The Impact of System-of-Care Participation on School Functioning: Exploring Caregiver and Teacher Perspectives

Abstract

There is some evidence that systems of care are associated with improved outcomes for the children and youths who participate; however, little research has been conducted on how these approaches affect student functioning in school. In this study, the authors explored the relationship between participation in the Dawn Project system of care and changes in school functioning over time. The authors gathered, analyzed, and compared teacher and caregiver perspectives of changes that occurred in students' school functioning after participating in the Dawn Project for 1 year. Although findings indicated differences in caregiver and teacher perceptions, both groups reported some improvements in school functioning, more so in the area of behavioral functioning than in academic performance. These results help illuminate the degree to which system-of-care involvement affects school functioning and how families and educators can be more fully involved in the collaborative processes inherent in these kinds of cross-system initiatives.

A powerful glimpse from across the table: reflections on a virtual parenting exercise

“…While parents of children with disabilities are strong supporters of school-based collaboration, many continue to report negative interactions with educators that have adversely affected the collaborative processes (Anderson, Meyer, and Somers 2006;Bernheimer and Weisner 2007;Kasahara and Turnbull 2005;Starr et al 2006;Wilgosh and Scorgie 2006).…”

“…In a qualitative study of parents of children with disabilities, Kearney and Griffin concluded that the greatest difficulties parents faced 'derived from their dealings with other people's frequent messages of negativity and hopelessness ' (2001, 586). Research reports that many professionals feel inadequately prepared to serve families of children with special needs (Anderson, Meyer, and Somers 2006;Deck et al 1999). To address this concern, Bernheimer and Weisner (2007) recommended that teacher preparation programmes better prepare educators to work collaboratively with parents, specifically targeting attitudes of professionals toward parents.…”

“…Although the value of collaborative parent-professional partnerships has been widely endorsed in the literature, the practice, at least from the point of view of parents of children with disabilities, has been far from ideal (Anderson, Meyer, and Somers 2006). School-based collaboration is founded on the premise that optimal educational outcomes are achieved when there is shared ownership of the planning and implementation of educational programmes.…”

“…Parents are perplexed when educators, whom they believe should have current knowledge of best practices, seem either uninformed or unwilling to utilise appropriate educational modifications in their classrooms, and view parents' requests for such as unrealistic or impractical (Kalyanpur, Harry, and Skrtic 2000;Starr et al 2006). They are disheartened when teachers are deficit-focused, hold lower academic expectations for their children than for typical children, or are more concerned with child behaviour than with appropriate academic or life skill instruction (Anderson, Meyer, and Somers 2006;Wilgosh and Scorgie 2006).…”

Ambiguous belonging and the challenge of inclusion: parent perspectives on school membership

“…having their views disregarded by professionals, being asked to approve and sign programme plans without prior input, being forced to focus primarily on child deficits, lack of sufficient time for meetings, and goals that are jointly negotiated but not achieved (Anderson, Meyer, and Somers 2006;Ankeny, Wilkins, and Spain 2009;Beauregard 2011;Fish 2006;Kalyanpur, Harry, and Skrtic 2000;Obiakor 2007;Valle and Aponte 2002). Parents are also aware that some teachers hold lower expectations for their children, and that their children experience social marginalisation in the school environment, even when placed in 'inclusive' settings (Chmiliar 2009;Leyser and Kirk 2004;McMahon et al 2008;Smoot 2004).…”