Qualitative Differences in Reading and Math Instruction Received by Handicapped Students

The qualitative nature of reading and math instruction received by different categories of handicapped learners, and by nonhandicapped learners, was investigated. Two observations each, plus teacher interviews and student interviews were conducted for 30 learning disabled (LD), 32 emotionally/behaviorally disturbed (EBD), 30 educable mentally retarded (EMR), and 30 nonhandicapped students. Mean ratings on six cluster scores (instructional planning, instructional presentation, checking for student understanding, task relevance, practice, and feedback) and a total score revealed few significant differences among categories of students. No differences were found in general education math or reading. No differences were found in special education math. For special education reading, LD students received higher ratings that EMR students on checking for understanding and task relevance (and, as a result, also on the total score). The finding that the qualitative nature of instruction is essentially the same for students assigned different categories adds to previous findings of few psychometric differences among groups and supports the need to question the logic of differential classification.