This book provides an internationally comparable set of indicators on educational provision for students with disabilities, learning difficulties and disadvantages (DDD). It highlights the number of students involved, where they are educated – special schools, special classes or regular classes – and in what phases of education – pre-primary, primary, lower secondary and upper secondary education.  It also includes information on the physical provision and on student/teacher ratios and discusses policy implications concerning special education. This new edition also presents for the first time trends in the data for students with DDD from 1999 to 2003.

Chapter 1. Introduction
Chapter 2. Analysis of the Qualitative Data
-Background
-Laws
-Making Planning Decisions to Ensure that Students with Special Educational Needs Receive Appropriate Additional Resources
-Facilitators and Barriers to Equity and Inclusive Education
-Definition of Special Education for Gathering Statistics
-Use of Categories
-Concluding Comments
Annex 2.A1. Allocation of Categories of Students with Disabilities, Difficulties and Disadvantages included in the Resource Definition to Cross-National Categories A, B and C
Chapter 3. Analysis of the Quantitative Data Based on Categories Used Nationally
-Background
-Methodology
-Data on Individual Categories
-Description by Category
-Conclusions
Chapter 4. Analysis of the Quantitative Data for Cross-National Categories A, B and C.
-Background
-Availability of Data
-Quantitative Data on Cross-National Category A (students receiving additional resources for disabilities)
-Quantitative Data on Cross-National Category B (students receiving additional resources for difficulties)
-Quantitative Data on Cross-National Category C (students receiving additional resources for disadvantages)
-Comparisons between the Cross-National Categories
-Overall Comparisons across the Phases of Education for the Three Cross-National Categories
-Summary and Conclusions
Chapter 5. Additional Analyses of the Quantitative Data
-Introduction
-Special Schools
-Special Classes
-Regular Classes
-Student/Staff Ratio
-Relative Numbers of Male and Female Students Receiving Additional Resources for Disabilities, Difficulties or Disadvantages
-Age Distribution of Students Receiving Additional Resources for Disabilities, Difficulties or Disadvantages
-Students Not Registered within the Education System
-Conclusion
Chapter 6. Analysis of trends in the Quantitative Data for 1999, 2001, and 2003
-Background
-Trends in Cross-National Categories
-Trends in Age Data
-Trends in Gender Data
-Summary
Chapter 7. Participation of Students with Disabilities, Difficulties, and Disadvantages in Standardised Assessments: The Case of PISA 2003
-Introduction
-Background
-Purpose of the Study
-Study Questions
-Methodology
-Findings
-Discussion
Chapter 8. Over-Representation of Males in the Students Receiving Additional Resources for Disabilities, Difficulties and Disadvantages
-Background
-Possible Factors or Mechanisms Underlying the Disproportionality
-Main Findings on Disproportionality from the Database
-Conclusions
Chapter 9. Further Discussion of Significant Issues
-Issues Arising from the Analyses of the Cross-National Category A, B and C Data
-Limitations of Current Methodology
-Final Comments
Annex A. Distribution of Individual National Categories into 22 General Categories used to Describe Students with Disabilities, Difficulties, and Disadvantages
Annex B. Data Availability Table
Annex C. Compulsory School Education
Annex D. Data by Level of Education