High School Students with Disabilities

The Institute for Academic Access has released two research syntheses in the series Promoting Success in the General Education Curriculum for High School Students with Disabilities. These research reports examine issues related to high school students with learning disabilities.

The first, The Context as a Whole, details the current status of the education of these students. Traditionally, when trying to help these students, educators have looked for things to change about the student. The authors point out that success or failure relies on environmental factors as well as individual factors.

The nine environmental factors discussed are

1. legislative mandates
2. standards-based reform
3. curriculum and structural demands
4. lack of comprehensive service delivery systems
5. confusing roles of special educators
6. cultural and linguistic diversity
7. violence and fear in school
8. negative value systems
9. family and community dynamics.

The second paper, Instructional Technology, Media, and Materials: A Review of the Literature, outlines research on the use of technology to promote academic success for students with disabilities and incorporates research results into curriculum content and instructional designs to promote success.

This review lists the components of good instruction and how the needs of students with learning disabilities can be supported by their thoughtful use.

The research syntheses are available online at http://kucrl.org/IAA Web/htmlfiles/research/monographs.html.

Institute for Academic Access, 704 Joseph R. Pearson Hall 1122 West Campus Road University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS 66045, http://kucrl.org/IAA%20Web/index.html.