The effect of service delivery on the language skills of special education students
Abstract
The service delivery model for students receiving special education services have traditionally involved removal of the student from the general education classroom and providing the student with special education services in a separate 'resource' room. While the literature is extensive on justification for such a change in the service delivery model, the literature lacks evidence of the measurable effects such a change in service delivery has on the achievement of the special education students. This study attempted to measure the effects various service delivery models (inclusion, resource, and combination) have on the receptive language skills of students receiving special education services. The subjects were selected based on the following: (1) significant delays in the areas of receptive language skills and IEP goals targeting vocabulary, (2) students receiving speech and language services, (3) students identified as having an impairment of speech and language or learning disabilities and (4) students in kindergarten through eighth grade. The speech and language pathologists participating in the study completed pretest and posttest of the effects of the differing service delivery models using the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test - Revised . An analysis of variance (ANOVA) measuring the differences in pretest and posttest mean scores of the groups using the variables of gender, grade level, and service delivery model was applied to the data. The results indicated that there were no differences in the achievement of the groups based on gender or service delivery model. There were significant differences (at the .05 level) of the achievement of students based on grade level. The study concluded that although these results indicate there was no difference in the achievement of the subjects based on their service delivery model, further research is needed to measure the effect service delivery models have on the achievement of special education students when instructional methodology and curricular content are specified.
Recommended Citation
Morand, Kate M, "The effect of service delivery on the language skills of special education students" (2002). Dissertations (1962 - 2010) Access via Proquest Digital Dissertations. AAI3065510.
https://epublications.marquette.edu/dissertations/AAI3065510