as well as other state-level variables in policy and practice.

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