Differences in Academic Performance by School District Size for Students in Special Education: A Multiyear, Statewide Investigation
In this empirical statewide, multiyear analysis, the extent to which the academic performance of students enrolled in special education was influenced by school district student enrollment was determined. Five years of Texas statewide data on the Texas Assessment Knowledge & Skills Reading, Mathematics, Science, Social Studies, and Writing exams were analyzed as a function of three school district sizes: (a) small-size (up to 1,599 students); (b) moderate-size (1,600 to 9,999 students); and (c) large-size (10,000 or more students). Inferential statistical procedures revealed that students in special education who were enrolled in large-size school districts had statistically significantly higher passing rates on all five exams than did students in special education who were enrolled in either moderate-size or small-size school districts for all 5 years. Effect sizes were small.
