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ERIC Number: ED374627
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 1994-Aug
Pages: 16
Abstractor: N/A
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: N/A
Preschool Integration: Recommendations for School Administrators. Policy and Practice in Early Childhood Special Education Series.
Smith, Barbara J.; Rose, Deborah F.
This paper offers recommendations for establishing meaningful integration opportunities for preschool children with disabilities, derived from the work of the Research Institute on Preschool Mainstreaming, a 5-year federally funded project of St. Peter's Child Development Centers, Inc., in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The knowledge base on preschool integration is summarized, indicating that segregated environments have not been found to be superior for developmental outcomes, that frequent interaction among children with and without disabilities is needed for positive social outcomes to occur, and that parents want their children to have typically developing or neighborhood friends. Eight markers for quality practices are listed, emphasizing that children need to be educationally integrated and socially integrated with their peers to achieve integration's positive impact. Policy issues that prevent administrators from providing integrated preschool services are categorized, as are attitudinal barriers. Strategies for changing policy and attitude barriers are listed. The critical role of the school administrator in developing integrated preschool services is cited. A model of systems change for preschool inclusion is presented. An appendix lists seven resources for information on early childhood policies and programs. (JDD)
Publication Type: Information Analyses
Education Level: N/A
Audience: Administrators; Practitioners
Language: English
Sponsor: Department of Education, Washington, DC.
Authoring Institution: Research Inst. on Preschool Mainstreaming, Pittsburgh, PA.; Saint Peter's Child Development Centers, Inc., Pittsburgh, PA.
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A