TEACHERS PERCEPTIONS OF EDUCATIONAL PLACEMENT DECISIONS FOR PUPILS WITH EMOTIONAL OR BEHAVIORAL-DISORDERS

We conducted intensive group interviews with 11 special education and 3 general education teachers regarding the educational placement of pu pils with emotional or behavioral disorders. We sorted the teachers' c omments to identify their views on recurring topics. Major themes emer ging from the interviews included (a) teachers have diverse opinions a bout placement alternatives, (b) schools are faced with problems they are not able to handle, (c) administrative procedures often impede app ropriate services, (dl collaboration and support among those making pl acement decisions and providing services are often lacking, and (e) te achers feel they have little influence in placement decisions. We disc uss implications for practice and further research.