Instructional Practices in Nonvocational Special Education Classes

The use of a general education curriculum without modification was rare in a nonvocational special education class, with 2 percent of secondary students with mental retardation in such classes reported to be receiving an unmodified curriculum (table 15). Nine percent had a general education curriculum with "some modifications," and 24 percent had a substantially modified curriculum in their special education class. Sixty-two percent received a specialized or individualized curriculum, whereas 3 percent had no curriculum.

High-functioning students with mental retardation were significantly more likely to have "some modifications" than were low-functioning students (14 percent vs. 3 percent, p < .05). Significant differences were noted with regard to "substantial modifications," with 38 percent of high-functioning and 24 percent of moderate-functioning students receiving this type of curriculum, compared with 3 percent of low-functioning students (p < .001 for both comparisons). Finally, 90 percent of low-functioning students received a "specialized curriculum," compared with 64 percent of moderate-functioning students (p < .001) and 41 percent of high-functioning students (p < .001).

Instructional groupings. When teachers were asked about the types of instructional groupings used in a nonvocational special education setting, they reported that 50 percent of students with mental retardation "often" received individual instruction from a teacher, and 49 percent "often" received small-group instruction (table 16). Thirty-five percent "often" received whole-class instruction, and 27 percent "often" received individual instruction from another adult.

There were a few notable differences in instructional groupings between general education classes and nonvocational special education classes for students with mental retardation. Nonvocational special education classes tended to have low student/adult ratios; on average, there were 4 students per adult, compared with 21 students per adult in general education academic classes (p < .001). Small-group instruction was significantly more likely to be used "often" in special education than in general education courses (49 percent vs. 30 percent, p < .001). In addition, 50 percent of students with mental retardation "often" received individual instruction from a teacher in special education classes, compared with 32 percent in general education classes (p < .05).

Differences in instructional groupings were apparent across the three levels of parent-reported cognitive functioning. Fifty-one percent of low-functioning students with mental retardation were reported by teachers as "rarely" or "never" receiving whole-class instruction, compared with 18 percent of high-functioning students (p < .01) and 16 percent of moderate-functioning students (p < .001). Additionally, a quarter of low-functioning students "sometimes" received whole-class instruction, compared with 47 percent of high-functioning and 46 percent of moderate-functioning students (p < .05 for both comparisons). The percentage receiving individual instruction from a teacher was significantly higher in the low-functioning group of students with mental retardation, 71 percent of whom received this type of special education instruction "often," compared with 45 percent of high-functioning students (p < .01) and 47 percent of moderate-functioning students (p < .05). Twenty-seven percent of low-functioning students "sometimes" received this form of instruction, compared with half of high- and 49 percent of moderate-functioning students (p < .05 for both comparisons). Finally, 49 percent of low-functioning students "often" received individual instruction from another adult, compared with 23 percent of high-functioning students (p < .05) and 21 percent of moderate-functioning students (p < .01). In contrast, 18 percent of low-functioning students "rarely" or "never" received this kind of instruction, compared with 40 percent of high-functioning students (p < .05).

Instructional activities outside the classroom. In addition to classroom instruction, 44 percent of the overall group of students with mental retardation in nonvocational special education classes were reported as "often" experiencing school-based activities beyond the classroom, such as going to the library or working on a project in the school media center. Thirty-two percent of students with mental retardation "often" took part in community-based activities, such as taking public transportation, and 20 percent were in special education classes that "often" went on field trips (table 17). Each of these activities was significantly more common in special education than in general education classes, where 27 percent of students with mental retardation "often" experienced out-of-classroom activities (p < .001), 11 percent "often" took part in community-based activities (p < .001), and 12 percent "often" went on field trips (p < .05).

When comparing the differences in nonvocational special education activities outside the classroom by parent-reported levels of cognitive functioning, 38 percent of high-functioning students "rarely or never" participated in field trips compared with 19 percent of low-functioning students (p < .05). Similarly, 46 percent of high-functioning students "rarely or never" experienced community-based instruction compared with 23 percent of low-functioning students (p < .05). Comparisons between nonvocational special education and general education settings by levels of cognitive functioning revealed that moderate-functioning students with mental retardation in special education classes were more likely "often" to experience field trips(19 percent) and community-based activities (28 percent) than were students in general education settings, none of whom did so (p < .001 for both comparisons).

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