Exceptional Children最新文献

This review of the literature examines how instructional contexts for elementary and secondary level students with learning disabilities have been studied in the past 10 years through a variety of methodological approaches and observation instruments. These studies employed some direct measure of classroom ecology, as well as some measure of the teacher or students' classroom behavior. Information included the time that students were engaged in different activities in different settings, interactions between teachers and students, and students' classroom behavior.

This study examined the relationships between state-level fiscal and demographic variables and identification rates and cumulative placement rates for certain categories of special education students in 1976, 1980, and 1983. The study explored the feasibility of using extant national data to study implementation of special education programs. Identification rates for students with learning disabilities and emotional disturbance were associated with level of state per-capita income and proportion of rural school-age population. States with higher per-capita income tended to have higher cumulative placement rates in special classes and all more restrictive settings.

To explore the relationship between learning disabilities (LD) and social competence, various indexes of social and academic competence were collected from a sample of students with LD, as well as a matched sample of children without disabilities, in Grades 3-6. Measures included academic grades, teacher perceptions, peer perceptions, self-perceptions, social network outside of school, and direct observation of social interactions. Results suggest that children with LD differ from children without disabilities on virtually all indexes of academic competence, regardless of social status. In the social domain, children with LD had higher self-concept scores than did children without disabilities. Most social differences were linked to the child's peer status, independent of disability.

This study examined the feasibility of teaching phonological manipulation skills to preschool children with disabilities. Forty-seven children, 4-6 years old, enrolled in a special education preschool, were randomly assigned to receive training in one of three categories of phonological tasks (rhyming, blending, and segmenting) or a control group. Results indicated that children were able to make significant progress in each experimental category, but that they demonstrated little or no generalization either within a category (e.g., from one type of blending task to another type of blending task) or between categories (e.g., from blending to segmenting). Although the children's level of cognitive development significantly predicted some learning outcomes, it did not appear to limit the learning of phonological tasks.

Quality of life has become a dominant theme in planning and evaluating services for people with disabilities. This article reviews definitions of quality of life, explores the concept from the perspective of the optimal theory of personal well-being, and surveys the research on the concept and its implications for planning and evaluating services. This article explores the subjective nature of life quality, particularly for people with disabilities, and relates the concept to both cultural norms and universal human values and needs. Each person experiences life, and disability, in unique ways. Practitioners need to consider quality-of-life issues as a context in planning and evaluating quality services.

Two groups of adolescents with learning difficulties in mathematics were compared on their ability to generate solutions to a contextualized problem after being taught problem-solving skills under two conditions, one involving standard word problems, the other involving a contextualized problem on videodisc. All problems focused on adding and subtracting fractions in relation to money and linear measurement. Both groups of students improved their performance on solving word problems, but students in the contextualized problem group did significantly better on the contextualized problem posttest and were able to use their skills in two transfer tasks that followed instruction.

Special education students (N = 654) were studied to determine what proportion had a categorical or programming change and what factors (child, school, and home) were associated with change. The study included all students with disabilities from preschool through secondary school in a tricounty rural district. Data were gathered through a record review and parent survey. Change was found to be more common than is generally perceived: 38.2% of the students had a classification change (21.9% by termination and 16.3% by reclassification). Rates of change varied significantly among classifications and the student's initial classification, grade level, and comorbidity were significantly predictive of change in classification.

This study was designed to determine the feasibility of improving gifted girls' attitudes toward mathematics. This study was conducted in three school districts in an isolated rural setting. Subjects were 24 gifted girls in Grades 4-7. A control group also contained 24 gifted girls at the same grade levels. On pretest, using the Mathematics Attitude Inventory (MAI), no significant differences were found between groups in their attitudes toward math. The intervention program included problem-solving activities, math-related career options, and self-esteem issues. MAI posttest scores after the 18-week program indicated that the program was effective in changing attitudes toward mathematics of gifted girls in a rural environment.

Teachers' manuals from three major elementary science textbook series were analyzed. These textbooks provided specific instructional recommendations for students with disabilities in mainstream classes. Findings reveal that (a) the textbooks did not provide recommendations for all categories of disabilities as defined in Public Law 94-142; (b) many recommendations did not specifically address the learning needs of the students for whom they were intended; and (c) there were no consistency in the nature of recommendations provided for any given category of disability. Results indicate that special education and mainstream teachers should monitor the usefulness of published materials that claim to meet the needs of students with disabilities.

Open enrollment is a hotly debated form of educational choice. More than 25 states have legislation establishing or expanding public school choice options. At an issues clarification working session, professionals, legislators, policymakers, parents, and students described issues and generated implications for serving students with disabilities. Participants identified three kinds of issues for districts and students: outcome, implementation, and demographic. Participants also expressed other concerns about choice: pupil benefit, parent involvement (or convenience), teacher/administrator job protection, change, and teacher workload.