School placement trajectories of students with special educational needs - A longitudinal analysis of administrative data

Snozzi, Romana; Müller, Christoph M.; Zurbriggen, Carmen L.A.

doi:10.1111/1471-3802.12714

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researchinspeceducneeds-2024-snozzi-schoolplacementtrajectoriesofstudentswithspecialeducationalneedsa1

Journal article

School placement trajectories of students with special educational needs - A longitudinal analysis of administrative data

IPC

Snozzi, Romana ORCID University of Teacher Education in Special Needs Zurich Switzerland; Department of Special Education University of Fribourg Fribourg Switzerland
Müller, Christoph M. Department of Special Education University of Fribourg Fribourg Switzerland
Zurbriggen, Carmen L.A. ORCID Department of Special Education University of Fribourg Fribourg Switzerland

2024

Published in:

Journal of Research in Special Educational Needs. - Wiley. - 2024, vol. 25, no. 1, p. 103-117

English School transfers may be particularly challenging for students with special educational needs (SEN), and may negatively impact academic and social outcomes for these students. In countries with multiple placement options for students with SEN, although transfers between different types of placements are plausible, studies on this phenomenon are rare. The current study investigates individual placement trajectories over 11 years of compulsory education, using administrative data from a Swiss canton (i.e. federal state) about students with intensive SEN support. We employed sequence analysis to describe individual characteristics of placement trajectories (type of placements attended, number and timing of transfers), and to identify typical placement trajectories. Findings indicate that students with SEN experience frequent placement transfers, however, high variability between individual placement trajectories exists. Four clusters representing typical placement trajectories emerged. The clusters differed in the placements predominately attended by students, the number of transfers experienced, as well as in the distribution of students' age, gender and first language. These differences may reflect variations between clusters in the type and severity of students' SEN. Our study results underscore the importance of understanding the dynamics of
placement trajectories for students with SEN, contributing valuable insights into the complexities of their educational journeys.

Faculty

Faculté des sciences de l'éducation et de la formation

Department

Département de Pédagogie spécialisée

Language