The quest to improve student achievement has been the catalyst for some of the most significant education reform in the last century. From the earliest school structures of the 19th and 20th century; initially created to assure the ideals of the Americas were translated to new immigrants, to the most recent laws of the 21st century; systems for measuring and understanding how and to what extent children learn best continue to respond to social and economic demands and shifts. Yet, many factors influence student achievement. The achievement of students with disabilities has many more layers frequently only peripherally explored by education researchers. Research about special education student performance and school configuration has received far less inquiry than research centered on performance of non-disabled students. This research study was conducted in order to investigate factors affecting special needs student performance on the New York State English Language Arts assessment. Some of the factors this research will explore include understanding how grade configuration, enrollment patterns, and attendance rates impact 8th grade special needs students New York State English Language Arts performance outcomes. Three findings were gleaned from this research. There was no observed significance between the performance of 8th grade special needs students from K-8 and 6-8 schools on the New York State English Language Arts (NYS ELA) exam. Grade configuration did not impact special needs student performance. Students who never changed schools scored similarly on the NYS ELA exam to students discharged at least once from either K-8 or 6-8 schools. Finally, it was found that there was an observed significance between attendance percentage and special needs students' performance on the NYS ELA exam. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]