The purpose of this study was to design a process model to facilitate the transition of mildly handicapped (mildly mentally retarded) students from secondary to postsecondary educational institutions and adult life. Articulation, to date, has addressed programs and not people. The process has been left entirely to the individual; thus, those who may lack critical and/or conceptual thinking skills may be left out of continuing education programs and thus be unable to compete successfully in the world of work and become productive citizens. The American tradition of education and legislative actions have been responsible for leading the mildly handicapped to postsecondary doors; however, the nature of the handicap and a nonexistent linking process have been major stumbling blocks detering their progress through the hallowed entrances. / A delphi technique was the methodology utilized for this study. Model components were extrapolated from the literature. A Statement Rating Sheet incorporating these components was submitted to panel members representing local, state, and national levels, for evaluation. Responses from panel members were collected using a Likert type scale for degree of importance of model components. The model was put into schematic form and finally, a telephone survey was conducted to gather further data in order to evaluate the model. Data gathered from the telephone survey were analyzed and the process model was put into final form. / Process Models are tools utilized mainly by consultants. Consultants in this case may be any individual involved in the actual transition of the MH students such as: administrators, curriculum personnel, instructors, counselors, service/agency providers and grantspersons. / Findings relate to the use of the Delphi Technique and to the process model itself. Some of the ambiguity inherent in the Delphi Technique was eliminated due to its unique treatment in this study. Findings related to the process model involved the need and justification for specific model components. In general panel experts concur that articulation agreements for the mildly handicapped population should emphasize individual needs. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 47-01, Section: A, page: 0149. / Thesis (Educat.D.)--The Florida State University, 1985.

Recent national legislation (P.L. 94-142) and State of Florida Legislation (CSHB 1327) have mandated a civic responsibility for mainstreaming handicapped children in public schools. The details for implementing the law have been delegated to local school districts, making educational administrators, guidance counselors, and teachers strategically important as leaders who influence how and the extent to which mainstreaming is implemented. The purpose of the present investigation was to survey the existing attitudes of educational administrators, guidance counselors, and teachers toward mainstreaming the handicapped and to determine whether or not the attitudes of administrators, guidance counselors, and teachers differ significantly. / In order to accomplish this study, the investigator administered an attitude inventory to a random sampling of education administrators, guidance counselors, and teachers who are presently employed in public schools in a nine-county area in Northwest Florida. / The data gathered from this inventory were analyzed in terms of general acceptance of mainstreaming, adjustments in the classroom, emotional demands and sensitivity to the handicapped, confidence in ability to cope with mainstreaming, positive expectations of the handicapped, treatment of the handicapped, views of parents and effect on non-handicapped students. The data revealed that neither administrators, guidance counselors, nor teachers held clearly positive attitudes on any of the above variables. / The characteristics of respondents were analyzed in terms of sex, years of experience, academic preparation, professional contact with a mainstreaming program, personal contact with a handicapped person, issue importance, and educational level. One way analysis of variance revealed statistically significant differences for setting, academic preparation, professional contact with a mainstreaming program, personal contact with a handicapped person, and issue importance. Evidence supports the need for comprehensive preservice and inservice training programs for each of the three groups which provide an opportunity for successful personal and professional contact experiences with the handicapped. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 47-01, Section: A, page: 0145. / Thesis (Educat.D.)--The Florida State University, 1985.

A questionnaire was designed to assess the extent to which teachers of the visually impaired and collaborating elementary classroom teachers agree upon assignment of daily responsibilities. The questionnaire consisted of 32 items relating to responsibilities to visually impaired students in the following areas: (a) Tutorial Remedial, (b) Modification of Regular Activity, (c) Instruction in Special Skills, (d) Indirect Services, or (e) Provision of Materials. Respondents were also asked for information regarding communication. Regular classroom teachers provided information on their previous experience with visually impaired students and their coursework in special education. / Members of teaching teams could agree by assigning responsibility to either the vision teacher or classroom teacher. Disagreement could be the result of assumption of responsibility by both teachers (duplication) or assignment by each team member to the other member of the team (omission). / Questionnaires were mailed to teaching teams in seven counties in Florida. Responses from 13 vision teachers and 47 classroom teachers (80% return rate) were returned. / Two types of analyses were conducted. Descriptive analysis examined agreement among and between teaching teams. Multiple regression analysis was conducted to determine the unique contribution of each independent variable to variance in agreement scores. / Twenty-two of thirty-two items on the questionnaire received a predominant response (50% or more) from teaching teams and most were agreements. Three reflected duplication of effort but none suggested omission of services. The items with the least amount of agreement between teams were those defined as Tutorial/Remedial. / Experience, coursework, average communication and communication reported by classroom teachers did not make a significant contribution to variance in agreement scores. Communication reported by vision teachers was significant. The correlations between agreement scores and communication, experience, and coursework were negative. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 47-08, Section: A, page: 2997. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1986.

Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 30-09, Section: A, page: 3815. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1969.

Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 30-09, Section: A, page: 3818. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1969.

Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 31-09, Section: A, page: 4584. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1970.

Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 31-11, Section: A, page: 5892. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1970.

The purpose of this study was to compare the controlling function of two standardized visual symbol systems used as antecedent stimuli in training manual communication to four nonverbal moderately mentally retarded school aged children. The major objective of the study was to determine if differences existed in the controlling function between Bliss and Rebus symbols in occasioning a signing response. The study was divided into two phases. During the training phase, Bliss and Rebus symbols representing the word to be signed were paired for simultaneous presentation. During the probe phase, Bliss and Rebus symbols representing the word to be signed were presented independently. Response latency was employed as the dependent measures because it is considered a sensitive measure of behavioral acquisition. Results of the experiment provide substantial evidence that a difference exists between the controlling function of Bliss and Rebus symbols as antecedent stimuli in manual communication training of mentally retarded subjects such as those participating in the study. Data supporting this conclusion are: (1) a 100% correct signing response in the presence of all 60 Rebus symbols; (2) response latencies of less than five seconds in the presence of all 60 Rebus symbols; and (3) the total absence of a correct signing response in the presence of Bliss symbols for 55 out of 60 trials. In this study, changes in the signing response were clearly evident when the antecedent stimulus was varied. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 42-09, Section: A, page: 3950. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1981.

The purpose of this study was to compare the effects of two rehabilitation training programs being administered in Florida for delinquent youths. The effects of the Eckerd Wilderness Camping Program was compared with the Florida Training Schools by comparing the variables school adjustment and court contacts, as measured on a participating group and a comparison group. / The population for the study was 120 male juvenile delinquents referred to the Florida Department of Health and Rehabilitative Services by juvenile courts of Florida. The participating group consisted of the last 60 campers who successfully completed the Eckerd Program prior to January 1, 1978. The comparison group consisted of the last 60 graduates of the Florida Training Schools who completed the program prior to January 1, 1978, and who also met the criteria for acceptance into the Eckerd Program. / The design for this study was a time-series utilizing pre- and post-treatment observations. Pre-treatment data were gathered and analyzed to determine if any significant differences existed between the two groups prior to treatment. Post-treatment data were collected and analyzed on the variables of court contacts and school adjustment at 6, 12, and 18 months following release of the groups from their respective program. A significance level of .05 was used. Data were analyzed by using a chi-square test for significance and an analysis of covariance design. The pre-treatment variables which indicated significant differences (p = .05) that existed between the two groups prior to treatment were used in the post-treatment analysis. / Based on the analysis of the data for the first 6 month post-treatment period, the Eckerd group had significantly (p = .05) fewer court contacts than the comparison group. However, no differences were noted in the severity of offenses committed. Analysis of the variable school adjustment revealed that the Eckerd group remained in school significantly (p = .05) longer than the comparison group. The data also revealed that the academic achievement level attained by the Eckerd group was significantly (p = .05) higher than that of the comparison group. / During the second and third 6 month post-treatment period, the analysis of data indicated no significant differences between the two groups on the variable of court contacts. However, on the variable of school adjustment, the Eckerd group remained in school significantly (p = .05) longer than the comparison group and the academic achievement level, as measured by grades achieved in school, attained by the Eckerd group was significantly (p = .05) higher than that of the comparison group. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 41-01, Section: A, page: 0197. / Thesis (Educat.D.)--The Florida State University, 1980.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the assessment of adaptive behavior in a sample population of Decatur County, Georgia, elementary school students and to compare the results with those used to establish norms on the System of Multicultural Pluralistic Assessment (SOMPA). / Subjects of this study included 100 students from Decatur County, Georgia, elementary schools which were drawn at random and were considered representative of the elementary age school population in terms of race, sex, and socioeconomic status. / The Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Revised (WISC-R) was individually administered to the students drawn and the parents of the students tested were interviewed using the Sociocultural Scales and the Adaptive Behavior Inventory for Children (ABIC) questions of the SOMPA. / Comparative studies of the sociocultural backgrounds, performance on tests of intelligence, and performance on a measure of adaptive behaviors were conducted. Differences in means and standard deviations were found for white and black students between the Decatur County sample and the California standardization sample. / The results of the study indicated that the average white and black family in Decatur County have a lower urban acculturation level than the average California family in each ethnic group. Both white and black students in Decatur County also scored lower on the WISC-R and the ABIC than those in the California sample. / These differences indicate that research on representative samples of populations in various regions is necessary in order to make accurate predictions concerning student learning potential. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 41-09, Section: A, page: 3985. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1980.