Mainstreaming Attitudes and Special Placement Knowledge in Labeling versus Nonlabeling States

Abstract

Despite its federal stature, Public Law 94-142 allows each state to generate its own procedures for identifying exceptional children. While some states categorically label their exceptional children and others do not, the educational and attitudinal effects of these procedures are generally untested. In the present study, regular and special educators from New York (a labeling state) and Massachusetts (a nonlabeling state) completed the Rucker-Gable Educational Programming Scale (RGEPS), which measures mainstreaming attitudes and special placement knowledge. Four independent samples were evaluated in these two areas as a first step toward investigating the impact of state categorization procedures (New York vs. Massachusetts) and educational profession (regular vs. special educator). A number of complex results, possible interpretations, and suggestions for future research are discussed.

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