This study examined the proportion of time students identified with Emotional Disturbance (ED) spent in the Least Restrictive Environment (LRE) and the potential variables associated with a higher proportion of time spent in more restrictive settings. There were 111 students in the study. Students were grouped based on the amount of time they spent in different educational settings using a K-means cluster analysis. Two groups were identified based on the proportion of time they spent in the different settings, which served as the independent variable. Dependent variables that were not statistically associated with student cluster group membership included: scores on standardized behavior rating scales and academic assessments, gender, race and ethnicity, special education eligibility category, reported Diagnostic and Statistical Manual, Fourth Edition-Text Revision (DSM-IV-TR) diagnoses, and engagement in various therapeutic services. A repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) revealed a significant interaction between performance on the behavior level system by student cluster group membership. Students who spent more time in alternative settings performed worse on the level system than those who spent less time in restrictive settings. Poisson-distribution based nonlinear hierarchical analyses differentiated the student groups on a number of variables, including exposure to various discipline practices, the number of physical restraints a student experienced, and the number of referrals a student received prior to entry into the alternative setting. Students who spent more time in alternative settings were exposed to more seclusion and exclusion time-out procedures and had more office discipline referrals prior to entry into alternative settings. Discussion centers on student punishment procedures and the probability of the increased likelihood of relatively more time spent in the alternative setting. [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.]