Richard Lombard

School-to-Work and Technical Preparation: Teacher Attitudes and Practices Regarding the Inclusion of Students with Disabilities.

This article describes the results of a national survey of attitudes and practices of secondary school-to-work and tech prep teachers regarding the inclusion of students with disabilities. The purpose of the study was to examine: (a) teacher attitudes toward inclusion; (b) practices and procedures being utilized to promote inclusion; (c) in-service training received by teachers regarding inclusionary practices; and (d) post-school outcomes perceived by teachers to be attainable for students with disabilities who participate in school-to-work and tech prep programs. One hundred and sixty-nine educators representing 45 states participated in this study. The results of this study indicate that secondary school-to-work and tech prep teachers do not feel prepared to meet the needs of students with disabilities who are enrolled in their courses. These teachers also report receiving little to no in-service training regarding inclusive practices, and the vast majority report that they have never participated in the development of Individual Education Plans (IEPs) for students with disabilities.

Designated Vocational Instruction: Instructional Support Strategies.

interdisciplinary effort between special and vocational educators that helps high school students with disabilities learn vocational skills and competencies in the least restrictive environment. An important component of the DVI approach is that special education teachers provide instructional support to both students and vocational instructors. Instructional support is collaborative teaching using the special educator’s expertise in how to teach blended with the vocational educator’s expertise in what to teach. The role and degree of involvement of the special educator depends on the needs of the students and the vocational instructors. The special educator’s role is to: (a) provide direct support to students with disabilities ; and/or (b) provide indirect support to vocational instructors, and/or the program itself.

Special Populations and Tech-Prep: A National Study of State Policies and Practices

The late 1990s and the early 21 st century will be a time of monumental change in the nature of employment in the United States as the numbers of unskilled workers decline and the need for a more technologically advanced laborforce increases. To address the need for highly skilled labor, including special populations, the tech-prep curriculum was conceived as an intervention. The Carl D. Perkins Vocational and Applied Technology Education Act of 1990 mandates that special populations have equal access to recruitment, enrollment, and placement activities as well as the full range of vocational programs. A questionnaire was developed and mailed to State Departments of Education to determine if provisions were being made to ensure full inclusion of special populations into tech-prep programs. Thirty-six states responded. Results and implications are discussed.

A Survey of Accessibility to Secondary Vocational Education Programs and Transition Services for Students with Disabilities in Wisconsin.

Throughout the 1970’s and 1980’s there were prominent legislative mandates to increase access to quality education, vocational training, and employment opportunities for individuals with disabilities. In particular, vocational education has long been recognized as a viable option for enhancing the employability of individuals with disabilities. Recent findings from the National Longitudinal Transition of Special Students indicated that students who participated in secondary vocational education were more likely to be competitively employed than youths who did not take vocational education courses (Wagner, 1991). Similar results have been reported in other post-school follow-up studies (Benz & Halpern, 1987; Hasazi, Gordon, & Roe, 1985; Hasazi, Johnson, Hasazi, Gordon, & Hull, 1989). Since access to appropriate vocational education opportunities enhances employment outcomes for individuals with disabilities, it deserves increased attention by educators, support personnel, and parents early in students’ career, vocational and transition planning processes. A pressing issue in vocational education revolves around access and equity issues for individuals with disabilities. The Carl D. Perkins Vocational Education Act of 1984, P.L. 98-524, outlined specific assurances that students with disabilities be provided access to a full range of vocational education programs in least restrictive environments. Studies conducted prior to P.L. 98-524 provided some evidence