This study examined the relationship between the classroom behaviors and final grades of mainstreamed students with mild disabilities in three urban schools in Grades 3–9. Significant correlations were found for all academic behaviors except attendance and homework at the elementary level and written work at the junior high level. In addition, significant differences in reading scores were found between mainstreamed and regular elementary school students. Findings indicate that mainstreamed students with mild disabilities may participate in academic lessons as well or nearly as well as their peers without disabilities.
Inservice programs were implemented in five New York City school districts as part of an effort to improve instruction and integrate special and general education. In this study the quality of these programs was assessed with criteria derived from reviews of research on effective inservice education. Consensus was found in the literature for 10 characteristics of quality inservice education. The analysis of the inservice education conducted by the five districts revealed that training for classroom special education teachers lacked most characteristics of quality inservice training, while the training for administrators and resource room teachers had many of the criteria found in effective in service education. Among the obstacles to providing quality inservice programs to classroom teachers were limited time available for training, few skilled trainers, and competing goals for educational change. Some recommendations for implementing quality inservice education are made.
Junior high students from selfxontained special education classes mainstreamed in regular aca- demic classes were compared to regular class stu- dents. Mainstreaming occurred in low achieving classes where the mildly handicapped students functioned similarly to their nonhandicapped peers. Significant differences were found in the observed behaviors of discussion and not paying attention. No differences were found in teacher ratings of classroom behavior or report card grades. Achievement test differences were large but not significant. Lack of differences in the two groups may be due to placement of students in low achieving classes, use of modified criteria for grading mainstreamed students, andlor a lack of real differences between the two groups.
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