Public School Services for Behaviorally Disordered Students: Program Practices in the 1980s

Abstract

In a previous article, a conceptual scheme for describing and evaluating programs in behavioral disorders was presented. Using instrumentation based on that conceptual scheme, 145 special education administrators in 27 states were surveyed about current educational practices in public school programs for children with behavioral disorders. Results of the survey are presented under four broad headings: student identification practices, service delivery, student exit procedures, and program evaluation practices. Findings indicate that student identification procedures appear to be fairly well developed within programs, while student exit and evaluation practices are less formalized. Curriculum and behavior intervention practices vary widely within and across districts, although the emphasis is on changing students' behavior performance. A discussion of the “state of the art” in educational practices is presented.