MONITORING LEARNING-DISABLED STUDENTS IN MAINSTREAM SCIENCE CLASSES

While science classes are believed to be interactive learning environm ents, offering varied ways for students to learn, some experts believe that learning disabled (LD) students should be monitored closely in s uch settings because of difficulties adjusting to the social, behavior al and academic demands. The purpose of this paper is to determine whe ther LD fourth and sixth graders show difficulties adjusting to the de mands of their mainstream science classes and to investigate two means of assessing LD students' functioning in these classes: paired questi onnaires for teachers and students and a science curriculum-based asse ssment (CBA). Subjects include 31 fourth graders (9 LD) and 38 sixth g raders (13 LD). Results show that the LD students had significant weak nesses on some subtests of the science CBA relative to their peers; ad ditionally, they rated themselves and were rated by their teachers sig nificantly more negatively than their Non-LD peers. These results sugg est the potential value of monitoring LD students in mainstream scienc e classes. Case studies of LD students reveal mismatches in the percep tion of the student and teacher regarding the student's adjustment and classroom habits. Examination of these case studies is used to sugges t ways in which the collaboration of student and teacher as well as re gular and special education teachers might aid the student.