A study of the perceived benefits of mainstreaming students of special education in an urban junior high school

This study documents perceptions by seventeen students from special education self-contained classrooms in an urban junior high school who participated in some regular classes. Massachusetts and federal laws mandate placement in the least restrictive setting for all students in the expectation that mainstreamed students will feel better about themselves and gain more academically. Yet evidence suggests that few students are mainstreamed and that the benefits to students are not self-evident in most schools. The evidence presented in this dissertation came from two loosely structured interviews with seventeen students who were selected because they seemed to have had a reasonably successful experience in regular classroom placements in a school with a strong commitment to mainstreaming. As teenagers who were in a self-contained setting primarily because of behavioral issues, they could handle academic work and were at an age when peer relationships are crucial. Because the researcher had already established positive relationships with the students, the interviews reflected apparently honest responses--including both positive and negative judgments. The study also explored attitudes of 10 teachers in the school toward mainstreaming. The interviews showed the debilitating effects of isolated classroom placement as stated by special education students in self-contained classrooms for behavioral reasons. Sixteen of the respondents who participated in the study preferred mainstreaming in regular education classes over remaining in one classroom the entire day. The student who dissented experienced difficulty in changing classes and adjusting to different teachers. Feelings of embarrassment, worthlessness and in general, low self-esteem were experienced by the students. Being mainstreamed in regular education classes enabled them to feel normal and part of the school environment. Their transportation to school on special buses with mentally handicapped students reinforced feelings of being classed as mentally retarded. Mainstreaming, irrespective of teacher attitudes and academic problems, was preferred over special education classrooms. The mixed responses of these students indicates that the goals of mainstreaming are worth pursuing but staff need more preparation if P.L. 94-142 is to meet its full promise