Changing Institutional Structures for Effective Special Education Programs

Abstract

With a major goal of integrating exceptional children into the regular classroom, a pre- and inservice instruction program for educators is discussed by Thomas Lombardi. Results from the Education Professions Development Act project note participants become more self directive in decision making as well as more self actualizing. Other alterations with the related school systems and the teacher education institution indicate a linking of regular and special education in future programs. Recommendations for further action research are noted by Dr. Lombardi.

Gabriel Batarseh and Erbert Cicenia show in their study that in order to prepare teachers to work with the retarded so that there may be less pressure for residential placement and greater availability of classes in the public schools, a teacher education program was developed to instruct teachers to work with the trainable, as well as the educable level child. The institute lasted 6 weeks and the teachers received 6 credit hours for the work, which included both a seminar type theory oriented course and a practicum involving both observation and actual involvement in classroom teaching.