The purpose of this study was to describe the inclusion practices for mildly disabled students at the high school level in four northwest Florida school districts. Follow-up interviews were conducted to learn the perceptions of the exceptional students toward inclusion and its influence on school outputs (e.g., graduation or school completion) and societal outcomes. / Significant differences were found in inclusion practices for learning disabled (LD) and educable mentally handicapped (EMH) students between the four school districts. Inclusion practices for emotionally handicapped (EH) students did not differ significantly. Overall, learning disabled (LD) students were included an average of 59% of the school day, emotionally handicapped (EH) students were included an average of 16.8% of the school day, and educable mentally handicapped (EMH) students were included into regular education classes an average of 10.8% of their school day. Many of the students in exceptional educational programs for the mildly disabled were also physically segregated in buildings separated from the regular education setting. Not enough data were available with only four school districts to determine if a relationship existed between inclusion and school completion. There was a trend for EH and LD students to graduate at a lower rate than the EMH students regardless of the amount of inclusion. / Follow-up interviews with students revealed that most of the students interviewed had enjoyed the inclusion experiences. These students with mild disabilities who had exited the school system either by graduating, earning a certificate of completion, or dropping out, revealed difficulties with employment, use of leisure time, independent living, and the ability to conform to community standards of behavior. More research is required into exceptional student education programs to determine which characteristics are critical for student success in completing school and becoming a contributing member of the community. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 54-03, Section: A, page: 0889. / Major Professor: Joseph C. Beckham. / Thesis (Ed.D.)--The Florida State University, 1993.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:fsu.edu/oai:fsu.digital.flvc.org:fsu_76873 |
| Contributors | Harper, Donna M., Florida State University |
| Source Sets | Florida State University |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Text |
| Format | 160 p. |
| Rights | On campus use only. |
| Relation | Dissertation Abstracts International |
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