The Educational Context and Outcomes for High School Students with Disabilities: The Perceptions of Parents of Students with Disabilities. Research Report.

The eighth in a series of studies investigating the educational context and outcomes for high school students with disabilities (SWDs), this study examined parents' perceptions of the educational program of their children with disabilities. Ten parents of students with disabilities participated in focus groups and provided their ideas and opinions in relation to five major questions. Parents also completed a survey that explored satisfaction with both special education and required academic courses and teachers. During the focus group meetings, parents reported school systems often seemed unfriendly and unresponsive to the needs of students with disabilities and that little differentiation of instruction was evident to assure quality of education for their students. Parents were interested in having their children acquire self-esteem, practical skills, and learning strategies. They wanted more and varied help for their students and more efficient communication about their students. They valued the special education services and classes. In general, urban parents indicated greater satisfaction on the surveys than did rural and suburban parents. Urban parents' mean ratings ranged between 5.1 and 5.9 on a 7-point scale; rural parents' ratings ranged between 2.6 and 5.4; and suburban parents' ratings ranged between 3.3 and 5.4. Data charts are included. (Author/CR)