Students with Disabilities’ Participation in Interdistrict School Choice

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Exploring how, when, where, and why Michigan students with disabilities access interdistrict school choice, and what are the implications of access for student outcomes across the K-12 continuum. 

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Summary

This four-year study (September 2026–August 2030) examines how students with disabilities participate in Michigan’s interdistrict school choice system and what that participation means for families, schools, and student outcomes. The study examines which students participate, how far they travel, the characteristics of districts they leave and enter, and how participation relates to academic achievement. Our team is analyzing records for approximately 2 million students across 521 Michigan school districts from the 2003–04 through 2019–20 school years, as well as conducting interviews with families of students with disabilities and special education leaders to gain additional insight into families’ experiences and the challenges districts face. Findings will inform efforts to improve access to school choice for students with disabilities. 

About the project

Why this work matters

Interdistrict school choice allows families to enroll their children in a public school outside their home district. For students with disabilities, this can open access to schools that families believe better meet their children’s needs. But families may also face questions about transportation, the availability of specialized services, and how special education or other supports will continue after a transfer. Likewise, districts receiving students must plan to meet their disability-related needs through staffing, materials, and services.

The share of Michigan students with disabilities participating in interdistrict school choice grew from 2.5% in the 2003–04 school year to 10.6% in 2019–20. Yet there is limited evidence on which students with disabilities participate, whether they encounter different barriers than other students, and how participation relates to their educational experiences. Without that information, families have less guidance for navigating their options, and education leaders have less evidence for improving how choice policies work in practice.

This project aims to give families, special education leaders, and policymakers a clearer picture of participation in Michigan’s interdistrict school choice system. Findings can help identify where access differs across students and communities, illuminate the challenges families and districts experience, and inform decisions about how to support students with disabilities when they change districts. Michigan offers a valuable setting for this study because its interdistrict school choice participation rates are among the highest in the country.

What the study examines 

From September 2026 through August 2030, SRI International and RAND Corporation are conducting a study that combines statewide education records with the perspectives of families and special education leaders. The team is analyzing administrative records for approximately 2 million students across 521 Michigan school districts, covering the 2003–04 through 2019–20 school years. 

The analyses examine several connected questions:  

• The analyses examine several connected questions:
• Which students with disabilities use interdistrict school choice, and at what points in their education do they transfer?
• What kinds of districts do they leave and enter?
• How far do they travel compared with students in the general student population, and does travel vary by disability category or other characteristics?
• How does school choice participation coincide with students’ special education histories?
• How does participation relate to student outcomes, including reading and mathematics achievement?

Administrative records can show patterns across the state, but they cannot fully explain why a family chooses a school or what it takes for a district to serve students who enroll through school choice. To add that context, the team plans to speak with families of students with disabilities and special education leaders. These conversations will explore families’ experiences making and carrying out enrollment decisions and the practical challenges leaders face when students move between districts. Together, these sources will help the team interpret statewide patterns in light of the people and systems behind them. 

Partners and practical use 

The project is funded by the Institute of Education Sciences at the U.S. Department of Education. Administrative records for students and districts are loaned by the Michigan Education Data Center. The Michigan Association of Administrators of Special Education and Michigan Alliance for Families will help connect the research to the questions and experiences of special education leaders and families.  

Throughout the project, the team will share emerging findings through plain-language briefs, fact sheets, blog posts, and presentations that explain what the findings mean for families, districts, and policymakers. The team will ask whether the results answer their questions, and use their feedback to refine materials before wider distribution. Districts participating in the study’s discussions will also receive customized fact sheets comparing school choice participation among students with disabilities and the general student population. By presenting findings in formats people can use, the project aims to support decisions about equitable access to school choice and how districts serve students with disabilities who enroll from other communities. 

Associated fields of research