A longitudinal study of the cost effectiveness of educating students with emotional or behavioral disorders in a public school setting

Marchus School's 1261 Project is one of two programs funded by the State of California to establish an education program within a public school setting for elementary and middle school students with emotional or behavioral disorders (E/BD). The 1261 Project classroom serves students who traditionally have been placed out of public school settings into more restrictive nonpublic school placements. This study details the programmatic design as well as the analysis of the cost effectiveness of this successful program over a 4-year period. Descriptive statistics and case studies demonstrate that not only have costs been avoided but funds have also been saved. Recommendations and directions for further study are addressed.