About this product

Product Identifiers

PublisherMcGraw-Hill Higher Education

ISBN-100073043990

ISBN-139780073043999

eBay Product ID (ePID)43760063

Product Key Features

Number of Pages448 Pages

LanguageEnglish

Publication NameTaking Sides : Clashing Views on Controversial Issues in Special Education

Publication Year2004

SubjectSpecial Education / General, Early Childhood (Incl. Preschool & Kindergarten)

FeaturesRevised

TypeTextbook

Subject AreaEducation

AuthorMaryann Byrnes

SeriesTaking Sides Ser.

FormatTrade Paperback

Dimensions

Item Height0.9 in

Item Weight20.1 Oz

Item Length9.1 in

Item Width6 in

Additional Product Features

Edition Number2

Intended AudienceCollege Audience

Table Of ContentPART 1. Special Education and Society ISSUE 1. Is Special Education an Illegitimate Profession? YES: Scot Danforth, from "On What Basis Hope? Modern Progress and Postmodern Possibilities," Mental Retardation (April 1997) NO: James M. Kauffman, from "Commentary: Today's Special Education and Its Messages for Tomorrow," The Journal of Special Education (vol. 32, no. 4, 1999) Scot Danforth, a member of the School of Education of the University of MissouriSt. Louis, argues that America's trust in science has led to the creation of an array of artificial terms, such as mental retardation , that devalue individuals, have no basis in reality, and blunt the voices of those to whom they are applied. James M. Kauffman, a professor of education at the University of Virginia, cautions readers not to be overly distracted by criticism and asserts that special education is a relavtively young profession that uses accepted research practices and self-reflection to generate reliable common knowledge of effective instructional strategies for students with disabilities who were previously excluded from schools. ISSUE 2. Is Eliminating Overrepresentation Beyond the Scope of Public Schools? YES: M. Suzanne Donovan and Christopher T. Cross, from The Committee on Minority Representation in Special Education, Minority Students in Special and Gifted Education (National Academy Press, 2002) NO: Daniel J. Losen and Gary Orfield, from Racial Inequality in Special Education (Harvard Education Press, 2002) M. Suzanne Donovan and Christopher Cross, researchers representing the findings of a National Research Council study on minority students in special and gifted education, believe overrepresentation issues are complex and not easily resolvable. While teachers can make a difference, environmental factors and poverty have a large impact and require interventions beyond schools. Daniel J. Losen and Gary Orfield, both policy experts, present the results of research commissioned by the Civil Rights Project of Harvard University. While agreeing with some of the NRC recommendations, these findings suggest that patterns will change with stricter enforcement of federal and state regulations. ISSUE 3. Do Funding Formulas Make Special Education Too Expensive? YES: Teresa S. Jordan, Carolyn A. Weiner, and K. Forbis Jordan, from "The Interaction of Shifting Special Education Policies with State Funding Practices," Journal of Educational Finance (Summer 1997) NO: Sheldon Berman, Perry Davis, Ann Koufman-Frederick, and David Urion, from "The Rising Costs of Special Education in Massachusetts: Causes and Effects," Rethinking Special Education for a New Century (Thomas B. Fordham Foundation & Progressive Policy Institute, 2001) Teresa S. Jordan, an associate professor at the University of Las Vegas-Nevada; Carolyn A. Weiner, president of Syndactics, Inc.; and K. Forbis Jordan, a professor emeritus at Arizona State University, contend that the number of students identified as disabled is increasing at an excessive rate because of funding systems that encourage overidentification and discourage flexible, creative, inclusive school programming. Sheldon Berman, a school superintendent, and his colleagues maintain that districts have been careful and conservative in identifying children with disabilities but that enrollment and costs are increasing primarily because of the increased numbers of children with more significant disabilities. ISSUE 4. Does School Choice Open Doors for Students with Disabilities? YES: Lewis M. Andrews, from "More Choices for Disabled Kids," Policy Review (2002) NO: Barbara Miner, from

Edition DescriptionRevised edition

SynopsisIntroduces students to controversies in special education through paired pro and con articles on such issues: as emotional/behavioral problems, ADD/ADHD, inclusion, minority overrepresentation, learning disabilities, use of paraprofessionals, and applications of brain research.