Questionnaires completed by families and teachers of 1,009 students with severe disabilities were analyzed in terms of 4 conceptual models of integrated student placement: a programs/facilities model, a socioeconomic model, an advocacy model, and a combined model. Teacher advocacy and Individualized Education Program characteristics were most…

Handicapism, bias against the disabled, is a major barrier to the successful education and integration of children with disabilities. Educators need to devise strategies to deal with handicapism, beginning with disability awareness programs. A variety of instructional approaches is necessary to capitalize on students' strengths and learning…

Like medieval war games of dialectical argument, today's education model is based on idea of competition, a scholastic sorting process aimed at fixing every child's place in life. So long as access to higher education rests on standardized test scores and/or high school grades in conventional subjects, higher education institutions will subject…

This article considers legal aspects of conflicts between schools wishing to exclude a child perceived as dangerous and parents, in the context of the procedural safeguards and "stay put" provision of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act as interpreted in the Honig versus Doe court case. Methods of obtaining preliminary…

Assessed the assignment of students in an urban system to ninth-grade mathematics courses against a meritocratic definition of fairness to determine whether the process denied access to students from particular segments of society. Results with 1611 students show that entrance to the gatekeeper mathematics courses was unfairly denied for low…

Discusses the failure of schools to prepare students with disabilities, their peers, the faculty, or the environment before placing a student with a disability in the general-education classroom. Components of a quality program for students with disabilities are described, including an appropriate curriculum and specific successful classroom…

Presents a collaborative, problem-solving approach for including students with disabilities in general-education classes. Parents' views of inclusion, implementation of inclusion, empirical support for inclusion, strategies and tactics related to successful inclusion, types of inclusion problems, and steps for applying collaborative…

Explores the influence of learning disabilities on the participation of youth in the juvenile justice system. Discusses the importance of early placement of learning-disabled youth in public school or in correctional education programs. Suggests social and academic skill remediation as a means of preventing dropping out. (RJM)

Describes the development of educational programs for children with special needs in Jordan. An overview of historical highlights and main problems and needs is presented. Information is provided on trends related to development of special education, special education teachers, family problems, early intervention, and attitudes toward…

This historical view of special education reform touches on civil rights of individuals with disabilities, highlighting the historical roots of arguments on the primacy of place (location) in discussion of special education policy. The paper examines the history of specialized social institutions and the emphasis on place in today's debates. (SM)

Measures of perceived competence and perceived achievement were administered to 222 Israeli students with either learning disabilities or low achievement in grades 3, 5, and 7. Subjects were either in special schools, in special classes in regular schools, or in regular classes. Perceived competence was highest among younger children and the…

A study of 51,624 Michigan students declassified from special education indicated that the students were academically, socially, and behaviorally well adjusted in general education programs. Teachers and counselors felt that 11% continued to need special education. Four percent of declassified students returned to special education within three…

Examines black student's experiences in initial teacher education, and reveals what still needs to be done before these students can receive the same positive treatment as their white colleagues. The author presents research revealing the various forms of racism, discrimination, and stereotyping that create these negative educational experiences…

This article explores issues surrounding the integration of students with disabilities into general education classrooms. The movement from mainstreaming and the least restrictive environment to the call for a more integrated system is discussed, along with perceptions and attitudes about inclusion. The dissonance between rhetoric and reality is…

Examines fundamental differences between inclusionists and full inclusionists with regard to the primary objective of schooling, student placement, and expectations regarding accommodating to diverse needs. Presents weaknesses in the full inclusionists' and inclusionists' arguments. Argues for identifying appropriately ambitious goals for…