Ian Webb wrote:
>
> I thought you might like to see this article posted on the VICUG-L forum.
> Apologies to those of you who have already seen it.
Hi
Reading this, I was immediately reminded of the Sunday Times article
(discussed on this forum) that followed the publication of Singleton et
al's report on Dyslexia in HE. It's amazing how easy it is to
misrepresent research findings by dint of a few carefully selected
quotes.
I have not read the full article and, for all I know it may, indeed,
illustrate the researcher's findings accurately. However, evidence for
biased interpretation is evident, e.g:
'...the number of students classified as disabled has ballooned,
rising more than 50 percent in the past 20 years.'
Ballooned, eh? So, in 1979 there were 2. In 1999, there are 3 (Wow!)
Perhaps I'm introducing my own bias here but, seriously, 20 years is a
long time.
Further...
'...80 percent of the students enrolled in special needs education
programs do not have physical disabilities.'
So, students do not 'really' have SEN unless they have a physical
disability?
Further...
'The study's author, UM economist Julie Berry Cullen, says she found
a 10 percent increase in special-needs student funding corresponds to a
1.4 percent increase in a school district's student disability rate.'
There's no mention here about how underfunding discourages
identification of those with disabilities. Irrespective of the moral
issues, it is possible to sympathise with authorities' reluctance to
'identify' disabled students when there are no resources to follow up
with support.
Further...
'Cullen's study could be used to support efforts to reduce state
education incentives to school districts that inflate student disability
rates..'
Of course it also be used to support efforts to increase inclusive
practices in schools.
Finally
I can hardly claim to occupy the unbiased middle ground on this issue
but, although the research referred to may be an admirable piece of
work, the featured article is positively dodgy - a useful resource for
those delivering a lecture on 'persuasion and propaganda' to GCSE
English students.
Regards
--
Peter Hill
Support Tutor
Equal Opportunities Centre
University College Worcester
Henwick Grove
Worcester
WR2 6AJ
01905 855413
email: [log in to unmask]
(or: [log in to unmask])
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