Date of Award
1992
Document Type
Practicum-NSU Access Only
Degree Name
Doctor of Education
Department
Child and Youth Studies
Advisor
Mary Ellen Sapp
Keywords
counseling, counselor, counselor education, elementary, guidance, teacher training, training, school psychology, secondary, special education, teacher education
Abstract
The practicum was designed to address the problem of relatively few parents involving themselves in the reevaluation process of high school level special education students. The intervention sought to increase parent involvement in the development of their child’s academic and career/vocational programs.
The writer developed a three-month program and designed a comprehensive system which included personal attempts to get parents to attend reevaluation meetings. This design also incorporated a component where parents’ input in decision making was welcomed. Both parent training and staff training were conducted and deemed important parts of not just a short term solution to increase attendance at a meeting but to help participants become more sensitive to the needs and the rights of all handicapped students.
Analysis of the data revealed that students, parents and teachers generally found the intervention to be helpful in making parents and teachers more aware of the basic educational rights of all handicapped students. The intervention helped increase the percent of parents participating in the reevaluation process and made parents, teachers and students more aware of vocational options available within the high school, area vocational center and the community at large Students, teachers and parents also noted an increased feeling of partnership among themselves.