IDEA & Teachers

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act resulted in increased numbers of students with disabilities being included in the general education classroom. Both general and special education teachers continue to struggle with how to best accommodate these students (Hedeen & Ayres, 2002). Vaidya and Zaslavsky (2000) pointed out that many teachers are unaware of the challenge that must be faced in meeting the needs of disabled and gifted students. Academic diversity must prevail since students may perform in high or below-average ranges requiring modifications in curricula, delivery of instruction, and assessment strategies. Teaching must be redefined to assist special needs students and teachers require partnerships with a team that includes special education teachers and parents (Vaidya, 1997).

PL 94-142 (IDEA; Individuals with Disabilities Education Act) has goals, which are designed to assure that students with disabilities will receive their education with students who are not disabled, to the degree that it is possible. All disabled children must receive a free and appropriate public education and all states and schools are assisted in the providing of education for disabled children. Teachers must organize and manage the classroom to assist students with disabilities with alternative response formats and tests, additional space and equipment, and modifications such as use of peer buddies and cooperative group learning are needed (Strosnider, Lyon, & Gartland

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f disabled students. It was concluded that pre-service and post-service development were predictors of positive attitudes toward inclusion. Villa, Thousand, Meyers, and Nevin (1996) studied 680 general and special education teachers and administrators from 32 school sites in New York, Michigan, Vermont, Illinois, and Ontario, Canada. Efforts were to study schools that provided a heterogeneous educational experience for all children with inclusive practices varying in use from one to eight years. The entire staff at each school was surveyed to determine perceptions of including students with moderate and severe disabilities in the classrooms. Villa, et al. (1996) reported findings that this group was in favor of inclusion with collaborative relationships among all educators and administrative support. General and special educator responses were all overwhelmingly positive. Of this group 88.5% of the special educators and 78.8% of the general teachers agreed on the following: inclusive practices promote participation in decision-making and collaboration allows for inclusion practices; and coequal partnership with mutual support between general and special education is imperative for successful inclusion. It was concluded

Category: Psychology - I