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An analysis of student-specific variables and their use by evaluation teams in determining the special education placement of third, sixth and ninth-grade students
Abstract
Special education placement determinations, due to State and Federal legislation, are largely the responsibility of an evaluation team convened to develop an Individualized Education Program (IEP) designed to ensure that each student receives a free and appropriate public education. Decisions about individual students require the sharing and synthesis of student-specific information by members of the Team. In Massachusetts, the lack of specific entry and exit criteria within the definition of a "child in need of special education" does not restrain the interpretation or weight Teams attribute to the student-specific information they use to make placement determinations. Consequently, this variability is frequently cited as a primary contributor to the state's high special education enrollment figures. The purpose of this study was to compare information from the records of special needs students with the reports of evaluation Team members on the importance of the information in determining the amount of special education services a student receives. The study collected student-specific information from the IEP and special education records of 150 special needs students in grades 3, 6, and 9. Questionnaires were mailed to 250 special education directors, parents, special education teachers, school principals, and school psychologists. The questionnaire asked the participants to indicate their feelings about the importance and use of the same student-specific information that was collected from the student records. Research questions that guided this study were designed to compare the predictions about the amount of special education services a student receives based on IEP and student record information with the importance and use of the same information as reported by members of evaluation Teams. Specific findings to suggest that: (1) Within the set of student-specific information analyzed, there is no subset of data can be used to reliably predict the amount of special education a student receives. (2) Between group differences among students suggest that the differences are artifacts of legal procedural requirements rather than specific student characteristics such as handicapping conditions or academic deficits. (3) Team members agreed that reading and math achievement and intelligence are the most important factors in making placement decisions. Mainstreaming opportunities and student behavior were also perceived to be of primary importance. (4) Team members believe that placement decisions are influenced by the Team's composition and are not based primarily on specific student information. The implications and limitations of the study are discussed with recommendations for further research and changes in the Team evaluation process.
Subject Area
Special education|Educational tests & measurements|Educational evaluation
Recommended Citation
Jurgensen, Craig Lee, "An analysis of student-specific variables and their use by evaluation teams in determining the special education placement of third, sixth and ninth-grade students" (1993). Doctoral Dissertations Available from Proquest. AAI9316673.
https://scholarworks.umass.edu/dissertations/AAI9316673