Rick Ginsberg

Identifying Alterable Patterns in Employment Success for Highly Successful Adults with Learning Disabilities

Adults with learning disabilities were studied to ascertain the patterns of successful functioning that promoted high levels of vocational success. This area of research has been neglected in the developing research base on adults with learning disabilities. In this study of 46 highly successful and 25 moderately successful adults with learning disabilities using ethnographic interviews, it was found that the overriding theme was control and that control was sought through the pursuit of two sets of themes---internal decisions and external manifestations. These themes transcended the entire sample, and the clear difference between the groups was the degree of attainment on the various elements the themes comprised. These elements and themes are discussed and a model of successful vocational functioning is developed and explained.

Persisting Problems of Adults with Learning Disabilities Self-Reported Comparisons From Their School-Age and Adult Years

The issue of persistence of learning disabilities into the adult years was investigated. The study examined the self-reported comparisons of problems resulting from learning disabilities during school-age years (retrospectively) and in adult years. The responses of 133 adults categorized as highly successful and moderately successful in employment showed that both groups deteriorated markedly in the areas of functioning typically included in diagnostic and remediation efforts. This established a case for persistence and highlights an important issue for those who are directly or indirectly concerned about adults with learning disabilities.

Reframing the Learning Disabilities Experience

Reframing the learning disabilities experience has been identified by researchers as a key variable in employment success and adjustment in adulthood. This article provides a discussion of theory, related literature, methods, and techniques related to the process of reframing — from recognition, to understanding, to acceptance of the learning disability, to the development of a plan of action. We argue that successful reframing is imperative if one is to take control of his or her learning disability in adult life. It is also necessary for the development and implementation of self-advocacy skills.

New Perspectives on Teaching From Successful Adults with Learning Disabilities

The experiences of adults with learning disabilities who have found success in employment may provide new perspectives about teaching students with learning disabilities. A qualitative research project with 71 successful adults with learning disabilities indicates that their individual achievements share a number of commonalities. Moreover, these commonalities represent skills and processes that can be taught and learned. This article presents a model of vocational success developed from interviews with the 71 subjects. The authors discuss methods so that practitioners may use the model to help students with learning disabilities inculcate behaviors that will facilitate successful adult adjustment. Instructional approaches that teach these skills and processes will embrace a success rather than deficit model, a focus on strengths rather than a preoccupation with weaknesses.

Definitions of Learning Disabilities from Adults with Learning Disabilities: The Insiders' Perspectives

Definitions of learning disabilities typically include the perspectives of professionals from educational, psychological, medical, and sociopolitical fields. Decision-makers in learning disabilities have rarely solicited the views of an important population of individuals who live with this label, adults with learning disabilities. This article presents responses from a sample of successful adults with learning disabilities who were asked to define the term learning disabilities. In addition to a number of constructs found in many existing definitions, responses include perceptions and conceptualizations that are only available from first-hand experience of living with learning disabilities into the adult years. Even when these perceptions evidence technical inaccuracies, their personal nature offers important insights into the effects of learning disabilities throughout the lifespan. Future attempts to arrive at a uniform definition of learning disabilities, especially in adulthood, should include or at least consider input from adults with learning disabilities.

The Culture of Fear and the Politics of Education

American public education has historically been considered a great success. Since the release of the landmark 1983 federal report, A Nation at Risk, concerns about many aspects of American education have been highly publicized. Although the actual extent of the degree of problems facing public education is debated, this article argues that the state of education has become part of a “culture of fear” gripping many aspects of society. The research examines polling data and newspaper stories on selected educational topics for four newspapers since 1980 and shows that both the number of stories on these topics and negative tone of the stories have increased, while polling data suggest that public perceptions about education have remained stable. At the same time, however, issues of quality have emerged as concerns. The implications of these findings suggest a need for further study of the current nature of the politics of education.

Instructional strategies for long-term success.

Through a qualitative research study we developed a model of employment success based on the experiences of successful adults with learning disabilities. This model may be particularly useful to students with learning disabilities in helping them experience success both in school and beyond. We suggest that the components of the model—internal decisions comprising desire, goal orientation, and reframing, and external manifestations or behaviors of persistence, goodness of fit, learned creativity, and favorable social ecologies—can be systematically taught and then used. By focusing on what has worked for adults with learning disabilities, we propose that the model taps into inherent strengths that can compensate for significant limitations associated with learning disabilities. The model does not guarantee success, but it does equip students with learning disabilities with a readiness to capitalize on opportunities that they might otherwise miss.

Educational Change by Commission: Attempting “Trickle Down” Reform

The national commission has proven to be a venerable and persistent source of reform ideas for American education. Nearly 100 years old, the national commission has become especially popular in the 1980s. In a generic configuration, it uses the elements of the expert panel and information analysis (if not controlled research), and produces a report that includes recommendations for change as a formula for dealing with whatever inadequacies are felt to encumber elementary and/or secondary schools. Despite their popularity, little systematic analysis of the processes and procedures of national commissions has been reported, and even less frequently are concepts from political science and policy analysis enlisted to help understand the phenomenon. This article responds to these inadequacies in two ways: (a) it reviews national commission reports published since the early 1890s and finds four elements of commonality in them—their longevity as an activity, the general nature of their recommendations, their lack of attention to implementation, and the limited direct impact they have had on schools and classrooms; and (b) it compares two competing explanations of the commission processes’ popularity—a rational, prescriptive approach and a symbols-and-ceremony depiction. Finally, a composite sociopolitical thesis is advanced, based on the economic image of “trickle down.”

Admission and Retention Policies in Teacher Preparation Programs: Legal and Practical Issues.

Abstract This research examined the legal climate regarding admissions and retention in teacher preparation programs as well as the current practices of selected programs. The study utilized legal/archival research and an on‐line survey of 27 universities. Findings indicated that the legal parameters regarding admission and retention fall under the expectations established for other types of professional training. University officials have great latitude to make professional judgments. The survey found that most institutions have formal admission and retention policies, though the admission policies are more fully developed. Many universities reported having formal policies to consider student dispositions for teaching, though no single policy is used by more than one third of the universities surveyed (most employ informal means). Conclusions include that teacher preparation programs have more legal latitude than is being employed for admission and retention decisions, and it is recommended that the field establish professional norms for retention policies and assessing student dispositions for teaching.

Worthy Goal ... Unlikely Reality: The Principal as Instructional Leader

Strong instructional leadership, although a worthwhile goal, is unlikely for most principals as the position is currently prac ticed, says this writer. Unless some alternative paths are fol lowed to achieve instructional leadership, it will likely remain an illusion.