Educating Drug-Exposed Children: The Aftermath of the Crack-Baby Crisis

170 Pages·2004·0.72 MB·English

by  Janet Y. Thomas

Educating Drug-Exposed Children

Educating
Drug-Exposed
Children
The Aftermath
of the Crack-Baby Crisis
Janet Y.Thomas
ROUTLEDGEFALMER
NEWYORKANDLONDON
Published in 2004 by
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Copyright 2004 by RoutledgeFalmer
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Library ofCongress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Thomas,Janet Y.,1968-
Educating drug-exposed children :the aftermath ofthe crack baby crisis / Janet Y.Thomas.
p.cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 0-415-94893-2 (alk.paper)—ISBN 0-415-94894-0 (pbk.:alk.paper)
1. Children ofprenatal substance abuse—Education—United States. I.Title.
LC4806.4.T56 2004
371.92—dc22
2003069773
ISBN 0-203-99802-2 Master e-book ISBN
Contents
Acknowledgments ix
Foreword xi
Introduction xv
Part I Poor Urban Drug-Abusing Women and Crack Babies:
The Making ofan Epidemic
Chapter 1 The Policy Paradox 3
Responding to Prenatal Drug Abuse
Introduction 3
Crack Cocaine,the Media,and the Public 4
Political and Cultural Issues 6
Punitive Policies,Social Welfare,and Gender-Specific
Drug Treatment 8
The Post-Crack Era 10
Sterilizing Drug-Abusing Parents 14
Summary and Conclusions 18
Chapter 2 Drug-Exposed Children and Development 21
What Has the Research Taught Us?
Introduction 21
The Debate about Crack Baby Syndrome 23
Controlling for Other Variables 27
Some Information on Schoolchildren 32
Summary and Conclusions 34
v
vi • Contents
Chapter 3 The Politics ofAt-Risk 37
Drug-Affected Children and Educational Policy
Introduction 37
Infants and Toddlers with Disabilities under the IDEA
Amendments of1997 38
Preschool Programs for Children with Disabilities 43
Special Education Services for School-Age Children 46
School-District-Initiated Early Intervention Programs for
Drug-Exposed Children and Their Families 47
Expanding the Definition ofAt-Risk 49
Summary and Conclusions 53
Part II Educating Drug-Affected Children
Chapter 4 Identifying a Cracked Foundation 57
Teacher Observations
Introduction 57
Epistemological Orientation 58
Research Questions 58
Research Design 58
The Sample 59
Prenatal Substance Abuse in Three Urban Areas 59
The Teacher Participants 61
Data Analysis 62
The Public School Perspective 62
Ways ofIdentifying Drug-Affected Children 63
The Special Education Dilemma 71
Social Challenges Facing Schools 75
How Schools Have Addressed This Issue 80
Working with Drug-Affected Children 83
Classroom Strategies 85
Summary and Conclusions 86
Chapter 5 Healing the Crack in Their World 89
Education and Drug-Affected Children
Introduction 89
Early Intervention and Drug-Impacted Families 90
Responding to the Needs ofSchoolchildren 97
Educating Drug-Impacted Schoolchildren 102
Supporting Educational Interventions for Schoolchildren 107
What Does This Study Tell Us about School Reform,
Educational Policy,and At-Risk Children? 112
Summary and Conclusions 114
Contents • vii
Appendix A Data Collection Instrument 115
Appendix B Demographic Information 119
Appendix C Survey/Questionnaire Results 121
Notes 123
Glossary ofRelated Terms 137
Index 143

Acknowledgments
This book could not have been completed without the support ofmy fam-
ily, friends, mentors, and colleagues. I would like to take time to thank
every one of you for giving me what was needed to start,work through,
and complete this task.First and foremost,I would like to thank my parents,
Mrs.Florence Rose Thomas and the late Enoch Thomas Sr.,for teaching
me the value of higher education, and my twin sister, Janice Y. Thomas,
who has supported me the longest and the strongest.A special thank-you is
also extended to my aunt, Frances C. Robinson, for your unconditional
support,and to other family members—you know who you are.
My senior mentors deserve an honorable mention.Without your guid-
ance, constructive criticism, encouragement, and reviews of this manu-
script, Educating Drug-Exposed Children would have never become a
reality.A special acknowledgment is extended to Dr.Sam Stringfield,my
mentor at Johns Hopkins.I will be forever grateful to Sam.You have pro-
vided the time, the space, and the encouragement necessary for me to
complete this project.Dr.Larry Parker,at the University of Illinois at Ur-
bana-Champaign in the Department of Educational Policy Studies, has
had an equal influence on this work. Without your guidance, this idea
would have never become a reality.You have taught me the value ofeduca-
tional policy studies in the context of at-risk students and given me the
courage to pursue such a hot topic.I would also like to thank Dr.James An-
derson,Dr.Wanda Pillow,Dr.Bill Trent,and Dr.Kal Alston in the Depart-
ment of Educational Policy Studies at the University of Illinois.A special
acknowledgment is also extended to Dr.Kathy Ryan in the Department of
Educational Psychology,also at the University ofIllinois.
ix