| The purpose of this project was to develop a model that could be used by middle schools, regardless of demographics, to phase students assigned to self-contained special education programs back into the general education population successfully.; The project began with the identification of the problem. The Individuals with Disabilities in Education Act (IDEA) requires that students be educated in the least restrictive environment (LRE). This means that students will be educated in the same environment as their same age peers to the extent possible. At the middle-school level there are many students who are assigned to self-contained programs upon entry at grade six. By the time students leave middle school, and are moved to grade nine, they are usually assigned to programs where class sizes are larger and contain non disabled students along with those who are diagnosed with a disability. It is necessary to prepare students for this change by providing a bridge which is identified as the transition model.; The areas of the school's organizational structures, the principal's function, and inclusion practices already in existence were identified as the major structural requirements of a successful model. A review of related literature was conducted and a prototype transition model was constructed from the information gathered. The prototype model was then subjected to a ten-step product development methodology. During this process the prototype model, along with a questionnaire, was submitted twice to different groups of experts representing staff from school district central offices, a state department of education, universities, principals, and teachers in urban, suburban, and rural schools. Responses from each group outlined refinements that needed to be made to the prototype model.; The result was a transition model that middle schools can use. It lays out the framework for developing a transition program in a middle school. It will however, require the school to look at their needs, policies, and available resources and add the details to develop a model exclusive to the school. |
