Images: Issues and Trends in Rural Special Education - January 1983.

Overview & Synopsis

The 1983 study surveyed the largest number of rural LEAs/cooperatives to date plus a number of Bureau of Indian Affairs schools and examined previously unaddressed areas such as rural special education technology. Special education administrators from 200 rural school systems in all 50 states (4 from each state) were involved in this survey designed to provide a state-of-the-art synopsis of facets of rural special education service delivery. Respondents were representative of various economies, population densities, and types of organizational structures. Topics covered include: service delivery problems and effective strategies; personnel needs; certification problems; strengths and weaknesses of rural special educator personnel preparation programs; and emerging technologies related to programs for rural handicapped students. In addition to addressing technologies in rural special education, the findings update a number of studies funded by the U.S. Office of Special Education Programs and data-gathering by the American Council on Rural Special Education. Incorporated into the text are 45 tables. Appended are a list of states in each federal region, the Rural Special Education Administrator Telephone Survey Form, and the instrument for discrepancy evaluation of National Rural Project research-based rural preservice competencies. (AH)