Background: Considering the rapid global movement towards inclusion for students with special educational needs (SEN), there is a surprising lack of pedagogical or didactic theories regarding the ways in which inclusive education may affect students with SEN. Group composition within the educational setting may play a role in determining the…

This study examines the impact of the inclusive environment on student performance. As schools work to comply with the Least Restrictive Environment requirement of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, including students into the general education environment has become the norm as opposed to the exception. The improvement in…

Learning disabled students in a 2 year community college received specialized instruction and practice in reading, writing, speaking, mathematics, and study skills. Pre- and posttest scores on the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-Revised, the Wide Range Achievement Test, and the Peabody Individual Achievement Test revealed significant increases…

Followup of 129 students who had been in an early childhood program for gifted students was carried out via analysis of achievement test data in vocabulary, reading, comprehension, total reading, and total mathematics. Data were obtained for three groups of students exposed to varying periods of time in the program. Findings indicated that…

This review of studies comparing children with behavioral disorders in different educational settings found that pupils in self-contained programs displayed greater improvement in academic achievement than did similar pupils in regular classes. However, the reverse pattern applied to changes in self-concept. Follow-up data indicated enormous…

A norm referenced model was used to evaluate the relative effectiveness of intervention efforts with 3,896 learning disabled elementary and secondary school children. Ss were tested on the Wide Range Achievement Test. Significant growth was observed in students from resource and self contained classrooms. Gains did not appear to vary with the…

This paper presents a follow-up study of the academic performance of children who had previously participated in one of eight experimental infant or preschool education projects. The initial phase of the study compared grade retention, special class placement and school dropout rates of the experimental program children with those of children in…

Argues that regular class placement is inappropriate for the special student because (l) regular classes are too competitive; (2) rejection by other students may occur; and (3) the regular class teacher lacks the necessary special training and support. Suggests upgrading special classes and seeking other methods of integrating students. (SJL)

MDRC's Opening Doors Demonstration is measuring the effects of various combinations of curricular reforms, enhanced academic advising, and increased financial aid intended to increase the persistence and improve the academic achievement of students at six community colleges across the United States. To determine the impact of the Opening Doors…

The study compared two special education models, resource and self-contained, to investigate the effects of delivery systems on academic achievement of 170 educable mentally handicapped (EMH) students (8 to 12 years old) and to determine which of the two models is more cost effective. There was a significant effect of educational setting on the…

This is the final report of a Calcasieu (Louisiana) Title III project which provided 14 special classes for 297 elementary grade children with learning difficulties over a 2-year period. Project objectives included reducing the number of children scoring poorly on reading, arithmetic, and spelling achievement tests, and increasing the holding…

Research on the efficacy of special classes is reviewed in terms of academic achievement, personal and social adjustment, and the role of labeling. (CL)

This report discusses the outcomes of a study that investigated whether a self-contained (SC) or pull-out (PO) intervention model was the most effective and most supportive of children's behavioral gains over the course of the entire 1996/1997 year. Data were collected by reviewing the clinical records of children (ages 6-14) who participated in…