Social Effects of Integrated Classrooms and Resource Room/Regular Class Placements on Elementary Students with Learning Disabilities

Abstract

The social status of elementary students with learning disabilities (LD) served by the Integrated Classroom Model (ICM) was compared to the social status of elementary students with learning disabilities served in a regular class with resource room support. The ICM serves elementary special education and non-special-education students (1:2) together as one class. The comparison group was composed of students with learning disabilities who received special education services outside of their regular classroom for a portion of their school day. Social status was determined by assessing interpersonal relationships among students, using a peer rating method. The results of analyses of various dimensions suggest that while special education students in both programs have significantly lower social status on average than their non-special-education peers, the children in the ICM have a better opportunity to blend successfully into the classroom than the children who go out to a resource room.

Challenging Teacher Beliefs via Counseling Methods: A Descriptive Study

“…The educational reforms led by , for example, started at the administrative level and focused on curriculum and instruction. Other programs, including The Integrated Classroom Model (ICM; e.g., Madge, Affleck & Lowenbaum, 1990); and The Mainstreaming Experience for Learning Disabled Students (MELD; e.g., Baker & Zigmond, 1990) largely followed these lines. However, the evaluative research on these programs offers relatively discouraging results.…”

Integration of students with moderate learning difficulties

“…Jowett et al (1988) and McKernan and Wells (1989). Madge et al (1990) compared two models of mainstream placement of learning disabled students in the USA, mainstream with pull-out, and full mainstreaming in a special programme, the 'Integrated Classroom Model'. They found modest gains in social status for the latter.…”

“…The Madge et al (1990) study described the effects of the Integrated Classroom Model (ICM) in the USA. In this pattern, one-third of the pupils in the classroom have special needs, some learning disabled, some mild mental retardation and some seriously behaviourally disordered.…”

Coteaching: Uniting the Expertise of Regular and Special Education for Language Arts Instruction and Remediation

“…2. The social status and acceptance of handicapped students by their peers can be improved by the alleviation of pull-out or segregation programs (Madge, Affleck, & Lowenbraun, 1990). 3.…”