Relationships among states' fiscal and demographic data and the implementation of P.L. 94-142

This study examined the relationships between state-level fiscal and demographic variables and identification rates and cumulative placement rates for certain categories of special education students in 1976, 1980, and 1983. The study explored the feasibility of using extant national data to study implementation of special education programs. Identification rates for students with learning disabilities and emotional disturbance were associated with level of state per-capita income and proportion of rural school-age population. States with higher per-capita income tended to have higher cumulative placement rates in special classes and all more restrictive settings.