Date of Award
3-1-1991
Document Type
Dissertation - NSU Access Only
Degree Name
Doctor of Education
Department
Center for the Advancement of Education
Abstract
This report describes a program designed to improve the educational experiences of developmentally-disabled pupils who attended the Kaplan School in Rockland County, New York, Theso students demonstrated inconsistency in their ability in the areas of interpersonal relations, listening, self-confidence, responsible behaviors and adaptive behaviors. Probable causes of the problem were identified as: pupil assignment to a segregated facility, a lack of access to non-handicapped persons and lessons that were partially based on normal infant development stages and phases for pupils who will be expected behave like non-handicapped adults in the post-high school environment. A review of the literature and school community action research was conducted to evaluate the problem and suggested possible solutions. Community-Based Instruction was determined to be the most viable intervention. The practicum objectives were to raise, during the months April 1989 through December 1991 the five pre-vocational skills noted above of 90 pupils in 21 classes from below 75 percent of the time to prepare students for life in the post-high school environment. In each skills area, the practicum endeavor prompted pupil skill accomplishment but, overall, the expected level of performance was not ach eved. In the writer’s opinion, this was due to the newness of the program and the severe retardation levels of the students. Nevertheless, the writer was encouraged by the results. The mean time-on-task behavior for the five practicum variables was 77 percent.