THE SPECIAL GENERAL-EDUCATION INTEGRATION INITIATIVE FOR STUDENTS WITH SPECIFIC LEARNING-DISABILITIES - A SNAPSHOT OF PROGRAM CHANGE

As part of a broader investigation, this study sought to (a) provide a statewide ''snapshot'' of educators' views regarding the current stat us of and process associated with increased integration efforts for se rving students with specific learning disabilities (SLD) in Virginia, and (b) document factors serving as the basis of or creating reluctanc e toward such efforts. Survey respondents included the population of s pecial education supervisors and samples of general education supervis ors, building principals, general secondary and elementary education t eachers, and LD teachers (N = 788). Results suggest active efforts to increase the amount of time students with SLD spend in general classro om settings; however, limited program change-related guidelines or cat egory-specific outcome-monitoring measures were reported. Across group s, participants expressed doubts regarding the adequacy of general edu cation teachers' skills for making needed instructional adaptations. O ver half of the respondents tended to disagree or disagreed that gener al education teachers were willing to make needed adaptations for stud ents with SLD. Differences in the views expressed by the different res pondent groups were examined.