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National Organization Partnerships

Special Education Spending Analysis of Connecticut Charter Schools

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Partner

National Center for Special Education in Charter Schools

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Goals

Analyze and synthesize Connecticut school spending data to compare and contrast special education expenditures

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Results

Produced spending data analysis used to develop recommendations for improving delivery of services to students with disabilities attending Connecticut charter schools

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Megan Ohlssen

Managing Director of Programs, NCSECS

"Our partnership with School + State Finance Project has propelled our ability to do meaningful work in Connecticut. They bring a depth of knowledge and a collaborative approach to their work, and make an assertive effort to understand our goals and help us achieve them. We continue to look for opportunities to partner with the team at School + State Finance Project and wish every state had a similar organization."

For organizations with a national focus or juggling work across the country, diving into the nuances of Connecticut’s education finance system is often not feasible or efficient.

That’s where our expertise comes in handy.

In 2019, the National Center for Special Education in Charter Schools (NCSECS) sought out our expertise and Connecticut-specific knowledge as part of an effort to identify challenges and develop recommendations for improving the delivery of high-quality special education services to students with disabilities attending Connecticut’s charter schools. To help support their objectives and inform their recommendations, the NCSECS engaged the School and State Finance Project to examine special education spending for local public school districts and charter schools in Connecticut.

Using publicly available data, our team created a detailed analysis for the NCSECS that compared and contrasted special education expenditures for local public school districts and charter schools operating with the boundaries of the respective local school district.

This analysis was used by the NCSECS in the development of a summary report that identified findings and provided recommendations for strengthening special education services in Connecticut’s charter schools and improving relationships between charter schools and their host districts.

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