Education of Children with Disabilities - 30 Years Later. Information Bulletin,
Date Mailed: Monday, May 15th 2006 10:19 AM
Category: Education
Category: Education
--part1_45d.571eba.3199e7f5_boundary Content-Type: text/plain; charset="UTF-8" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Content-Language: en Education of Children with Disabilities - 30 Years Later. Information=20 Bulletin, #110 (5/06). A recent NY Times story reported the pervasive current discrimination agains= t=20 people who are Roma (aka Gypsies). One point that hit home was that the=20 discrimination against their children was so great that all the authorities=20= placed=20 Roma's nondisabled children in segregated educational programs =E2=80=93 wit= h=20 "disabled" children who were not Roma. Both groups were segregated together= at the=20 bottom of the barrel. This moved us to revisit how are we doing in the US educational systems. =20 How many children with disabilities are integrated in their school systems a= nd=20 educational programs? It has been 30 years since the Individuals with Educat= ion=20 Act was enacted with its promised "integration" mandate.=20 Here is some USOE national data; we use the USOE categories. The term"outside regular class" is euphemistically USOE's classification. =20 (It does not include children in "separate facilities" but I have for clarit= y.) =20 Children with disabilities are segregated if they spend more than 21% of the= =20 time "outside regular classes," apart from nondisabled children. Children=20 with disabilities are integrated if they spend at least 80% of the time "in= =20 regular classes" with nondisabled children. Given that distinction: For children ages 6-11 (2.7 million) with all disabilities, 58% are "in=20 regular classes" more than 80% of the time, and 42% are "outside regular cla= ss" 21%=20 or more of the time. =20 As they become older, ages 12-17 (2.8 million), only 40% are in regular=20 class more than 80% of the time and 60% are outside regular classes for 21%=20= or=20 more of the time.=20 Breaking this down by disability and age, there is a wide variation in who i= s=20 integrated and who is segregated. For example, those children ages 6-11=20 integrated "in regular classes" 80% or more of the time by disability are: =20= 48%=20 with specific learning disabilities, 14% with mental retardation, 51 % with=20 orthopedic impairments, 30% with emotional disturbance. The rest of the chi= ldren=20 are segregated "outside regular" classes 21% or more of the time, i.e., 52%=20 with specific learning disabilities, 86% with mental retardation, 49% with=20 orthopedic impairments and 70% with emotional disturbance. As they age to 12-17, those children with disabilities who are integrated "i= n=20 regular classes" 80% or more of the time decreases: 46% with specific=20 learning disabilities, 11% with mental retardation, 43 % with orthopedic=20 impairments, 28 % with emotional disturbance. The rest of the children are=20= segregated=20 "outside regular classes" 21% or more of the time, i.e., 54% with specific=20 learning disabilities, 89% with mental retardation, 57% with orthopedic=20 impairments, and 72% with emotional disturbance. If the future will not repeat the past, the disability community will have t= o=20 do a lot better than we're doing with children who are disabled.=20 You can find out how your State is doing generally and by disability at=20 http://www.ed.gov/about/reports/annual/osep/2003/25th-vol-1-sec-2.pdf Steve Gold, The Disability Odyssey continues Back issues of other Information Bulletins are available online at=20 http://www.stevegoldada.com with a searchable Archive at this site divided into different subjects. To=20 contact Steve Gold directly, write to stevegoldada@cs.com=20 --part1_45d.571eba.3199e7f5_boundary Content-Type: text/html; charset="UTF-8" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Content-Language: en <HTML><FONT FACE=3Darial,helvetica><HTML><FONT SIZE=3D2 PTSIZE=3D10 FAMILY= =3D"SANSSERIF" FACE=3D"Arial" LANG=3D"0">Education of Children with Disabili= ties - 30 Years Later. Information Bulletin, #110 (5/06).<BR> <BR> A recent NY Times story reported the pervasive current discrimination agains= t people who are Roma (aka Gypsies). One point that hit home was that the di= scrimination against their children was so great that all the authorities pl= aced Roma's nondisabled children in segregated educational programs =E2=80= =93 with "disabled" children who were not Roma. Both groups were segre= gated together at the bottom of the barrel.<BR> <BR> This moved us to revisit how are we doing in the US educational systems.&nbs= p; How many children with disabilities are integrated in their school=20= systems and educational programs? It has been 30 years since the Individuals= with Education Act was enacted with its promised "integration" mandate. <BR= > <BR> Here is some USOE national data; we use the USOE categories.<BR> <BR> The term"outside regular class" is euphemistically USOE's classification.&nb= sp; (It does not include children in "separate facilities" but I have for cl= arity.) Children with disabilities are segregated if they spend more t= han 21% of the time "outside regular classes," apart from nondisabled=20= children. Children with disabilities are integrated if they spend at least 8= 0% of the time "in regular classes" with nondisabled children. G= iven that distinction:<BR> <BR> For children ages 6-11 (2.7 million) with all disabilities, 58% are "in regu= lar classes" more than 80% of the time, and 42% are "outside regular class"=20= 21% or more of the time. <BR> <BR> As they become older, ages 12-17 (2.8 million), only 40% are in regula= r class more than 80% of the time and 60% are outside regular classes for 21= % or more of the time. <BR> <BR> Breaking this down by disability and age, there is a wide variation in who i= s integrated and who is segregated. For example, those children=20= ages 6-11 integrated "in regular classes" 80% or more of the time by disabil= ity are: 48% with specific learning disabilities, 14% with mental reta= rdation, 51 % with orthopedic impairments, 30% with emotional disturbance.&n= bsp; The rest of the children are segregated "outside regular" classes 21% o= r more of the time, i.e., 52% with specific learning disabilities, 86% with=20= mental retardation, 49% with orthopedic impairments and 70% with emotional d= isturbance.<BR> <BR> As they age to 12-17, those children with disabilities who are integrated "i= n regular classes" 80% or more of the time decreases: 46% with specifi= c learning disabilities, 11% with mental retardation, 43 % with orthopedic i= mpairments, 28 % with emotional disturbance. The rest of the children=20= are segregated "outside regular classes" 21% or more of the time, i.e., 54%=20= with specific learning disabilities, 89% with mental retardation, 57% with o= rthopedic impairments, and 72% with emotional disturbance.<BR> <BR> If the future will not repeat the past, the disability community will have t= o do a lot better than we're doing with children who are disabled. <BR> <BR> You can find out how your State is doing generally and by disability a= t http://www.ed.gov/about/reports/annual/osep/2003/25th-vol-1-sec-2.pdf<BR> <BR> Steve Gold, The Disability Odyssey continues<BR> <BR> Back issues of other Information Bulletins are available online at http://ww= w.stevegoldada.com<BR> with a searchable Archive at this site divided into different subjects. = ; To contact Steve Gold directly, write to stevegoldada@cs.com </FONT></HTML= > --part1_45d.571eba.3199e7f5_boundary--
