Exploring factors related to access to general education contexts for students with intellectual disability: a survey of district special education administrators in one state

There is wide variability in settings where students with intellectual disability are taught and a dearth of research related to district special education administrators, their roles and responsibilities, and their perceptions of barriers to and policies and practices that promote access to general education environments for these students. This study was designed to collect information to identify trends related to differences between districts that included no students with intellectual disabilities and those that were more inclusive. Data were collected via an online survey. We conducted descriptive analyses to identify trends among the districts and chi-square analyses to compare two types of districts. We found that there is very little diversity among administrators, who were primarily White women. We found that less inclusive districts spent more time engaged in due process and litigation activities than inclusive districts, and administrators identified external factors as barriers to more inclusive practice. We discuss administrator responsibilities in the context of student outcomes in the state and implications for policy implementation.