Summary

In 2007/08 an independent survey was undertaken to inform the Government about the level of special education resources received by schools and the allocation of special education resources to students. The aim of the survey was to inform the development of policy and services by:

• providing a better understanding of the support that children with special education needs actually receive
• aiding our understanding of how individual and school-targeted funding and staffing is deployed at the local level.

The survey involved 245 New Zealand primary, secondary and special schools. Data was gathered at three levels:

1. school level data on 13,349 students
2. more detailed information on a selected group of 1,921 students
3. case study data from the parents and teachers of 653 students.

The survey has provided rich and valuable information about resource use in special education. There were however some limitations to the survey. With this in mind the survey findings should not be used as the only source of information about special education resources. The way that information was collected for the survey means that it is unlikely to paint a complete picture about resource use.

The Ministry of Education will use the survey to inform policy and the results of the survey will be fed into the Review of Special Education and its ongoing work programme. The survey will be useful and of interest to schools delivering services for students with special education needs.