No description available.

The passage of the Individuals with Disabilities in Education Act (IDEA) calls for the education of children with special needs in the Least Restrictive Environment (LRE). Interpretation of what constitutes the Least Restrictive Environment has led to debate about how best to include children with disabilities into regular education environments. The process of inclusion has created an environment in which educators have conflicting feelings about the various types of special education placements. At one extreme are those who advocate all students belong in the general classroom all the time. At the other end of the continuum are those that contend only those students who meet certain standards should be educated in the general curriculum. The purpose of this study was to examine the perceptions of high school students, parents, and teachers regarding programs and various placements established for children with high incidence disabilities in both public and private school venues. In this phenomenological study, the guided interview approach was used to examine the perceptions of disabled students, their parents, and their teachers regarding special education placements that included receiving special education services less than 21% of the school day, receiving services 21% to 60% of the school day, receiving services more than 60% of the school day, or receiving services in a separate, private school setting. The findings of this study found that students, parents, and teachers were supportive of the specific learning environment they were most closely related to. Although students had little specific knowledge of their disabilities and services, they were content with the current services they were receiving. Parents had more knowledge of their child's disability and were more vocal about supporting the specific program their child was involved with. Teachers were naturally very supportive of the environment they taught in. These findings support that there is a perceived need for a continuum of placement options for children with disabilities. Recommendations for further research include expanding the study to other public and private schools in the State to see if similar results are found.

This study is an evaluation of collaborative relationships between K-12 public and private day schools in Virginia when serving students with special needs. Research on the conditions and barriers of collaborative relationships in the educational setting is mostly centered around the dynamic between general education teachers and special education teachers when serving students with special needs. The purpose of the study was to determine the main factors that differ between collaborative relationships that are perceived as strong to those perceived as weak. The study is guided by two research questions: (1) What factors contribute to strong collaborative relationships between K-12 public and private day schools in Virginia? (2) What factors are identified as areas of concern regarding weaker collaborative relationships between K-12 public and private day schools in Virginia. The literature review explores prior research on educational collaboration while methodology addresses the research design and study procedures. Participants were 43 public school special education directors and private day school administrators across the Commonwealth of Virginia. Demographic information was provided by all participants. An online inventory was completed by those participants who had worked with a minimum of two of the opposite provider; special education directors in the public school setting were required to work with two private day schools and vice versa. Responses were recorded from each of the eight regions delineated by the Virginia Department of Education (VDOE, n.d.). Statistical analysis did not reveal any statistically significant differences between the two groups of participants. However, results of the study indicated strengths related to the factors of membership characteristics and purpose for strong relationships. When evaluating a weak collaborative relationship, the factors of process and structure, communication and resources were the primary areas of concern. Regardless of the strength of the collaborative relationship, the resource factor was the lowest scoring factor, indicating it was the primary concern regarding collaborative relationships. This study adds to the field of special education by applying the existing research to the relationship between K-12 public and private day schools when serving students with special needs along the continuum of services. / Doctor of Education / This study evaluated the collaborative relationship between public and private day schools in Virginia when serving students with special needs. Supporting research on the conditions and barriers of collaborative relationships in the educational setting is included. The study was conducted to determine the difference between relationships that are perceived as strong to those that are perceived as weak. The participants were 43 public school special education directors and private day school administrators across the Commonwealth of Virginia. An online inventory was completed by those participants who had worked with a minimum of two of the opposite provider; special education directors in the public school setting were required to work with two private day schools and vice versa. The study did not reveal any significant differences between special education directors and private day school administrators. However, results of the study indicated strengths related to the factors of membership characteristics and purpose for strong relationships. When evaluating a weak collaborative relationship, the factors of process and structure, communication and resources were the primary areas of concern. Regardless of the strength of the collaborative relationship, the resource factor was the lowest scoring factor, indicating it was the primary concern regarding collaborative relationships. This study adds to the field of special education by applying the existing research to the relationship between K-12 public and private day schools when serving students with special needs along the continuum of services.

Dans le contexte social actuel, l’identification et la compréhension de la représentation que les intervenants ont des soins palliatifs constituent l’un des points d’ancrage de l’agir professionnel, de la formation et des modifications de structures de soins. Le but de cette étude était de décrire et de comprendre la représentation qu’un groupe d’intervenants travaillant en CLSC a des soins palliatifs, puis de proposer des interventions éducatives et organisationnelles susceptibles de favoriser une plus forte adhésion à la philosophie qui sous-tend ce type particulier de soins. Des entretiens semi dirigés et une analyse de contenu ont révélé un univers de représentations à la fois similaires et différents dans chaque sous-groupe. On constate que chaque thème exploré peut prendre des sens divers. On peut dire que la représentation des soins palliatifs chez le groupe de professionnels de CLSC ayant participé à la présente étude constitue un ensemble de savoirs à portée pratique très élevée faisant intervenir en grande majorité des savoirs de sens commun. Un point se révèle crucial : celui de la formation dans l’appropriation de la philosophie des soins palliatifs qui devrait être à la base de cette pratique; une formation qui doit prendre en compte les multiples composantes non scientifiques et les ambiguïtés du travail quotidien en soins palliatifs comme faisant partie intégrante des dynamiques du processus d’appropriation de la philosophie des soins palliatifs. / In the present social context, the identification and the comprehension of palliative care workers representations is at the base of their professional education and behaviours as well as of the many changes occurring in health care institutions. The aim of the present research is to describe and better comprehend the representations of a group of health care professionals working in a continuum of palliative care services in the Quebec health care and social services network. It is also to propose educational and organizational interventions in order to bring workers closer to the palliative care philosophy. Semi directed interviews and a content analysis revealed a large variety of representations that were both similar and different in each group as well as in the different groups. Many different meanings were given to each theme explored. The health care workers palliative care representations contain a variety of highly practical knowings and knowledges that bring together a vast majority of common sense meanings. One point is crucial: palliative care philosophy education should be at the base of palliative care interventions. The education content should take into account the multiple non scientific and ambiguous components of daily work in a palliative care settings since they are part of the process conducting to the appropriation of the palliative care philosophy.

No description available.