Suchergebnisse

We conducted a program evaluation of a multi-component intervention using general education/special education collaborative teaming to increase the academic achievement and social participation of students with and without disabilities. A team of general, special, and bilingual educators, parents, and an outreach consultant developed Unified Plans of Support (UPS) for three students whose academic performance was substantially below grade level and whose social participation was limited. Effectiveness of the support plans was evaluated through multiple data sources including behavioral observations, team interviews, and analyses of student work samples. Evaluation outcomes suggested that consistent implementation of the plans of academic and social support by members of the UPS Team was associated with increases in academic skies, self-confidence and assertiveness, social interactions with classmates, and demonstrations of pride in academic accomplishments. The implications of across-program and across-school collaboration are discussed, as well as the need for future research on models of resource reallocation to meet the needs of all students in general education classrooms.

An analysis was conducted of the effectiveness of a multicomponent intervention designed to increase the social inclusion of three elementary-aged students with disabilities who were full-time members of general education classrooms. The intervention package included: (a) provision of information to classmates about the communication system and adapted curriculum and materials of the student with disabilities during natural opportunities, and regularly scheduled class meetings; (b) identification and utilization of various media (including "conversation books") that could serve as the basis for interactive exchanges between the focus students and others; and (c) facilitation by educational staff of social exchanges between students and their classmates through the establishment of "partner systems," arrangement of interactive activities across the day, and prompting and interpreting communicative exchanges when necessary. All aspects of the intervention, with the exception of the weekly class meetings, were implemented by educational staff including the general education teachers, inclusion support teachers, and instructional assistants. Analyses of the interaction patterns between the focus students and others suggsted that implementation of the social support package facilitated increased exchanges with peers that were more "balanced," with the focus students more often initiating the interactions and providing information, rather than receiving communication or assistance. In addition comparisons of the interactions between the focus students and their peers with those of selected classmates revealed closer approximations to typical student-student exchanges during the intervention versus baseline condition. Finally, the social validity of changes in interaction patterns between the focus students and their classmates was evaluated.