EDUCATION AND PEDAGOGY

Education and Pedagogy



Education and Pedagogy

Chapter No 1: Students with Autism and Government Policies

The history of American education parallels and reflects America's changing social values and economic needs. In the 20th and 21st centuries, American educational systems have been challenged to respond to issues of equality and achievement, as Americans have sought to live up to the democratic ideals on which this nation was formed, as well as meet ongoing economic and defense needs (Benner, 1998). From the change to an industrial economy in the early 20th century to the emerging information and technological economy of the 21st century, American schools have been the primary mode for the transmission of cultural values and the preparation of children for adult roles as responsible citizens and workers. As described in Chapter 1, events such as the Soviet Union's 1957 launch of Sputnik and President Lyndon Johnson's War on Poverty have influenced the curricular content and structure of American education. Additionally, the social changes represented in the Brown v. Board of Education decision, the Education for All Handicapped Children Act (and subsequent amendments), and the Americans with Disabilities Act have affected access and equity in American schools and institutions of higher education. Most recently, questions regarding national defense and economic health have added new layers of complexity to American education.

Concerns about American education have led to a variety of actions, including federal mandates to demonstrate instructional efficacy through high-stakes testing; emphases on curriculum, instruction, and assessments that help students acquire 21st-century skills; and creation of competition (e.g., school choice, vouchers, charter schools) to motivate improvement in public schools. Additionally, overall student performance and achievement gaps among various groups of students have resulted in questions regarding teacher quality. Such questions, along with severe teacher shortages in math, science, special education, and English as a Second Language/Bilingual Education, have led to an increased focus on the preparation of teachers, including alternative paths to licensure and questions about how to best prepare teachers. In short, American rhetoric at the beginning of the 21st century centers around three questions: (1) Are American schools preparing children to be competitive in a worldwide economy? (2) Are sufficient numbers of teachers adequately prepared to ensure that all children have equitable educational outcomes? (3) What should be done about schools and teachers who are failing to prepare our children? Given the lack of success of American schools in educating children with disabilities, these broad questions set the backdrop for many of the issues in education for individuals with disabilities.

From the very beginning, education for individuals with disabilities has been fraught with controversies, including perceptions of what constitutes disability, the relative value of individuals with disabilities, reasons to educate persons with disabilities, and moral and financial imperatives as they relate to educational access. The federal law guaranteeing equal access to a free and appropriate public education has generated even more questions related to the provision of education for persons with disabilities—questions about assessment, instruction, and ...