Where Students with the Most Significant Cognitive Disabilities Are Taught: Implications for General Curriculum Access

SAGE Publications. 2455 Teller Road, Thousand Oaks, CA 91320. Tel: 800-818-7243; Tel: 805-499-9774; Fax: 800-583-2665; e-mail: [email protected]; Web site: http://sagepub.com

Y

17

Office of Special Education Programs (ED/OSERS)

H373X100002

Severe Mental Retardation; Student Placement; Curriculum; General Education; Augmentative and Alternative Communication; Expressive Language; Correlation; Reading Skills; Reading Achievement; Mathematics Skills; Mathematics Achievement; Self Contained Classrooms; Special Schools; Home Programs; Inclusion; Resource Room Programs; Multiple Disabilities; Autism; Severe Disabilities; Student Characteristics; Surveys; Coding; Teachers; Special Education Teachers; Teacher Attitudes; Federal Legislation; Educational Legislation

10.1177/0014402914563697

0014-4029

Surveying 15 states and 39,837 students, this study examined the extent to which students who took an alternate assessment based on alternate achievement standards in the 2010--2011 school year had access to regular education settings and the extent to which that access correlated with expressive communication, use of an augmentative or alternative communication (AAC) system, and reading and math skill levels. The vast majority (93%) of students were served in self-contained classrooms, separate schools, or home settings, whereas only 7% were served in regular education or resource room placements. There was a significant, positive correlation between expressive communication and reading and math skill levels with increasingly inclusive classroom settings and a significant, negative correlation between use of AAC and more inclusive settings. Implications of these findings are discussed.

As Provided

41

2015

EJ1055312