A Survey of Regular and Special Education High School Teachers and College Faculty: Implications for Program Development for Secondary Learning Disabled Students

Abstract

If learning disabled (LD) students are to be assisted in the transition from high school to college, questions regarding the adequacy of instructional programs in secondary settings need to be addressed. This study compared the extent to which regular and special education high school teachers provide LD students with competencies considered important for college entry. A total of 264 regular and 42 special education high school teachers and 82 college faculty responded to a questionnaire addressing issues relating to the preparation of secondary LD students. Separate factor analyses identified two factors dealing with LD characteristics and three preparation factors for the high school and college teachers. Significant differences were found on one of the two LD characteristics scales and all of the preparation scales between regular and special education high school teachers. At the same time, the findings suggested that the views of the special education teachers and college faculty regarding the academic and social preparation needs of the collegebound LD student did not differ. The implications of these findings for the development of more effective secondary mainstream preparatory programs for LD students are discussed.

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