Teaching All Our Children

摘要

This project on special education in New York City, funded from January 1974 to December 1976, was conducted to identify and correct deficiencies in the Board of Education's Division of Special Education and Pupil Personnel Services and to provide appropriate educational placement and related services for all children in need of special education. Elements of service delivery for special education were condensed into 11 principles: outreach, prescriptive evaluation, individualization, least restrictive setting, time limit, continuum of service, parent involvement, due process, full excess cost funding, quality control, and re - evaluation. The project was conducted by a task force of members of the Citizens' Committee for Children and also selected consultants from the community. Questionnaires were employed to obtain data from key public officials, concerned agencies, school board members, community superintendents, principals, teachers, parents, and community leaders. A questionnaire was also distributed to special education teachers to obtain information on their training and perceptions of preservice and inservice training. Deficiencies were found to exist in the following areas of special education: waiting periods for evaluation, assignment, and placement; service definitions; diagnosis; uniform standards for referral; teacher input into the evaluation process; needs assessment; funding mechanisms; and coordination. Numerous recommendations to improve special education in New York City are presented. Seventeen appendices contain further information on special education issues. A glossary is provided.