Informing parents about educational options. How well are we doing?

This study explores an aspect of information delivery to parents by focusing on those who have chosen residential school placements for their children. Although most parents choose to send their deaf children to special programs in regular public schools, some do opt for residential school placements. Little is known about the foundations on which such decisions are made, and this study is a preliminary attempt to better understand parents' motives and expectations and to assess the adequacy of information provided to them. In 128 surveys from a sample of parents nationwide, a surprising number reported that they were not given information about placement options. Of those who were, many said they were dissatisfied with the information. A large proportion of the parents were satisfied with the residential school. The relationships among their reasons for this placement, their views of the advantages and disadvantages, and the information provided to them are discussed.     

Evaluating the impact of schooling on families of severely handicapped children

Evaluating educational programs for severely handicapped children today presents a number of challenges. These programs have characteristics and features that make them quite unlike “regular” school programs for nonhandicapped children or even those for mildly handicapped children. Moreover, evaluators typically look to aspects of child progress or child gains in determining program success, but schooling for severely impaired children also has some profound implications for parents and families. Thus, this paper will focus on evaluating the impact of schooling on families of severely handicapped children. The article begins by considering the special attributes of severely handicapped children and their school programs. I will then address the impact of these programs, categorized by: (1) the impact of child-focused programs on severely handicapped children themselves; (2) the impact of child-focused programs on families; and (3) the impact of family-focused programs.     

Residential school placements and disabled children: the contrasting views of local education authorities and of parents

Despite government commitment to the inclusion of children with special educational needs in mainstream schools, significant numbers of disabled children are placed in residential special schools. In the face of a distinct lack of information about the numbers or needs of these children, or about their experiences of living away from home at residential schools, the authors carried out research to examine why disabled children went to residential school, and their experiences of being there. This article focuses on the circumstances leading to a residential school placement, and the decision-making process from the point of view of local education authorities, and of parents. The paper reveals wide variations in the use of residential schools by local authorities, and conflicting views between and within authorities on the suitability of such placements. Parents' experiences are characterised by a lack of support in making very difficult decisions about the best place for their child to be, and a decision-making process dominated by delays, lack of information and conflict.     

The Reform Religious Schools of New York City; A Decade of Progress — 1940–1950

The focus of my remarks will be narrow: Title V of S.1141, the “AMERICA 2000 Excellence in Education Act.” This section of the bill, entitled “Parental Choice of Schools,” authorizes the appropriation of federal grants for local educational agencies that implement educational choice programs; assures that Chapter I remedial educational services will be available for children participating in educational choice programs; and provides special grants for educational choice programs of national significance. A key aspect of these provisions—and one of its most controversial — is the requirement that an “educational choice program” must include both public and nonpublic educational options. Thus, for example, section 523(b) defines “educational choice program” as:

a program adopted by a State or by a local educational agency under which

(1) parents select the school, including private schools, in which their children will be enrolled; and

(2) sufficient financial support is provided to enable a significant number or percentage of parents to enroll their children in a variety of schools and educational programs, including private schools.     

Combining traditional models of education with normal and disabled preschoolers

Much of the disagreement among educators of young children is about the extent la which programs should follow an approach emphasizing development from within (romantic school), development through interaction (developmental/progressive school), or development from without (behavioral/cultural transmission school). Early-intervention programs for children with disabilities have tended to be aligned with the latter; daycare and nursery school programs for nonhandicapped, with the former two. A natural question for educators is the extent to which these historic schools of thought can be rationally joined. This article reviews the various positions on combining the schools—they are mutually incompatible, they can be combined by instructional area, they can be combined by a separation of means and ends, and they can be combined by type of child A schema is then suggested for a tripartite theoretical amalgamation that takes into account the interlocking relationships among objectives, methods, and child-nature. Such a proposal is particularly appropriate in early education where educational purposes tend to be broad and, increasingly, the nature of the children, diverse.     

Chinese children with ASD in Hong Kong (SAR): development of inclusive practice

The advancement of inclusive educational provision in the Asia‐Pacific region has been guided by international research. As one example, Hong Kong has developed a unique and cultural response to inclusive practice within the region. This paper reviews Hong Kong's development of inclusive education practice for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). It provides an account of how services in education have developed for Chinese children with ASD, from diagnosis to school placement, and how the students are supported. A number of challenges for the region are discussed including those related to pedagogy, mentoring, placement, support and the need for culturally appropriate professional learning.     

A closer examination of the education for all handicapped children act: A guide for the 1980S

The United States Congress has mandated that state and educational agencies make available to all handicapped children a free appropriate education. The purpose of this legislation has been primarily to protect the rights of handicapped children and their parents. The present paper discusses identification and evaluation guidelines that have been promulgated under the Education for All Handicapped Children Act. Procedures for Individual Education Programs that are in accordance with federal legislation are delineated. To satisfy federal mandates concerning the placement of handicapped children, public school systems are required to utilize a least restrictive environment, whereby complete segregation of handicapped from nonhandicapped children is prohibited. In further accordance with this legislation, either the parent or public agency may initiate a hearing for the purpose of challenging the identification, evaluation, or educational placement of the child.     

Influential Factors in Inclusive Versus Non-Inclusive Placements for Preschool Children with Disabilities

The major purpose of this study was to examine the extent to which preschool inclusion practices were evident in diverse communities, and to identify those child, maternal, and service provider characteristics that significantly related to such practices. Of the 114 children studied, 50 received the majority (> 90%) of their services in public school based classrooms for children with disabilities, and were classified as non-inclusion. Sixty-four children received the majority of their services in community based settings (primarily Head Start) and were classified as inclusion. Major findings included: (a) the likelihood of inclusive placement differed significantly by study community, however, the mere availability and presence of community based inclusive settings did not guarantee their use; (b) no significant associations were evident between child, maternal, and service provider characteristics and type of program placement when the influence of community was controlled for; and (c) children in non-inclusion settings received significantly more hours of service per week than inclusion children (18 versus 11 hours). Data in this study suggest that the paradigm shift away from intensive, segregated educational programs toward fully inclusive, community based programs for preschool children has gained considerable momentum in select communities nationally.     

Special Educational Placement Decisions for Handicapped Children: An Initial New Zealand Study

An examination was made of the case records and special educational placement decisions for a sample of 40 children, all of whom had been tested and/or reviewed by school psychologists during the year preceding the study and classified within one of the traditional special educational categories: intellectually handicapped, mentally backward, physically handicapped, hearing handicapped, visually handicapped, and emotionally maladjusted. It was found that very few children receiving special education were being returned to regular classes, and that factors other than the child's ability and/or learning/behavioural characteristics were strongly implicated in special educational decisions for mentally backward (mildly retarded) children, but to a lesser extent in decisions reached for children in other special educational categories. The study highlighted a difficulty likely to arise in a wide range of situations involving parents and children, where research access to case information must be balanced against parents’ rights to privacy and confidentiality of information disclosed in casework. Implications for the present results are considered, together with the need for alternative research strategies in this and related areas of enquiry.     

Science on Saturday Morning: children's perceptions of science in educational and non‐educational cartoons

The Federal Communications Commission is considering whether to strengthen the implementation of the Children's Television Act of 1990, which requires broadcasters to air educational and informational programs for children. Some broadcasters have opposed such measures, arguing that not enough children will watch educational programs. This argument assumes that children distinguish between educational and non‐educational programs, find educational programs less appealing, and consequently are unlikely to watch them. The present study tests these assumptions directly, through a comparison of two animated programs set in prehistoric times, Cro (an educational program about technology) and The Flintstones (a non‐educational program). Results indicated that Cro’s technology content was salient to children but, contrary to the above assumptions, children did not distinguish between the programs on the basis of their educational content, and both programs were highly appealing.     

School programs to prevent intrafamilial child sexual abuse

The incidence of child sexual abuse would argue for the schools assuming a larger role in the development of preventive and educational programs. Because of the public school system's consistent and longitudinal contact with children and families it is perhaps the most promising institution for the delivery of preventive efforts. This article presents specific suggestions for school-based programs directed toward the prevention of intrafamilial child sexual abuse. Further, it is argued that for maximum effectiveness, the support of local parent-teacher organizations be elicited; that educational programs be presented separately for parents and children; and that a variety of programs in concert with the development level of participants be presented on topics related to child sexual abuse. Topics regarded as important for prevention efforts are factual information on sexual abuse, appropriate and inappropriate touch, the respective role responsibilities and rights of parents and children, and a sex education approach that stresses the values of nonexploitation and discrimination in the choice of whether to engage in sexual behavior and the choice of partners.     

Two alternative roles for the school psychologist in the treatment of emotionally disturbed and autistic children

This paper will describe two alternative roles for the school psychologist working with programs for autistic children or programs for emotionally disturbed children. The first approach is concerned with behavior management of children either by consultation to program staff or by direct work with the child, as well as support of staff through continuous feedback of classroom behavior management techniques. The second approach encompasses all of the first approach, in addition to the psychologist serving as corrdinator for the program and thereby assuming greater responsibility for cooperation between the school and the home, as well as for ongoing program development. A major difference in these two roles of the school psychologist, compared to the traditional role, is an intense involvement with a small number of children and a high level of input into the management, structure, and techniques used in a small number of classrooms. The paper will present a model for both of the two alternative approaches for the school psychologist. The model will include: a format for ongoing behavior assessment, suggestions for the structure of teacher-psychologist feedback sessions, methods of school and home cooperation, and a proposal for a horizontal administrative structure of programs for emotionally disturbed and for autistic children. The concept that is advocated is a team of professionals (teacher and psychologist) planning for the holistic development of the child.     

Children’s school placement in Germany: does Kindergarten attendance matter?

The positive effects of Early Childhood Programs (ECP’s) on children’s school success have been demonstrated in the literature. However, most studies were completed in the U.S.A., where ECP’s vary widely, based on differing auspice, regulation, cost, and other factors. In European countries, ECP’s are generally far more homogenous. This is particularly true for Germany where most programs are community-based Kindergartens operated under similar structural conditions.In this study, we examine the relationship between Kindergarten attendance and the 7th grade school placement of children in West Germany, differentiating associations for the children of German citizens as compared to those of immigrants. Using information from a representative population sample, the German Socio-Economic Panel (SOEP), different models were estimated. The results indicate that there is no significant relationship between Kindergarten attendance of children of German citizens and children’s later school placement. However, for children in immigrant households the reverse is true: later school placement was significantly associated with Kindergarten attendance prior to school enrollment. Additionally, the analysis showed that controlling for Kindergarten attendance changed the level of significance for other well-known “school attainment determinants,” such as father’s education and household income.     

Early achievement in rural China: The role of preschool experience

Two studies examined the relationship between preschool experiences and the early academic achievement of rural Chinese children. In both Study 1 (n = 165) and Study 2 (n = 205), the school preparedness, and the literacy and mathematics attainment of first graders with different preschool experiences (kindergarten, separate pre-primary class, “sitting-in” a Grade 1 class, no preschool experience) were assessed. In Study 1, educational attainment was evaluated using end-of-semester examinations designed by local educational authorities; whereas in Study 2, better-constructed and identical tests were administered at the beginning and end of the academic year. Further, in Study 2, the different types of preschool programs attended by participating children were directly observed. Findings from both studies showed that children with developmentally appropriate preschool experiences (kindergartens or separate pre-primary classes) had higher school readiness scores than other children. Results from Study 2 also indicated that (i) disparities in children's school attainment were associated with the type of their preschool experience; and (ii) children from the developmentally appropriate kindergarten program showed higher mathematics and literacy achievement at the end of Grade 1 than children who merely “sat in” Grade 1 classes or had no preschool experience. Implications of the findings for the scaling up of preschool services in rural China are discussed.     

Deaf adolescents who drop out of local public schools.

This paper looks at correlates of school attrition in local public school programs. A preliminary survey of attrition and background data on a national sample of 451 deaf adolescents concluded that many of the same factors, including individual ability, local educational values, and certain demographic traits, that predict attrition in general education also apply to deaf education. The movement of students out of their original programs for whatever reason was primarily a regional phenomenon. Programs in the Southeast and the Southwest lost more of their original groups of students than did programs in the Northeast, Midwest, or Far West. The regional variations noted in our data suggest that local values about schooling will influence school attrition in local public school programs for the deaf.     

Preparing the educational interpreter. A survey of sign language interpreter training programs

Despite rapid growth in the field of educational interpreting little is known about the formal training of educational interpreters. This gap in the research is the focus of this study. A questionnaire was sent to the directors of 50 interpreter training programs nationwide asking for information about their course work in educational interpreting and related areas; instruction in signed English systems; and the directors' opinions on certain ethical and professional questions facing the educational interpreter. The results suggest that graduates of interpreter training programs who obtain employment as public school interpreters are not adequately prepared. Training programs provide few courses on the education of deaf children, on the language systems used, and on issues specific to classroom interpreting. The directors of these programs overwhelmingly support the development of guidelines on the educational interpreter's role. They show some support for the "interpreter as tutor" role but are equivocal about the development of a special certification for educational interpreters.     

Fragmented spaces in the urban landscape: A socio-spatial analysis of educational supply in the city of Madrid

The geography of school choice critically shapes families’ educational opportunities. Residential segregation, social inequalities and the educational marketplace interact in complex ways and produce spatialised educational opportunities for families. This paper analyses the link between these dimensions and how they structure families’ educational opportunities in the city of Madrid. Based on several administrative datasets that capture students’ residential location, their socio-economic position, the schools they attend and the characteristics of school supply, our analysis reveals the uneven spatial distribution of the different school modalities in Madrid, where advantaged families and neighbourhoods have more diversified and socio-economically homogenous nearby schooling options. The results also depict the way the city is spatially divided along a continuum of ‘privileged’ residential and educational assets. The paper reflects on how reforms expanding school choice and diversification of the educational market undertaken by the regional government may have increased the link between residential and school segregation.     

An analysis of associations between residential and school mobility and educational outcomes in South African urban children: The Birth to Twenty cohort

Using data from Birth to Twenty, a cohort of South African urban children, the current paper investigates the relationships between residential and school mobility and a set of educational outcomes. The findings provide some evidence of a positive association between changes in residence and numeracy and literacy scores, and school mobility was found to be associated with grade repetition, however, no relationship was observed between changes in school and competency in numeracy and literacy. The South African study provides a counter example to trends observed in higher-income countries, while highlighting that associations are likely to be context specific.     

Follow‐up study of ex‐students of a residential school for children with emotional and behavioural difficulties in New Zealand

A follow‐up study was conducted on ex‐students of a residential special school for children with emotional and behavioural difficulties in New Zealand. Previous research on post‐school outcomes for students with emotional and behavioural difficulties has found low levels on quality of life indicators such as education, employment and community adjustment. Twenty‐nine ex‐students and/or their parents or caregivers were located and interviewed 10–14 years after they had left residential school. Interviews focused on their educational achievement, employment record and community adjustment. Findings indicated low levels of achievement in terms of educational qualifications and employment records, high rates of involvement with the criminal justice system and low levels of community adjustment. Implications of the study findings suggest that key factors in improving student outcomes are establishing effective procedures for transition, providing ongoing support for ex‐students, and better special needs training for teachers in mainstream schools.