An obervational study of micro-educational environments and microcomputer use within these environments was conducted in special day classes, resource rooms, and mainstream classrooms (N=90). Mildly handicapped students in special education settings had less variety to their instructional experiences than did either handicapped or nonhandicapped…

Procedures of school placement for 38 children (ages 5 to 18 years) with spina bifida in 23 school districts in western New York State were studied 5 years after a mandated process was enacted. (Author)

The paper describes problems endemic to the evaluation of programs for gifted and talented students. The goals of gifted and talented programs are often substantially different from those covered on outcome measures available to schools. When decisions are being made about the type of programs to be provided, parallel consideration should be given…

The report summarizes a year long observational study of special education programs in one district's 12 elementary schools (Queens, New York). Data were gathered using observational time samples of teacher, student, and paraprofessional activity and student time on task; descriptive notes of the classroom context; ratings of 15 dimensions of…

The proceedings of a workshop for parents and educators of handicapped children focuses on least restrictive environment. Three papers introduce the workshop: "Special Education: The Development of Services" (M. Reynolds); "Least Restrictive Environment: Decision Making" (H. Sobehart); and "Communication and Conferencing Skills for Parents" (J.…

A series of studies with learning disabled (LD) elementary grade students in eight schools investigated the relationship between class placement (regular class, part time regular class, or special class) and self concept. Ss were administered the Piers Harris Children's Self Concept Scale before and after placement changes. Results included the…

A study of the reintegration of 382 severely emotionally disturbed/behaviorally disordered students (preschool through secondary) into less restrictive programs revealed that the expected continuum of services (most to least restrictive) were reversed. The predominant placement was full integration, followed in descending order by resource and…

The performance of learning disabled male elementary students in self-contained classes (N=35) and resource rooms (N=50) was compared on five diagnostic tests and factors of retention, chronological age, and behavior. Results indicated a difference only in the intelligence factor between the groups. (Authors)

Two elementary teachers rated 91 learning-disabled students (56 mainstreamed and 35 in self-contained classes) using the Weller-Strawser Scales of Adaptive Behavior. Results indicated that personality variables and problem behavior were related to teachers' perceptions of the ability of learning-disabled students to adapt to the classroom.…

Naturalistic observation procedures examined the use of time by 230 elementary students with disabilities in four special education placements--regular class, resource room, special class, and special school. The least restrictive alternatives, particularly the resource room, made more in-class learning time available. (Author/DB)

This study compared the self-concepts of secondary students in either a segregated (institutional), congregated, or mainstream resource program setting. Results suggested academic advantages in attending resource programs and social advantages in segregated settings. Integrated deaf students had better self-perceptions of reading ability than…

This article discusses preliminary research results that indicate placement of children (n=216) with emotional/behavioral difficulties into a Nurture Group has a positive effect on a significant proportion of pupils. There is also evidence that the parents of children in Nurture Groups benefit from the positive progress made by their children.…

This report updates an earlier study on educational placements of children with mental retardation, comparing data from the 1989-90 school year with the 1990-91 school year. The data indicate that regular class placements increased from 6.7 percent to 7.4 percent from 1989-90 to 1990-91. Resource room placements increased from 20.1 to 23 percent,…

The Learning Disabled/Emotionally Handicapped (LD/EH) Program in the Phoenix Union High School District served 2,413 students during 1980-81 with either a resource or self contained program. The ethnic distribution of LD students was consistent with the overall District ratio. In the EH program, however, there were more Anglo and Native Americans…

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…