Exceptional Children最新文献

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.

The Classroom Environment Scale (CES), originally developed for use in traditional public school classrooms, was revised for use in special education classrooms. The scale, which assesses students' perceptions of various aspects of the classroom, was administered to students in 79 special education classrooms in 16 residential and day treatment schools serving special education students with behavior disorders and emotional disturbance. Psychometric analyses showed that only seven of the nine aspects of the classroom found in the original CES were reliably reported in special education classrooms. The revised scale was found reliable for use in special education classes in residential and day treatment settings.

This study investigated the effectiveness of an explicit strategy as a means of linking facts, concepts, and problem solving in an unfamiliar domain of learning. Participants were 37 secondary students with learning disabilities. All students were taught health facts and concepts, which they then applied to problem-solving exercises presented through computer-simulation games. Students in the experimental group were taught an explicit strategy for solving the problems; the comparison group was given supportive feedback and encouraged to induce their own strategies. The explicit strategy group performed significantly better on two transfer measures, including videotaped problem-solving exercises.

College and university students with disabilities were surveyed to determine their levels of satisfaction with accessibility, special services, and accommodations at their schools. In addition, students were requested to identify barriers to postsecondary education, improvements in services, and other concerns. Respondents generally expressed satisfaction with the services that they had received. However, the majority indicated that they had encountered barriers to their education, including a lack of understanding and cooperation from administrators, faculty, staff, and other students; lack of adaptive aids and other resources; and inaccessibility of buildings and grounds. Recommendations were made for improving the delivery of services and self-advocacy of students with disabilities.

Tennessee data were analyzed longitudinally from 1979-80 to 1987-88 in terms of numbers of children placed in a variety of service options. In 1983-84, the Tennessee funding formula was changed from a "flat" rate to a "weighted" formula. The weighted formula was associated with a statistically significant decrease in less restrictive placements and a reliable increase in more restrictive placements. A statewide survey of district special education directors suggested that service needs may have been more likely than monetary incentives to explain the observed changes.

This article presents "20/20 Analysis" as an experimental, output-oriented, noncategorical alternative to traditional approaches to identification of students for special education. 20/20 Analysis identifies students showing least (below 20th percentile) and most (above 80th percentile) progress toward important objectives of education in a school. The situation of each student in low 20% and high 20% groups is then examined as a basis for broad (noncategorical) approaches to improvement of learning opportunities. Case studies of two schools are present. Policy implications are considered briefly.

The purpose of this study was to describe the experiences of general education teachers who have had a student with severe disabilities in their class. Interviews of 19 general education teachers, kindergarten through Grade 9, as well as questionnaires completed by 18 teachers, were analyzed using categorical coding procedures to identify themes related to the teachers' experiences. Results showed that despite teachers' initial negative reactions to the placement of a child with severe disabilities in their classrooms, 17 teachers described transforming experiences of a more positive nature and related many benefits to the students with disabilities, their classmates, and the teachers themselves. Respondents also characterized what support services they found helpful and not helpful.

This study examined the effects on reading achievement of variation in program design and tested the hypothesis this Distar Reading Mastery's (Engelmann & Bruner, 1988b) demonstrated effects with disadvantaged children in Project Follow Through can be generalized to children with disabilities. We compared the effects of two synthetic phonics reading programs, Direct Instruction (DI) Reading Mastery I and II and Addison Wesley's Meet the Superkids and The Superkids' Club, (Rowland, 1982a, 1982b) for 81 children in transitional kindergarten special education classes. No significant achievement differences were evident for the instructional program either at the end of the treatment year, or on follow-up testing 1 year later. However, among children who made advanced progress, the DI group showed larger reading gains.