children out of school in america - University of Tennessee Digital ...
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Inadequacy of Special Education Programs Official and parental ignorance and resistance, inadequate assessment tools, and lack of resources are the principal reasons why special education services for children are inadequate. Quantity. While many districts have made progress in expanding the numbers of children served by special programs in the last several years, need still badly outstrips service. State incidence figures for three school districts show the following: 27 -In its 1972 "District Plan for Programs for the Handicapped," Sumter County No. 2 estimated that there were 1,705 handicapped children to be served, and that only 270 were being served as of 1971-72. -In its "Plan to Provide Adequate Programs for Pupils with Handicapping Conditions" of March 1, 1972, Richland County No.1, South Carolina, estimated that there were 5,924 handicapped children in the district and'that only 31.4 percent were being served by special programs. -The Montgomery, Alabama 1971 school district 98 survey estimated 8,378 children as needing special educational services. Only 1,987 of these were being served as of the 1971-72 school year. Autauga County, Alabama, Floyd County, Kentucky, and Canton, Mississippi all provided even fewer services. Of the seventeen school districts we visited, eight reported providing no special services for deaf or hearing impaired children (Autauga, Canton, Floyd, Hancock, Holyoke, Montgomery, Somerville, Sumter) ;28 seven reported no in-school programs for blind or sight impaired children (Autauga, Bibb, Canton, Floyd,2° Hancock, Richland, and Sumter) ;ao five reported no services for children with learning disabilities (Autauga, Canton, Floyd, Hancock and Sumter). While three school districts reported no programs for children labeled trainable mentally retarded (Canton, Hancock and Sumter), several school districts made arrangements with outside agencies to provide some services for these children (Autauga, Davenport, Denver, Montgomery,al Portland and Richland). Eight districts reported no pro-
grams for children labeled emotionally disturbed (Autauga, Bibb, Canton, Davenport, Floyd, Hancock, Montgomery and Sumter).32 Ten school districts provided no in-school programs for physically handicapped children who were not able to participate in the regular school program (Autauga, Bibb, Canton, Davenport, Floyd, Hancock, Holyoke, Montgomery, Portland, and Sumter).88 When services are available, they are usually for EMR children. Four of the districts (Autauga, Canton, Hancock and Sumter) reported that EMR children were the only special needs children (other than speech impaired) for whom they provided services in their own schools. But three of these districts indicated that there were still additional children waiting to be served by such classes. We also found EMR children on waiting lists in Washington, D.C., Denver, Colorado, Holyoke and New Bedford, Massachusetts, Richland County No.1, South Carolina, and Montgomery, Alabama. Four districts (Washington, D.C., Montgomery, Holyoke lind Sumter) also indicated waiting lists for TMR classes. Programs for children who are emotionally disrurbed and those with specific learning disabilities seemed to be in greatest demand in the areas we Visited. Twelve of the 15 districts in which we were able to get an indication of unmet needs indicated either waiting lists for existing programs or a need for additional programs or services for emotionally disturbed children or those with specific learning disabilities. 34 Denver does not clearly distinguish between these two categories, but instead has programs for "educationally handicapped" children. According to the Director of Special Education in Denver, there were over 300 children on waiting lists for the educationally handicapped programs during 27 We recognize the limitations of state incidence figures. But since local districts rely on these figures, we use them here as i1lustrative of unmet needs. 28 Montgomery does send deaf children to the Children's Center. 29 Floyd County does provide large print textbooks to a limited number of children who are visually impaired. 30 Davenport has a shared arrangement with neighboring Bettendorf to provide for special services to blind children; Somerville sends blind children to Boston Center for the Blind; Ponland sends children to the Blind Children's Resource Center; and Montgomery sends its blind pupils to the Children's Center. the 1972-73 school year.35 Programs for children with speech impairments were generally the services provided most widely throughout the school districts we surveyed. Only Autauga County reported that it had no speech therapist or other personnel to provide services to children with speech impairments. Floyd County employed its first full-time speech therapist during 1973-74. However, four school districts-Washington, D.C., Denver, Davenport and Holyoke-reported the need for additional services in this area and students on waiting lists for speech programs. Even fewer services are available for secondary school children with special needs. The special education programs that exist are largely for elementary children. 36 Autauga, Floyd, and Sumter Counties, and Canton have no special education classes in either junior or senior high schools. Children enrolled in special education classes in the elementary grades simply move into regular classes on the junior high level. There have never been any classes for mentally retarded children in the high schools. And in Floyd County, a community health project worker told us that children in their teens have been found "who have never been to school."37 Somerville, Massachusetts has no high school program for educable mentally retarded pupils. As a result, there are many cases in which a "partially integrated student would end up doing the same things over and 31 Montgomery had two classes for TMR children in its own schools in 1973-74, but the majority of its TMR students still attend the McInnis School. 32 Davenport only provided services to children who are so severely disturbed as to cause them to be hospitalized. The Children's Center in Montgomery served approximately six emotionally disturbed children from the public school district. 33 Portland sent a limited number of students to the Cerebral Palsy Center, and some physically handicapped students from Montgomery attended the Children's Center. 34 Because school officials in Bibb County and Hancock County, Georgia did not consent to interviews, data on unmet needs could not be obtained. Figures on the types of special programs provided in these districts were obtained from the Georgia State Department of Education. 35 Interviews with Ted White, Director, Special Education, Denver, Colorado, 1112/73 and 11/6/73. 86 For a summary of the special education programs available in the districts CDF monitored, see Appendix N, Table II. 37 Interview with Eula Hall, Mud Creek Health Project, Grethel, Kentucky, 1/23/74. 99
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Inadequacy <strong>of</strong> Special Education Programs<br />
Official and parental ignorance and resistance,<br />
<strong>in</strong>adequate assessment tools, and lack <strong>of</strong> resources<br />
are the pr<strong>in</strong>cipal reasons why special education services<br />
for <strong>children</strong> are <strong>in</strong>adequate.<br />
Quantity. While many districts have made progress<br />
<strong>in</strong> expand<strong>in</strong>g the numbers <strong>of</strong> <strong>children</strong> served by<br />
special programs <strong>in</strong> the last several years, need still<br />
badly <strong>out</strong>strips service. State <strong>in</strong>cidence figures for<br />
three <strong>school</strong> districts show the follow<strong>in</strong>g: 27<br />
-In its 1972 "District Plan for Programs for the<br />
Handicapped," Sumter County No. 2 estimated<br />
that there were 1,705 handicapped <strong>children</strong> to be<br />
served, and that only 270 were be<strong>in</strong>g served as <strong>of</strong><br />
1971-72.<br />
-In its "Plan to Provide Adequate Programs for<br />
Pupils with Handicapp<strong>in</strong>g Conditions" <strong>of</strong> March<br />
1, 1972, Richland County No.1, S<strong>out</strong>h Carol<strong>in</strong>a,<br />
estimated that there were 5,924 handicapped <strong>children</strong><br />
<strong>in</strong> the district and'that only 31.4 percent<br />
were be<strong>in</strong>g served by special programs.<br />
-The Montgomery, Alabama 1971 <strong>school</strong> district<br />
98<br />
survey estimated 8,378 <strong>children</strong> as need<strong>in</strong>g special<br />
educational services. Only 1,987 <strong>of</strong> these were<br />
be<strong>in</strong>g served as <strong>of</strong> the 1971-72 <strong>school</strong> year.<br />
Autauga County, Alabama, Floyd County, Kentucky,<br />
and Canton, Mississippi all provided even<br />
fewer services.<br />
Of the seventeen <strong>school</strong> districts we visited, eight<br />
reported provid<strong>in</strong>g no special services for deaf or<br />
hear<strong>in</strong>g impaired <strong>children</strong> (Autauga, Canton, Floyd,<br />
Hancock, Holyoke, Montgomery, Somerville, Sumter)<br />
;28 seven reported no <strong>in</strong>-<strong>school</strong> programs for<br />
bl<strong>in</strong>d or sight impaired <strong>children</strong> (Autauga, Bibb,<br />
Canton, Floyd,2° Hancock, Richland, and Sumter) ;ao<br />
five reported no services for <strong>children</strong> with learn<strong>in</strong>g<br />
disabilities (Autauga, Canton, Floyd, Hancock and<br />
Sumter). While three <strong>school</strong> districts reported no<br />
programs for <strong>children</strong> labeled tra<strong>in</strong>able mentally retarded<br />
(Canton, Hancock and Sumter), several<br />
<strong>school</strong> districts made arrangements with <strong>out</strong>side<br />
agencies to provide some services for these <strong>children</strong><br />
(Autauga, Davenport, Denver, Montgomery,al Portland<br />
and Richland). Eight districts reported no pro-
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