Virtually Forgotten: Special Education Students in Cyber Schools

The area of online K-12 education is experiencing rapid growth, yet practice has greatly surpassed the research. This article looks to add to the field by examining special education students enrolled in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. There were over 2600 students in the state that were identified as special education students and enrolled in virtual schools in 2009 according to the Pennsylvania Department of Education. The population of special education students in cyber school mirrors the population of special education students in brick and mortar classrooms, thus it is important to understand the characteristics associated with special needs learners as current research and practices are not designed to serve this population. Understanding the characteristics of this group is fundamental for instructional design and educational practice to serve the needs of these diverse learners.     

Inclusive education in the Netherlands: how funding arrangements and demographic trends relate to dropout and participation rates

There is a global trend towards including children with special needs in mainstream schools instead of placing them in special schools. However, the numbers of students in special schools varies greatly among regions due to variations in educational systems, funding arrangements – and the incentives that are associated with these arrangements – and demographic trends. In the Netherlands, a new policy aimed at inclusive education was introduced in 2014, together with financial measures to equalise funding for students with special needs across the country. The present study explored the effects of this equalisation policy, as well as the demographic trend of population decline, on dropout rates and participation rates in special education (namely, special schools for mainstream education and schools for special education). The data were retrieved from nation-wide registration systems. The results showed that population decline did not affect participation rates in special education, whereas decreases in funding did result in greater declines in participation rates in special education. Moreover, decreases in funding also resulted in higher dropout rates in areas with growing student populations. Although the reform of funding arrangements resulted in lower participation in special education, higher dropout rates might be a cost of this shift towards inclusive education.     

Comparative outcomes of two instructional models for students with learning disabilities: inclusion with co‐teaching and solo‐taught special education

We compared two instructional models (co‐teaching inclusion and solo‐taught special education) for students with learning disabilities (LD) with regard to their effect on academic achievement and class attendance. Twelve inclusive classes (experimental group) and 13 special education classes (control group) participated in the study. In grade 1, there were eight inclusive classes and nine special education classes with a total of 353 students (195 without disabilities, 58 with LD in inclusion and 100 with LD in special education classes). The data were collected from academic tests. Although our results revealed no significant difference between the two models in terms of target population, objectives and assigned resources, significant differences were observed in the effects on student outcomes in reading/writing and on attendance, as the inclusion model was shown to be globally more effective compared with the special education setting.     

独立学院贫困生思想政治教育探究

独立学院贫困生作为相对弱势的特殊群体,对其的关注直接关系到社会和学校的稳定,关系到教育的公平。如何做好独立学院贫困生的思想政治教育工作,是独立学院思想政治教育工作者所面临的一项重要课题。     

Educators’ experiences in special education institutions during the COVID-19 outbreak

The COVID-19 outbreak has had a profound impact on education worldwide. As a result of the educational institutions closures, it is likely that the impact on special education would be more detrimental since special education population becomes more vulnerable in the aftermath of an outbreak. In the scope of this study, a researcher created survey was used to examine educators’ teaching experiences and their perceptions about the impact of COVID-19 outbreak on special education students. The sample included 215 educators working in the Special Education and Rehabilitation Centers (SERCs) in Turkey. Results indicated that a large majority of the SERCs were not able to continue their education during the COVID-19 outbreak. In addition, there was a difference in educators’ experiences by their educational practices (normal weekly schedule, reduced schedule, most of the educational activities are suspended, and all of the educational activities are suspended). Perceived level of COVID-19 outbreak impact on special education students were found to be significantly higher for autism spectrum disorders, intellectual disabilities, attention deficit and hyperactivity disorders, visual impairments, hearing impairments, specific learning disabilities and gifted students, respectively. The conclusion highlights the need of global collaboration, disaster preparation and management for students with special needs.     

特殊学生家长对子女心理健康期望的研究

近年来,我国特殊学生的心理健康问题成为国内特殊教育界关注和研究的重要问题之一。特殊学生的心理健康离不开家长的教育和帮助。本研究发现,特殊学生家长对子女心理健康期望的得分是：对子女社会性发展期望〉学习适应性期望〉情绪调控期望。此外,研究表明,特殊学生家长对子女心理健康的期望存在人口变量学的差异。家长恰当的期望会激发特殊学生的潜力,有利于特殊学生形成健康的心理。     

One market,two perspectives,three implications: on the development of the special education market in Sweden

ABSTRACT

This study examines the development of the special education market through changes in demand and supply and discusses its implications on the system of education of students in need of special support informed by two theoretical perspectives. The study found out that the number of students and schools in the special education market has increased. The relative size of the special education market on the demand side has remained stable while an increase is observed on the supply side. The results also show that the private sector has grown relatively better than the public sector on both the demand and supply sides. Almost all the market segments have increased on both the demand and supply sides, especially the resource schools in the special education market segment. Based on these results, three implications are observed and discussed, namely a diverse and an extended special education system, increasing segregation within the special education system and a relative stability in the incidence of student exclusion.     

Mainstreaming in an urban middle school: Effects of school organization and climate

Mainstreaming in an urban middle school was examined for three years by a participant observer. It was hypothesized that the school's organization and culture would affect mainstreaming. Findings confirmed this hypothesis. Homogeneity of academic classes and the requirement that students fit into academic groups limited access for special education students to classes where they could function academically as the students did in general education. Criteria for selecting students were not delineated; special and general education teachers communicated informally and irregularly about their students' functioning in mainstream classes; and students received little help with their academic mainstream responsibilities. Students from special education were added to regular classes that were already very large and teacher permission was necessary to include a mainstream student in a general education class. Some school factors facilitated mainstreaming. The principal advocated it and supported its implementation. Special education teachers initiated mainstreaming through their social networks in the school. Heterogeneous groups in minor subjects offered classes with a wider range of ability within which special education students could function, and low track homogeneous classes provided environments that were more like special education classes.     

加强地方高校艺术类大学生思想政治教育的路径分析

艺术类大学生是高校大学生群体的特殊组成部分,而增强艺术类大学生的思想政治教育工作的实效性,是普通地方高校思想政治教育工作的难点问题。对高校艺术类大学生的思想特点进行分析,进而寻求加强地方高校艺术类大学生思想政治教育的路径。     

Provision of Special Education Services to Youth in Local Jails

The Alexandria Virginia Office of the Sheriff and the Alexandria Virginia Public School Board participated for two years in a state funded grant which focused on the delivery of special education services and regular compulsory education services to juveniles and young adults through the age of 21 years who were committed to the Alexandra Adult Detention Center. Provision of special education services to eligible individuals in jails is a unique concept and rarely provided given the transient, short-term nature of the population and other demands of the setting. The program model of team teaching supported full time inclusion of special education students with the general and compulsory education programs in the jail.     

Assessing the special education professional development needs of northern Malawian schoolteachers

This research examines special needs education professional development needs among both general and special education schoolteachers in northern Malawi. A semi‐structured questionnaire with open and close‐ended questions was used for the research. Quantitative and thematic analyses were conducted to determine the extent to which teachers believe that students with disabilities should be educated together with students without disabilities, the importance of professional development for teaching students with disabilities, prioritised professional development needs regarding special education knowledge, and self‐identified needs for successful special education classrooms. Results indicate that teachers are generally in favour of inclusive practices and identify a high need for special education professional development. Participants identified training and resources to teach students with visual impairments or auditory impairments as a high priority. Participants noted a need for improved infrastructure, more educational materials, and recognition by the government for work in special education.     

A strategy for the assessment of bilingual handicapped children

Because of current federal legislation, educators must assess children with possible handicapping conditions and plan an individual education program for each child with a special need. Past trends are inadequate for these two purposes, and, furthermore, have placed bilingual, culturally different children into special education classes disproportionately to their representation in the general population. What needs to be recognized by measurement experts and educators is that no one test method is sufficient for the assessment of bilingual children. This paper discusses past measurement directions and makes recommendations for the assessment of bilingual, culturally different children.     

Cooperative teaching project: a model for students at risk

This article describes an innovative teaching model designed to impact students at risk with the cooperative efforts of regular and special education in Grades K-3. Evaluation outcomes are presented that show the model has a positive effect on individual student performance, total building progress as measured by curriculum based measurement, special education referrals, and attitudes of participating teachers.     

Statistical and individual temporal stability of the WISC-R for cognitively disabled adolescents

This study examines the temporal stability of the WISC-R for 155 13-and 14-year-old adolescents identified as either EMR or LD who were involved in special education during the preceding three-year time period. The three major scales of the WISC-R were found to be more stable over a three-year period for the LD than for the EMR group, while the subtest scales for the EMR group, showed greater stability over the three-year interval. Test-retest coefficients for the EMR group were substantially lower than those presented in the WISC-R test manual. A large proportion of individuals within both groups showed statistically significant differences on one or more of the IQ score scales between testings based on standard errors of measurement. These findings are examined in relation to individual placement of students, reporting confidence intervals in reports, and calculation of the best unbiased estimate of intellectual functioning.     

Too much or not enough? An examination of special education provision and school district leaders’ perceptions of current needs and common approaches

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between special education provision in Norway and school district leaders’ perspectives regarding (a) the need for special education and (b) the importance and prevalence of integrated and segregated approaches. Findings indicate that the percentage of students perceived as being in need of special education was significantly higher than the percentage of students who actually receive this support. However, districts in which an increased need was reported did not have lower enrolment in special education than regions in which participants felt that the level of special education provision was appropriate. No relationship was found between the percentage of students receiving special education and the importance placed on either segregated or integrated approaches. Whereas virtually all participants valued integrated solutions, segregated approaches received higher ratings of importance in districts where these practices were prevalent.     

Large-scale academic achievement testing of deaf and hard-of-hearing students: past, present, and future

The first large-scale, nationwide academic achievement testing program using Stanford Achievement Test (Stanford) for deaf and hard-of-hearing children in the United States started in 1969. Over the past three decades, the Stanford has served as a benchmark in the field of deaf education for assessing student academic achievement. However, the validity and reliability of using the Stanford for this special student population still require extensive scrutiny. Recent shifts in educational policy environment, which require that schools enable all children to achieve proficiency through accountability testing, warrants a close examination of the adequacy and relevance of the current large-scale testing of deaf and hard-of-hearing students. This study has three objectives: (a) it will summarize the historical data over the last three decades to indicate trends in academic achievement for this special population, (b) it will analyze the current federal laws and regulations related to educational testing and special education, thereby identifying gaps between policy and practice in the field, especially identifying the limitations of current testing programs in assessing what deaf and hard-of-hearing students know, and (c) it will offer some insights and suggestions for future testing programs for deaf and hard-of-hearing students.     

The efficacy of embedding special education instruction in teacher preparation programs in the United States

This study examined the effects of embedding special education instruction into preservice general education assessment courses. Participants were teacher candidates in the United States enrolled in a required evaluation and measurement course (n=208). A self-report survey was developed assessing knowledge of and attitudes toward teaching students with learning disabilities. Results indicated that embedded instruction significantly increased teacher candidate's knowledge of inclusion terminology and assessment adaptations (p<.01), and improved confidence levels in meeting the needs of students with learning disabilities improved by 60% over the control group. These results suggest the need to provide faculty in the content area adequate professional development opportunities to ensure that current special education best practices are embedded across the curriculum of teacher candidates.     

Bullying and victimisation rates among students in general and special education: a comparative analysis

Bullying and victimisation remains a pervasive problem within the nation’s schools. International research has indicated that students who are enrolled in special education curricula are victimised and perpetrate more bullying than their general education peers. Few empirical studies have examined bullying and victimisation rates among American schoolchildren within special education programmes. The current study examined rates of bullying and fighting perpetration and victimisation among middle‐school students (n = 7331) and high‐school students (n = 14,315) enrolled in general education and special education programmes. As hypothesised, students in special education reported greater rates of bullying and fighting perpetration, and victimisation than general education students. Students who were in self‐contained classrooms reported more perpetration and victimisation than those in inclusive settings. Fighting perpetration was similar for younger and older students in special education settings, whereas fighting perpetration was lower for older students, versus younger students, in general education.     

The social status of mildly learning handicapped high school students

Naturalistic observations of special education classrooms in a high school, together with teacher ratings of social acceptance, revealed four status positions within the learning handicapped population (130 learning disabled and mildly retarded students in resource and special day classrooms). Status was defined by reference to a group dominance hierarchy, and students within each status position displayed similar social patterns and educational attitudes. Conformity to school expectations was inversely related to social standing, while behavioral dominance was directly related. Individual and school factors were discussed that appear to contribute to the emergence and maintenance of the status groups.     

Preparing today's teachers of the deaf and hard of hearing to work with tomorrow's students: a statewide needs assessment

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act is explicit in its mandate that students who receive special education services have opportunities to be involved in and progress in the general education curriculum. Teachers providing instruction to students who are deaf or hard of hearing are expected to comply with this federal mandate. To determine if teachers of students who are deaf or hard of hearing throughout the state of Georgia felt adequately prepared to educate this population, a statewide needs assessment survey was conducted. Questionnaires were reviewed from 110 experienced teachers of students who are deaf or hard of hearing. More that half of the teachers who responded judged their teacher preparation program to be appropriate. Specific suggestions for modifications to teacher preparation programs are provided.