The interdisciplinary special education team approach has been criticized on the basis of its cost effectiveness and its effectiveness relative to other approaches. Greater commitment from those responsible for preservice education is commonly proposed as a way to reduce barriers to effective team operations. A survey was conducted nationally to obtain current information on the status of preservice team training. Ofthe 360 responding institutions, 48% did not offer team training. The majority of programs with team training infused the training components into existing courses/practica. Results also indicated that team training components followed closely the team operations found in school settings. Verylittle inservice team training is given by special education teacher trainers. Implications for teacher trainers and for their relationships to school districts are discussed.
Research has shown that mainstreaming for students with mild handicaps can be successful, if regular classroom teachers are able to modify or adapt their instruction to meet a wide range of students' needs. However, most teachers feel that it is difficult for them to do this within the current structure of regular education. In this article, the authors examine some of the underlying problems in the current organizational structure of the schools that hinder regular classroom teachers from being able to adapt their instruction to meet diverse student needs and suggest a framework for finding a solution.
The increased use of medication in school systems and the broadened responsibility of educators for the medical/health related needs of students have created a number of concerns. Examples of issues facing school personnel include liability risks, designation of persons to administer medication and drug management procedures to safeguard students receiving drugs during the school day. A review of the literature indicates a paucity of legal documents and policies regarding the use of medication in schools. This study investigates existing state laws, regulations, attorneys general opinions and guidelines concerning the management of medication in the school system. The results show that: (a) the majority of states do not have legislation, regulations or other directives with force of law; (b) major policy statements found most often in legal documents were designated persons permitted to administer drugs, physician's approval, parent's authorization and liability; and (c) many states have apparently deferred policy making to the schools, and have developed state department guidelines to assist local school officials. The major policy and guideline statements may be considered as recommendations for adoption by states wanting to establish responsibility for policy making at the state and local school level.
While the legal system has made significant contributions to reform in special education in the past 20 years, the role of the nation's law schools in providing preservice training concerning the rights of people who are disabled is less certain. A survey of law schools in the United States to determine the extent of such training made available to law students revealed that most law schools responding to the survey have since 1975 provided training by infusing disability rights content in existing courses. Lawyers who have entered law practice over the past 15 years have had a greater opportunity to complete some training on the rights of people who are disabled. The likelihood of access to a larger pool of attorneys knowledgeable of the rights of people with disabilities has implications for continued reforms in areas such as education, employment, transportation, recreation, and housing.
The impact of P.L 94-142, guaranteeing an equal and appropriate education for all handicapped pupils, has been felt nationwide since its passage in 1975. Foliowing a rapid increase in the quantity of special education programs since those responsible for carrying out the are now turning to monitoring the quality of education. An important component of P.L. 94-142 is the principle of least restrictive environment. Although there is some confusion and disagreement over the definition of least restrictive environrnent, it has been popularly equated with the term mainstreaming, as applied to the integration of handicapped students into the regular classroom.A major concern among educators is that regular classroom teachers lack the necessary skills required to meet the educational needs of mildly handicapped pupils. To educate the exceptional student in the mainstreamed environment, regular classroom teachers must be instructed in techniques for teaching the pupils.One medium for conveying this information to the regular educator is appropriate inservice training programs. The authors of P.L. 94-142 included in the law a framework for a comprehensive system of personnel development to assist regular educators in assuming these added responsibilities. This landmark legislation clearly delineated that appropriate inservice training be provided for general instructional and personnel.The purposes of this article are twofold. First, a review of the literature illustrates recent inservice training efforts for preparing regular educators for teaching handicapped students in the regular classroom. The second purpose is to report on a study of the attitudes and perceptions of educators toward mainstreaming, needed inservice training, and the appropriate delivery of such inservice programs.Most professional educators agree that inservice training must receive priority attention if P.L. 94-142 is to be implemented successfully. Social and educational changes taking place today in the education of handicapped children are causing regular educators to focus on variables that have been of little or no concern in the past. Many authors have indicated that the inclusion of handicapped children in the regular classroom undoubtedly adds to the teacher's responsibilities and requires additional skills not generally practiced in the regular classroom (
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