Main aims in this project are to study and analyse if and in what ways > school and learning careers of students with special education support > during their compulsory schooling differ from those without such support. > Especially, choice of programs and success in their upper secondary > schooling, drop out problems and schools' grading in compulsory school is > focused and related to self concept development and patterns of post > secondary school careers. Determined needs of special education support > are > related to individual student characteristics as well as curricular and > teaching needs of differentiation and educational demands. > > The study is part of a comprehensive longitudinal follow up of a > representative sample of approximately 8000 students born in 1982 and > followed from school start at the age of seven up through post secondary > school (gymnasieskolan) to the age of 19. > > Main analysis methods used are correlation and regression analyses in > combination with Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) which makes it > possible to identify latent variables (factors) which might explain > pattern > differences between various groups of students. > > Distribution and allocation of special education resources are more > clearly > related to school and teaching needs of differentiation than to certain > kinds of student individual characteristics. This is also mirrored in > relations to curricular demands as documented in school marks. > Organisation > models for special education support seem to be of certain importance. > Conclusively, most of the education career possibilities of individual > students are determined very early in the compulsory schooling. This seems > to be most clear for students judged to be in need of special education > support. Such patterns are related to results from earlier cohort studies > and overruling aims in curricula and school policy documents. >