How are Teachers’ Attitudes Reflective of the Least Restrictive Environment?

1. How are Teachers’ Attitudes Reflective of the Least Restrictive Environment? by: Melissa Horowitz

2. The Inclusion Controversy • “…to the maximum extent appropriate, handicapped children should be educated with children who are not handicapped…such that education in regular classes with the use of supplementary aids and services cannot be achieved satisfactorily” (20 U.S.C.A. § 1412 (2004)) • 1990- IDEA – provides basic framework of inclusive model • Support Inclusion • Social Interactions , traditional curriculum, label free environment • Oppose Inclusion • Disturbance, creates more work for teachers, takes away valuable time • Increase in Education lawsuits  teachers become more cautious • Handful of educators not ready to accept these students in their classrooms

3. History of Special Education • Middle Ages • Possessed by the devil, diseased; often hung • Early 17th century- English Elizabethan Poor Laws • Laws created to segregate deserving poor from undeserving poor • Disabled bodies considered “helpless poor” and were rejected from shelters • Forced to beg ; given a cap to collect alms, hence creation of term “handicapped” • 17TH century – P.T. Barnum • Exhibited as “freaks” in museums and in circuses for entertainment • 19th century- Dorothea Dix • What was once mocked is now beginning to become recognized as a medical condition • Research aimed to help disabled individuals who were placed in same cells as criminals • 20th century- Brown v. Board of Ed • Southern attorney argued if schools don’t become united then country will continue to see segregation on all accounts (including disabilities) • 21rst century • No Child Left Behind, IDEA, The Education of All Handicapped Children, & The 21rst Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act

4. The Concept of Normalization • Normal • Lucid in mind, common in occurrence, considered “average” • Abnormal • Uncommon, unexpected, below “average” • History has helped define these two terms as early as Middle Ages • The Normal Curve • History of (includes 3 mathematicians and their individual philosophies) • Ranking individuals with disabilities based on low (unintelligent ) / high position (intelligent) on normal curve • Standard Norms • Creates imaginary line that splits society into disabled v. able bodied • Same line is seen in schools with pull out programs, self contained classrooms, and separate learning facilities

5. Defining the LRE, Inclusion, & Mainstreaming • Least Restrictive Environment • Actual placement or setting where student can benefit most • Vague terms listed under IDEA • Inclusion • Concept/ idea behind students receiving an appropriate education in an age-appropriate classroom • 2 ways seen in implementation; • Full inclusion Supplementary services and aids in classroom at all times • SE obsolete  No SE services; children with special needs are educated the same manner as children without. • Mainstreaming • Practice of placing students with special needs in general classroom for part of the day and remainder of day is spent in pull out programs.

6. Education Litigation • Drastic increase in amount of lawsuits in education; 1,242 between 2000 and 2010 • Recent Litigation in Special Education: - Orbettiv. Clementon School District, NJ - 7 year old child with Down Syndrome & communication impairments - Denied access to regular kindergarten class because of disability - Neglected child’s IEP - Holland v. Sacramento Unified School District, CA - 11 year old child with Mental Retardation - Parents fought for her to be placed in the general classroom; beneficially for her socially - School districts denied request • School district not in compliance with federal mandate

7. Teachers’ Attitudes & the LRE • Attitudes – defined • Where does this negative attitude stem from? • Unwilling to change from old ways • Lack of knowledge or training • Don’t want to be accountable for children with special needs • More Teachers would be apt to teach in a fully inclusive classroom if: • Given more trainings on how to properly manage classroom • Adjust curriculum to tailor students with special needs • More support in classroom

8. Methodology • Content Analysis through descriptive qualitative studies • Instrumentation: • Personal Interviews • 100 teachers chosen at random from Boston, Brookline, and Cambridge elementary public schools • Focus Groups • 100 teachers chosen at random from Boston, Brookline, and Cambridge elementary public schools • Classroom Observations • 1 school chosen at random; 3 classrooms with greatest amount of children with special needs chosen to be observed • Examples of Questions • To what extent, do you believe children should be placed in the general classroom? Why? • How are schools, today, holding true to what has been stated under the federal mandate? • How would you describe your level of comfort in regards to teaching children with special needs in the general classroom?

9. Data Collection & Ethics • Risks • Discussion of personal belief and feelings towards children with special needs and the LRE may make them the target of judgment on behalf of other participants • Personal attitude may continue to be carried through classroom teachings • Continue with biased thinking • Benefits • Gain new perspective from other participants • Making connections over shared understanding/ frustration • Taking suggestions from what other participants say in efforts to improve one’s way of teaching • Consent Forms • Provides participants with sense of security that their identities will remain confidential • Reflexivity • Personal bias towards research

10. Analysis of Data • Coding • Finding themes & recurring patterns from personal interviews, focus groups, & observations • 1: extremely uncomfortable • 2: mildly uncomfortable • 3: indifferent • 4: mildly comfortable • 5: extremely comfortable • Evaluating participants use of language used describing their feelings (attitudes) towards teaching children with special needs in their classrooms, full time. • Recurring patterns in use of language: “overwhelmed”, “overburdened”, “uneasy”, “uncomfortable”, “scared”