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A comparison of student cognitive and social achievement for handicapped and regular education students who are educated in an integrated versus a substantially separate classroom
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of integration on both regular and special needs kindergarten students in Boston Public Schools' East Zone district. A comparative study of the cognitive and social achievement of kindergarten students in the pilot program and their counterparts who were not in the pilot program was conducted. In order to test the hypotheses presented the following comparisons were carried out for both instruments: Experimental group 1 versus control group 1. Integrated regular education kindergarten I students were compared with segregated regular education kindergarten students. Experimental group 2 versus control group 2. Integrated special education kindergarten I students were compared with segregated special education kindergarten I students. Experimental group 3 versus control group 3. Integrated regular education kindergarten II students were compared with segregated regular education kindergarten II students. Experimental group 4 versus control group 4. Integrated special education kindergarten II students were compared with segregated special education kindergarten II students. The kindergarten I integrated regular education experimental groups' change scores were significantly higher in both cognitive and social testing. The kindergarten I integrated special education experimental groups' change scores were significantly higher in cognitive testing but there was no difference on the improvement of social test scores in integrated versus segregated classrooms. The integrated group improved more than the segregated group on the test of social achievement but the significance level was not high enough to reject the null hypothesis. For kindergarten II students, regular and special education students achieved more on a test of social achievement when taught in an integrated classroom. Special education students achieved more cognitively when taught in an integrated classroom. Regular education students' cognitive achievement improved when taught in an integrated setting but not to an acceptable significance in order to reject the null hypothesis. The overall outcome indicated that kindergarten students achieve more in integrated settings on tests of cognitive and social achievement. Results indicate there may be a better way to educate both regular and special education children. System wide and school based strategies may need to be developed to explore these options. (Abstract shortened with permission of author.)
Subject Area
Special education|Educational administration
Recommended Citation
Costello, Cornelia Elizabeth, "A comparison of student cognitive and social achievement for handicapped and regular education students who are educated in an integrated versus a substantially separate classroom" (1991). Doctoral Dissertations Available from Proquest. AAI9132834.
https://scholarworks.umass.edu/dissertations/AAI9132834