A study of 14 residential facilities operating schools for children with disabilities in Virginia gathered information on the following topics: (1) nature of operation, profit versus nonprofit, fund-raising activities, plans for future expansion, and affiliations with national chains; (2) student profiles including disabilities served, number of males, placements classified by placing agency, average stay, and average cost per year; (3) number of staff and staff/student ratio; (4) agencies involved in licensing/monitoring the facility; (5) perceptions of state's monitoring different aspects of the schools; (6) distinct programs offered, availability of group/individual counseling, vocational programming, parent involvement, student community involvement, work opportunities, and after-care follow up; and (7) strengths and weaknesses of programming. Findings indicated that a wide range of services was provided by residential facilities, that there was a trend toward more specialized treatment, and there was an emphasis on family involvement in treatment of the residents and after-care follow-up activities. The study concluded that community-based programming, parent involvement, and effective transitioning are being emphasized to enhance the lasting therapeutic effects of educational programs, and that residential facilities are likely to continue engaging in fund-raising activities for capital improvement and for meeting increasing costs, along with states' continuing efforts to expand interagency collaboration and explore more cost-efficient programming. (Contains 20 references.) (JDD)