Six secondary students with mild mental impairment took part in a multiple case study exploratory research project, involving full day observations, document reviews, and interviews to examine their classroom interactions. Data collection focused on the students' interactions with peers and adults in general education and special education settings. The data and discussion raises questions regarding inclusive education. The majority of students had more overall interactions with peers in their...
Topics: ERIC Archive, General Education, Special Education, Inclusive Schools, Student Placement, Secondary...
The disproportionate representation of students of color in special education programs has been an issue in the field for decades. However, the literature on the topic tends to ignore the perceptions held by the families of these children. This paper shares the results of a qualitative study which explored the perceptions of one group of African-American parents that challenged their local school system on the placement and quality of services delivered to African-American children in special...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Special Education, Disproportionate Representation, African Americans, Parent...
Charter schools are a growing and evolving component of the public education sector. These schools may be exempt from state or local regulations, but they are part of the public system and subject to federal laws and many regulations. Research has documented policy tensions and basic challenges associated with developing special education programs in charter schools. A key source of these issues is ambiguity in individual state charter laws regarding roles and responsibilities related to...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Figurative Language, Special Education, Public Education, Charter Schools,...
Current federal policy requires that students with disabilities participate in large-scale assessments and be included in schools' scores for adequate yearly progress. Students with significant cognitive disabilities may participate in an alternate assessment with alternate achievement standards, but these standards must be linked to grade-level content and promote access to the general curriculum. Because most research with this population has focused on nonacademic life skills, few guidelines...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Educational Improvement, Attitudes toward Disabilities, Alternative Assessment,...
This study examined the extent to which treatment integrity of 4 special education teachers was affected by goal setting, performance feedback regarding student or teacher performance, and a meeting cancellation contingency. Teachers were trained to implement function-based treatment packages to address student problem behavior. In one condition, teachers set a goal for student behavior and received daily written feedback about student performance. In a second condition, teachers received daily...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Goal Orientation, Student Behavior, Intervention, Special Education, Special...
Together with the many advantages incurred by educational reform there are concomitantly a number of challenges that have to be addressed. In the field of special education there have probably been more changes in the past decade than in any other area of education. In 2006, Hong Kong is undoubtedly at the cusp of major changes which continue to reflect the paradigm shifts occurring internationally. One area of concern for all is the issue of support for learners with special needs. It is clear...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Foreign Countries, Educational Change, Special Education, Special Needs Students,...
Teachers play a key role in alleviating or exacerbating educational inequality across the nation. Oftentimes this educational inequality is based on ethnicity, class, and gender as well as additional cultural factors. It is essential that teacher education programs include courses that address multicultural issues with the goal of developing true respect for those who are different than one's self. In order to gain respect for "all" others, pre-service teachers need to first...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Preservice Teacher Education, Equal Education, Cultural Influences, Teacher Education...
In this paper, the author explores her experiences growing up of being defined as "different" due to her class background. The author uses the term "difference" to mean how the concept of the "other" is defined and understood in this society. The "other" in this instance are individuals or groups who have existed on the margins of the society; those whose concerns and perspectives have been shrouded in "silence," left out of the discourse of the...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Family Life, Discourse Analysis, Early Childhood Education, Living Standards, Early...
Using a reflective case-study methodology, I conducted an innovative method in my inclusive/special education course, informed by the Communities of Practice literature and interprofessional collaboration. The student participants, in groups, accomplished an assignment designed to support a learner with a disability/exceptionality by including in their plans relevant professionals and community stakeholders. Data consisted of tape-recorded focus group interviews and group planning meetings, as...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Education Courses, Cooperation, Special Education, Focus Groups, Interprofessional...
In this study, the authors determined the individual learner characteristics of educators enrolled in online courses that influenced social presence (affective social communication). Findings reveal that the number of online courses taken, followed by computer-mediated communication proficiency, are significant predictors of social presence. Recommendations for the effective use of online learning recognize that instructors must deliberately structure interaction patterns to overcome the...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Foreign Countries, Special Education Teachers, Teacher Education, Participant...
Since the publication of the Salamanca statement (UNESCO 1994), inclusive schooling has formed a growing part of the deliberations of the special education community. Inclusive schooling research in Australia in the main continues to reproduce traditions of the special education field, emphasising the dominant psychological perspectives that have been superimposed on inclusive education discourses. At the fifth International Congress of Special Education (ISEC 2000) held in Manchester,...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Mainstreaming, Regular and Special Education Relationship, Special Education, Student...
The students in 21st-century public middle schools are increasingly diverse in terms of language proficiency, cultural and ethnic representation, and varied levels of poverty; and, yet, they are being educated in a political climate that encourages mainstreaming special education and gifted services in the regular classroom. Given this context, this study sought to examine 48 middle school content-area teachers' beliefs about teaching in diverse classrooms to determine how these beliefs...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Middle Schools, Middle School Teachers, Language Proficiency, Ethnicity, Teacher...
Gifted students in our nation's schools are being denied needed services because enrollment of underserved minorities in special classes is typically disproportionate. This disproportionality is a direct result of long-standing social inequities and the consequences of poverty. We are punishing the innocent for the sins of a society that has been unable to conquer these problems. A number of well-intentioned remedies have been attempted, but we need to take care that we do not, in the name of...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Academically Gifted, Equal Education, Minority Groups, Disproportionate...
Responsiveness to intervention (RTI) is being proposed as an alternative model for making decisions about the presence or absence of specific learning disability. We argue that many questions about RTI remain unanswered, and that radical changes in the proposed regulations are not warranted at this time. Since many fundamental issues related to RTI have not been resolved, a better strategy may be to more rigorously implement existing identification criteria (e.g., discrepancy and psychological...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Intervention, Learning Disabilities, Identification, Psychometrics, Identification...
The issue of the disproportionate identification and placement of racial/ethnic minorities in special education has been investigated extensively. One of the most useful tools in this research is the risk ratio, which compares one racial/ethnic group's risk of receiving special education and related services to that of all other students. The risk ratio can be used to calculate disproportionality at both the state and school-district-levels. However, analysts often encounter difficulties in...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Disproportionate Representation, Related Services (Special Education), Special...
The current U.S. Department of Education (USDOE) emphasis on the preparation of teachers in content knowledge, and de-emphasis on pedagogy and teaching practicums, constitutes a major issue concerning how best to prepare a sufficient supply of highly qualified teachers. By contrast, federal policy represented by the 2001 No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) emphasizes both full certification and content knowledge. Our research was based on data from the Schools and Staffing Survey for beginning...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Student Teaching, Practicums, General Education, Special Education, Pedagogical...
The question of where special education students should be educated is not new. In this article, the author reviews research studies and research reviews that address this question. She argues that research evidence on the relative efficacy of one special education placement over another is scarce, methodologically flawed, and inconclusive. She also states that "Where should students with disabilities be educated?" is the wrong question to ask, that it is antithetical to the kind of...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Attitudes toward Disabilities, Disabilities, Special Education, Educational Research,...
Over the last decade, the field of early intervention/early childhood special education (EI/ECSE) has emerged as a primary service for infants and preschool children with disabilities and their families. Systems for providing early intervention for infants and toddlers exist in every state, and all state Departments of Education are responsible for special education for preschool children. In EI/ECSE, a unified theory of practice has emerged and draws from a range of psychological and...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Early Intervention, Educational Theories, Caregivers, Disabilities, Preschool...
In response to information regarding students' postschool outcomes, the past 15 years have reflected an increased focus on improving transition education and services for youth with disabilities. Three specific initiatives characterize this development: (a) federal special education and disability legislation; (b) federal, state, and local investment in transition services development; and (c) effective transition practices research. Outcomes of these initiatives include (a) an expanded...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Student Needs, Transitional Programs, Family Involvement, Student Development,...
To define what is special about the education of students with severe disabilities, this article provides a snapshot of research-based practices that are relevant to the "No Child Left Behind" (NCLB) focus on accountability. The NCLB requirement to assess all students in reading, math, and science is contrasted to the functional approach typical of skill acquisition research for this population. The concept of adequate yearly progress is addressed by reviewing the types of...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Educational Strategies, Federal Legislation, Educational Improvement, Accountability,...
In this article, the ways in which special education for students with learning disabilities was perceived as "special" historically and what we know about effective special education instructional practices for students with learning disabilities currently are summarized. The influence of monitoring progress, providing explicit and systematic instruction, understanding the critical factors associated with progress in academic areas such as reading and math, and teaching students in...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Integrated Services, Learning Disabilities, Special Education, Teaching Methods,...
Curriculum-based measurement (CBM) is an approach for assessing the growth of students in basic skills that originated uniquely in special education. A substantial research literature has developed to demonstrate that CBM can be used effectively to gather student performance data to support a wide range of educational decisions. Those decisions include screening to identify, evaluating prereferral interventions, determining eligibility for and placement in remedial and special education...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Inclusive Schools, Curriculum Based Assessment, Early Childhood Education,...
Although students with emotional or behavioral disorders have historically experienced poor school outcomes compared to other students with and without disabilities, a number of effective practices are available that can make special education for students with emotional or behavioral disorders special. Within the three broad intervention areas of inappropriate behavior, academic learning problems, and interpersonal relationships, we provide a brief overview of a number of empirically validated...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Learning Problems, Behavior Disorders, Integrity, Special Education, Special Needs...
This case study was intended to explore the premise that the perceptions of the stakeholders regarding inclusion should enhance the implementation of the process in a K-12 rural setting. Therefore, rural high school students' and rural general education and special education teachers' perceptions of inclusion provided the primary focus of this case study. Data analysis identified that while overall general education teachers supported the idea of inclusion they did not believe that they were...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Inclusive Schools, General Education, Special Education Teachers, High School...
This study investigates the relationship between the number of students with special needs (designated as exceptional or receiving special education services) in grade-3 classrooms in 1997-1998 and their achievement scores in reading, writing, and mathematics on Ontario's provincial assessment with their peers without special needs. When the variance due to differences in class size and socio-economic status was removed, the correlations between the number of students with special needs and the...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Class Size, Socioeconomic Status, Disabilities, Foreign Countries, Special Needs...
The purpose of this study was to further evaluate the outcomes of a model program that was designed to train current teachers of children with autism. Nine certified special education teachers participating in an intensive 5-day summer training program were taught a relatively large number of specific skills in two areas (preference assessment and direct teaching). The teachers met the mastery criteria for all of the skills during the summer training. Follow-up observations up to 6 months after...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Feedback (Response), Autism, Special Education Teachers, Lesson Observation Criteria,...
This article addresses how teacher preparation programs can best respond to the broad, complex calls for reform in ways that are locally meaningful and honor academic integrity, but that are also true to the intent of the reform mandates. The authors begin with an overview of some of the federal and state initiatives that are presenting challenges for schools and teacher preparation programs. They then look at "lessons learned" from several teacher preparation programs that have...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Educational Change, College School Cooperation, Teacher Educators, Teacher Education...
In teacher education settings, the extent of collaboration is far less evident than in K-12 education. There is some evidence that suggests, however, that this may be changing. Teaming among higher education faculty has been identified as one way to provide teachers with greater exposure to diverse fields of knowledge and practice, as well as to model Association of Teacher Educator (ATE) standards. Some programs have created a common core of coursework for all education majors. Some ensure...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Preservice Teacher Education, Education Majors, Higher Education, General Education,...
In the 1990s, fueled by the momentum of the inclusive schools movement, where students with disabilities were being encouraged to participate in their neighborhood schools and adults with disabilities were self-advocating for a chance at community independence, the collaboration model among professionals burgeoned as best practice for serving individuals with disabilities. However, although the concept of collaboration was recognized as a best practice initiative, most service providers were...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Student Attitudes, Disabilities, Cooperation, College Faculty, Teacher Collaboration,...
The disproportionate representation of minority students in special education programs has been a persistent problem in American education. Being labeled as disabled often has a negative impact on social relationships and self-concept and long-term outcomes such as graduation and employment. Disproportionate identification of students from certain ethnic and racial groups begins in general education when teachers view a child's poor academic performance and/or behavior as a problem inherent to...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Racial Bias, Disproportionate Representation, Student Placement, Identification,...
Traditionally, students with disabilities have been denied a voice in where or how they should receive their education. Much of the literature about education for adolescents focused on both non-disabled students' and teachers' perceptions of working with students with disabilities. Although there is limited research that examines the perceptions of high school students with disabilities towards their education, the existing literature indicates that most students want to do well in school and...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Student Attitudes, School Attitudes, Student Experience, Disabilities, Educational...
The passage of the 1997 Amendments to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), as well as the increased numbers of students with disabilities being educated part or full time in general education classes, create significant challenges for teacher preparation programs for both special and general education teachers. In response to legislative and policy changes, a growing number of schools and districts across the United States are adopting inclusive education models that...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Inclusive Schools, General Education, Disabilities, Special Education Teachers,...
Historically, preservice teacher education programs have not adequately prepared teachers in parent involvement or family-centered practices. Because teachers do not routinely encourage family involvement, and parents do not always participate when they are encouraged to do so, the importance of preservice training to involve family members in children's education is paramount. Recognizing this gap in training and the concern that most beginning teachers do not naturally have the skills to...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Preservice Teacher Education, Preservice Teachers, Teacher Education Programs, Parent...
PL 94-142, the Education of All Handicapped Children Act of 1975, was a landmark legislation at it assured "access" to public education for all children, without regard for disabling condition. In this article, the author presents a brief history of PL 94-142 and describes the significant and important changes in special education services since 1975. She discusses that the notion of equal educational opportunity for all students, including those with disabilities, is now part of the...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Civil Rights, Equal Education, Disabilities, Educational Opportunities, Public...
In thirty years since federal special education law, PL 94-142 (1975), there has been much debate about how to best identify and serve students with learning disabilities and those at-risk for learning difficulties. This debate continues even after the most recent reauthorization of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEIA) in 2004. Many classrooms, especially those in urban settings, have a number of students who are struggling with the core curriculum, particularly...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Learning Problems, Core Curriculum, Early Intervention, Learning Disabilities,...
On November 29, 1975 then President Ford signed the "Education of All Handicapped Children Act" (EAHCA) into law, mandating for the first time that children and youth with disabilities be afforded the right to a free and appropriate public education, individualized programming, parental participation in the decision making process, nondiscriminatory identification and evaluation, instruction in the least restrictive environment, while ensuring families due process rights and...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Civil Rights, General Education, Disabilities, Access to Education, Special...
Parent participation has been one of the key principles of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEIA) since it was first authorized in 1975 as the Education for All Handicapped Children Act (EAHCA) and has continued through the most recent reauthorization in 2004. Parents of children with disabilities have decision making roles about their children's education mandated by law in part based upon historical lack of involvement in such decisions provided by school...
Topics: ERIC Archive, School Restructuring, Parent Participation, Developmental Delays, Related Services...
This article presents a panel discussion held to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Education for All Handicapped Children Act (EAHCA), commonly referred to as PL 94-142. The panel discussion was one part of a statewide Commemoration in California. A seven member panel, consisting of families and educators were invited to share their experiences with special education since the passage of PL 94-142 in 1975. The panel members' stories provide a picture about where special education began and...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Special Education, Public Education, Focus Groups, Federal Legislation, Policy...
PL 94-142 fundamentally changed the lives of children with disabilities, families, and professionals. The policy opened school doors for all children, regardless of the type or degree of their disability. This article examines the policy in its historical context with a framework grounded in social sciences. The historical analysis is helpful in understanding some of the more recent changes, shifts, and dynamics in special education. The article begins with a review of the legislative road of...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Social Sciences, Disabilities, Federal Legislation, Educational Policy, Special...
Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 is a civil rights law that applies to all school districts nationwide. Despite its wide coverage, there is a dearth of research on how the law is implemented. This study presents the results of an exploratory investigation of Section 504 practices with 154 special education directors in one northeastern state. Based upon a response rate of 55% (n = 85) results indicated that while most districts have formal Section 504 policies in place, this is a...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Civil Rights Legislation, Federal Regulation, Educational Policy, Disability...
Are there students with physical disabilities who are so severely impaired that their culture can not be taken into consideration? Growing numbers of preschool and school age children with such disabilities are from non-European countries including Africa, South America, East Asia, and the Caribbean Islands. In addition, children who are American Indian/Alaska Natives, African American, or Hispanic are also represented in special education programs. Psychologically, familiar food, music, and...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Educational Needs, Physical Disabilities, American Indians, Alaska Natives, Foreign...
The purpose of this study was to determine whether students identified as having brain injury were receiving Section 504 or special education services and, if so, under which disability category were special education services being provided. The participants were parents of students who were enrolled in grades 1-12 during the 2001-2002 school year. Two samples were drawn using a computer-generated sampling technique. Sample 1 consisted of all students in the school population and Sample 2...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Injuries, Brain, Special Education, Related Services (Special Education), Elementary...
The Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) has been involved in the development of standards for teachers of students with exceptional learning needs since 1922. These standards drive the curriculum of institutions of higher education and state licensing requirements. The Division for Physical and Health Disabilities assisted in developing standards for teachers working with physically and/or medically involved students in 1995 and is currently involved in the re-validation of these standards....
Topics: ERIC Archive, Standards, Preservice Teacher Education, Physical Disabilities, Special Needs...
Medications to treat individuals with cerebral palsy have increased significantly over the last few decades. The purpose of this article was to randomly survey practicing neurologists on a national level to determine prescribing patterns for both spasticity and athetosis. The results indicated that the most frequently prescribed medication for spasticity was Baclofen while Artane was the most frequently prescribed medication for athetosis. Implications for special educators and support...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Cerebral Palsy, Physical Disabilities, Special Education Teachers, Physicians,...
This article examines several questions related to the faculty shortage in special education. Using California as a case, the authors address these questions: (1) What were the personal and professional characteristics of current special education faculty preparing special education credential and doctoral candidates?; (2) What were the anticipated needs for special education faculty, statewide, over the next five years?; (3) How many special education doctoral candidates were being prepared in...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Doctoral Programs, Special Education, State Surveys, Teacher Shortage, Special...
Although the ultimate goal of teacher education is to provide an adequate supply of highly qualified teachers for the nation's schools, many factors hinder its success. In special education, too few people enter the field, and a policy context that promotes easy entry via unconventional preparation threatens to dilute teacher quality. In this challenging and complex context, teacher educators struggle to improve their work and to assess innovations credibly. In this paper, the authors describe...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Preservice Teacher Education, Teacher Effectiveness, Special Education Teachers,...
The purpose of this article is to examine the teacher research movement from the perspective of three generations of teacher researchers within the context of a unique collaborative science teacher action research group. The question that guided the study was the following: In what ways do three generations of science teachers perceive their experiences as researchers in a collaborative action research project on inclusive pedagogy? In this model for a collaborative action research group, there...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Action Research, Science Teachers, Teacher Researchers, Secondary School Science,...
The authors of this article are two professors from a northwestern regional university. One of them works in the special education department and the other works in the elementary education department. As they began to work together on their research and teaching, they found that there were many communication barriers between their departments and they recognized that these same barriers are also found in the public schools where they had taught or consulted. When they shared their research...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Cooperation, Special Education Teachers, Teacher Educators, Special Education,...
In their call for proposals for this themed issue, the editors maintain that higher education institutions should graduate future P-12 teachers who think globally, have international experience, demonstrate foreign language competence, and are able to incorporate a global dimension into their teaching. In contrast, the authors argue that future educators should be inclusive educators who use teaching strategies that are inclusive of all students, think globally, and include global dimensions in...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Inclusive Schools, Global Education, Teaching Methods, Social Justice, Needs...
Involving families in their children's education is not only a legal requirement in special education, it also predicts academic achievement, social and emotional development, and a variety of other positive school outcomes for all children. Unfortunately, school-home relationships often have been ignored or underdeveloped. Disconnections between home and school may be especially acute in urban areas where school personnel may not understand the culture of the students and families with whom...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Urban Schools, School Districts, Urban Areas, Conflict Resolution, School Personnel,...