ERIC EJ854899: Social Skills and Problem Behavior Assessment of General and Special Education Career and Technical Education Students

8 Pages·2003·0.12 MB·English

by  ERIC

The Journal for Vocational Special Needs Education 3
Social Skills and Problem Behavior Assessment of General and
Special Education Career and Technical Education Students
By Michael P. Monahan, Ph. D., University of North Texas
Abstract Introduction In 1990, The Carl D. Per-
kins Vocational and Applied
Low employment and underem- The number of youth who are
Technology Education Act (P.L.
ployment rates for students with becoming unemployed or under-
101-392; 1990) amended the
disabilities have drawn national employed has been a concern
Carl D. Perkins Vocational Act
attention resulting in federal leg- for educators for much of the
and emphasized the develop-
islation. The research literature in- 20th century (Oakland, 1992). Es-
ment of programs to better pre-
dicates a strong relationship be- timates of unemployment rates
pare public school students for
tween job success and interper- for persons with disabilities vary
work; covering services for in-
sonal factors, especially for em- between 50 to 75%, as compared
dividuals from special popula-
ployees with disabilities. This to a 7.5% rate for persons with-
tions. This act defined special
study investigated social skills out disabilities (Digest of Edu-
populations as individuals with
and problem behaviors of general cation Statistics, 2000). Statis-
disabilities; individuals from
and special education career and tics such as those mentioned
economically disadvantaged
technical education students us- above have led teachers, coun-
families, including foster chil-
ing the Social Skills Rating Sys- selors, families, and other per-
dren; individuals preparing for
tem instrument. Findings indi- sonnel to push for legislation to
nontraditional training and
cated that social skills and prob- ensure the educational rights of
employment; single parents,
lem behaviors were not addressed individuals from special popula-
including single pregnant
in the individual transition plans, tions. Individual planning for
women; displaced homemak-
a statistically significant differ- employment for individuals with
ers; and individuals with other
ence was found between general disabilities as prescribed in the
barriers to educational achieve-
and special education students on legislation and accompanying
ment, including individuals
empathy, and employers rated regulations developed into tran-
with limited English profi-
special education employees sition services programs.
ciency. States were required to
higher on cooperation. (Blalock & Patton, 1996).
ensure equal access and pro-
The Vocational Education
vide supplementary services for
Act (P.L. 88-210; 1963) was the
these students. Also in 1990,
capstone for a career and tech-
Congress amended the Educa-
nical education movement.
tion of All Handicapped Children
This act recognized that persons
Act (P.L. 94-142; 1975). This new
with special needs required
law, renamed the Individuals
help in order to reach success
With Disabilities Education Act
in regular technical education
(IDEA) (P.L. 101-476; 1990) ex-
programs. In 1968, The Voca-
panded the definition of special
tional Education Amendments
education to include instruc-
(P.L. 90-576; 1968) were passed.
tion in the workplace and train-
This placed further emphasis on
ing sites. Consequently, schools
the need to provide technical
had to assume a leadership role
education experience for stu-
in the development of transition
dents with special needs. The
plans for students. These plans
next major vocational act was
are implemented through the
the Carl D. Perkins Vocational
Individual Education Plan (IEP)
Education Act (P.L. 98-524;
process, and place greater em-
1984). This Act had two broad
phasis on career development
themes: to make career and
instead of remedial education
technical education programs
(Binkley, 1998).
available to students; and im-
In 1991, the U.S. Depart-
prove the quality of technical
ment of Labor published What
education programs to give the
Work Requires of Schools: A
nation’s workforce the skills
SCANS Report for America 2000,
needed to increase productivity
the Secretary’s Commission on
and promote economic growth.
4 Volume 25, Number 2, Winter, 2003/Volume 25, Number 3, Spring 2003
Achieving Necessary Skills important part of the prepara- employment; (a) attends to in-
(SCANS) identified the skills tion for an independent life. The struction and (b) complies with
needed for productive and career and technical education directions. Forness & Kavale
meaningful employment. The programs help to identify those (1996) suggest students with
report stated that all students skills needed to be successful in learning disabilities have prob-
going directly to work after high the world of work. Sitlington lems following instructions and
school and those planning fur- (1996) has shown a strong rela- directions due to the students’
ther education needed prepara- tionship between job success own perception of their abilities.
tion in areas of foundation and interpersonal factors for The students often are not ac-
skills, personal qualities and students with disabilities. Con- cepted by their peers, which can
competencies. Not only do stu- versely, it is well documented lead to having fewer chances of
dents need basic skills such as that there is a strong relation- interaction with them.
reading, writing, mathematics, ship between a lack of social Most recently, the federal
speaking and listening, but the skills and unsuccessful employ- government authorized and
report listed seven other skills ment for persons with disabili- funded a National Longitudinal
and competencies identified by ties (Black, 1996; Chadsey- Transition Study (NLTS) to pro-
SCANS. One of these competen- Rusch, 1992; Elksnin, Elksnin, vide a methodologically sound
cies was interpersonal skills. & Sabornie, 1994). A growing benchmark for evaluating the
Interpersonal skills includes body of research supports the postschool outcomes of special
the ability to work on teams, to assertion that students with dis- education programs. From this
teach others, to serve custom- abilities are not as advanced as study, Wagner, Blackorby,
ers, to negotiate, and to work their nondisabled peers in Cameto, and Newman (1993) re-
well with people from culturally many interpersonal skills in- ported that recent special edu-
diverse backgrounds. cluding the interpretation of so- cation graduates had poor job re-
In 1994, The School to Work cial situations (Sabornie & tention rates with several em-
Opportunities Act (STWOA) (P.L. Beard, 1990). ployment positions of short du-
103-239; 1994) was passed. The In 1997, the Individuals ration). In another recent study,
STWOA provided states and lo- with Disabilities Education Act Blackorby and Wagner (1996)
cal school systems incentives to Amendments of 1997 (P.L. 105- reported the percentage of com-
build systems that would help all 17; 1997) were passed, streng- petitively employed youth cat-
students prepare for, and make, thening the academic expecta- egorized by disability character-
the transition from school to tions and accountability for the istics. They found 70% of youth
work, postsecondary education, nation’s 5.8 million children with learning disabilities, 47%
or advanced training. The with disabilities. The Act helped of youth with serious emotional
STWOA called for partnerships bridge the gap that had existed disturbance, and 37% of youth
between secondary schools, col- between what youth with dis- with mental retardation, who
leges, employers and the com- abilities learn and what is re- were out of school 3 to 5 years,
munity. By working together, quired in the regular curricu- were competitively employed.
partnership bridges were to be lum (Yell & Shriner, 1997). The Wagner, Blackorby, Cameto,
built between the classroom legislation broadened the con- Hebbeler, and Newman (1993)
and the workplace, academic cept of transition to include found that 54% of students with
and vocational learning, and the community experiences, devel- disabilities were out of school for
high school and post secondary opment of employment and up to two years and unemployed,
training. Moreover, students other postschool adult living ob- while 43% of those out of school
were to be coupled with commu- jectives, and acquisition of daily up to 5 years were not employed.
nity services to ensure that a living skills and functional ca- Research has documented
successful transition from reer evaluation when appropri- individuals with mental retar-
school to work took place (Krieg, ate (Frank & Sitlington, 1997; dation lack social competence,
Brown, & Ballard, 1995). IDEA, 1997; Yell & Shriner, 1997). which poses a major obstacle
The STWOA made specific Binkley (1998) surveyed 29 to successful employment
reference to students with dis- employers to find out which so- (Chadsey-Rusch, 1992). In addi-
abilities, recognizing the impor- cial skills are important to ob- tion, research has shown co-
tance of including these indi- tain and retain employment. workers’ perceptions of a work-
viduals in school to work initia- This study found two social ers’ competence does include
tives. Students with disabilities skills were consistently rated in nontask related social skills for
and their parents consider ca- the top five most important so- persons with mental retarda-
reer and technical education an cial skills to obtain and retain tion (Butterworth & Strauch,
The Journal for Vocational Special Needs Education 5
1994). Also the students’ inap- schools, while the author met scores can range from 0 to 78.
propriate social behavior is the with the individual student em- Separate standardized tables
major factor of job loss for stu- ployers from the Denton County are provided for interpreting el-
dents with disabilities (Elksnin, area at their place of work. ementary and secondary fe-
Elksnin, & Sabornie, 1994). males and males’ social skill
Instrumentation
Therefore, social skills and scores. A higher score reflects
The author recorded any social
problem behavior related to em- above average social skills,
skill and problem behavior of
ployment of students with dis- while a lower score indicates
students noted on their indi-
abilities needs to be further re- below average social skills.
vidual transition plans (ITPs). In
searched and understood. The Social Skills Rating Sys-
addition, the Social Skills Rating
The present study perform- tem-Teacher (Gresham & Elliott,
System (SSRS) instrument was
ed a content analysis of stu- 1990), a secondary level teacher
used to collect data on the so-
dents with disabilities’ individual version, was used to obtain
cial skill and problem behaviors
transition plans to see what teacher and employer ratings of
of participants (Gresham &
types of specific social skills the career and technical edu-
Elliot, 1990). The SSRS is a stan-
and/or problem behavior goals cation student’s social skills and
dardized, norm-referenced in-
had been delineated for the stu- problem behaviors. The social
strument designed to provide
dents. The study also compared skills score was obtained by
professionals with a means to
the self-reported social skill rat- combining three subscales, i.e.,
screen and classify student so-
ings of career and technical edu- cooperation, assertion, and self-
cial behavior. Gresham and
cation students with and with- control, for a total of 30 items.
Elliot reported internal consis-
out disabilities, and compared The social skills score can
tency and test-retest reliability
the teachers and employers’ rat- range from 0 to 60. A higher
coefficients for scores obtained
ings of career and technical edu- score reflects above average so-
from the SSRS. Coefficient alpha
cation students’ social skills and cial skills, while a lower score
for all forms ranged from .83 to
problem behaviors. indicates below average social
.94, test-retest coefficients for
skills. The problem behavior
Methodology teacher ratings were .85, and
score is obtained by combining
student self-ratings were .68.
two subscales, i.e., external and
Participants In regard to validity, the au-
internal, for a total of 12 items.
Forty-eight (48) career and tech- thors addressed content, crite-
The problem behavior score can
nical education students par- rion, and construct validity in
range from 0 to 24. A higher
ticipated in this study. The par- the SSRS manual. Content va-
score indicates problem behav-
ticipants were in grades nine lidity was demonstrated by in-
ior proneness, while a lower
through twelve from two high dicating that the SSRS items
score indicates acceptable be-
schools in Denton County, were developed based on exten-
havior. Given the opposite scal-
Texas. Twenty-four (24) students sive research and supported by
ing for social skill scores and
without disabilities were from standardization analyses. Crite-
problem behavior scores on the
the general education career rion validity was established by
SSRS-T, one should expect a
and technical education pro- showing how the SSRS corre-
negative correlation between
gram, and twenty-four (24) stu- lated significantly with other
the two sets of scores. This
dents were from the special edu- similar measures. Finally, the
would imply that acceptable be-
cation career and technical results of construct validity
havior correlates with above
education program. The special studies and the consistent find-
average social skills.
education career and technical ings of the SSRS suggest strong
education students were char- evidence in support of construct Research Questions
acterized as learning disabled. validity.
Four research questions di-
The author met with the gen- The Social Skills Rating Sys-
rected the study of social skills
eral education students and the tem-Student (Gresham & Elliott,
and problem behaviors of gen-
special education students as 1990), a secondary level student
eral and special education ca-
two separate groups in their version, was used to obtain self-
reer and technical education
classrooms at two different high report social skill measures
students. The research ques-
schools. Career and technical from students on four subscales,
tions were:
education teachers from the i.e., cooperation, assertion, self-
participating schools met with control, empathy, which com- -Does a content analysis of the
the author in the faculty con- bine to yield a total social skill special education students
ference rooms at the high score from 39 items. Social skill ITP reveal social skills and
problem behaviors?
6 Volume 25, Number 2, Winter, 2003/Volume 25, Number 3, Spring 2003
sion forms within a week. The Career and technical edu-
-Is the mean social skill score
author met with the general cation teachers who partici-
for the general education stu-
education students as two sepa- pated in the study were given
dents significantly higher
rate groups in their respective the SSRS-T to complete for each
than the mean social skill
classrooms at each high school student in their classes who
score for the special educa-
to administer the SSRS-S. The had participated in the study.
tion students?
SSRS-S took approximately 30 The teacher assessed the stu-
-Do employers and teachers in minutes to complete. When the dent on 30 social skills and 12
career and technical educa- general education career and problem behavior items. Career
tion differ significantly in technical education students and technical education teach-
their social skills and prob- finished, the forms were col- ers received five dollars for each
lem behavior ratings of gen- lected and scored by hand. The completed SSRS-T (Gresham &
eral education students? names, locations, and contact Elliott, 1990). Teachers were
persons for each of the student’s given one week to complete the
-Do employers and teachers in
employers were obtained. The student assessments.
career and technical educa-
general education students in- Each student informed his
tion differ significantly in
dicated employment at a total of or her respective employer that
their social skills and prob-
25 businesses. they were participating in a re-
lem behavior ratings of spe-
The author administered search study. The author vis-
cial education students?
the SSRS-S to the special edu- ited the students’ place of em-
Procedures cation career and technical ployment and had the em-
education students as two sepa- ployer/supervisor read and sign
Approval for conducting the
rate groups in their classrooms an informed consent letter. The
study was obtained from the
at the high schools. The SSRS-S employer/supervisor was then
school districts in which both
forms (Gresham & Elliott, 1990) given a copy of the SSRS-T and
high schools were located.
were read to the special educa- asked to assess the 30 social
Teacher and employer approv-
tion students by the author to skills and 12 problem behavior
als were obtained for the study.
allow the students to ask ques- items based upon their obser-
A list of career and technical
tions concerning unfamiliar vance of the student employee.
education students was ob-
words. When the special educa- Although the instrument was
tained from the main office of
tion career and technical stu- designed for teachers, each em-
each high school where confi-
dents were finished, the forms ployer was informed that they
dentiality was maintained. Stu-
were collected and scored by would need to view the form as
dents were mailed an informed
hand. The names, locations, if it were based on employment
consent letter, a parent permis-
and contact persons for each of factors, e.g., coworker equals
sion form, and a student per-
the student’s employers were ob- peer and classroom equals work-
mission form. Students were
tained. The special education place. Each employer received
given a two-dollar monetary in-
students indicated employment five dollars for completing the
centive if they returned both
at a total of 25 businesses. SSRS-T instrument.
the parent and student permis-
Table 1
Social Skills Subscale Score Reliability
Social Skills Subscales
Participant Cooperation Assertion Self-Control Empathy
General Education Students .70 .69 .70 .79
Special Education Students .86 .74 .61 .72
Teachers .92 .84 .92 n/a
Employers .90 .79 .83 n/a
The Journal for Vocational Special Needs Education 7
mean differences was signifi-
cant. The SSRS-S subscale
Table 2 means, standard deviations, and
univariate F-tests are reported
Problem Behavior Subscale Score Reliability
in Table 3. The general educa-
Problem Behavior Subscales tion students reported a higher
mean empathy score than the
Participant External Internal
special education students (F =
7.08, df = 1,45, p = .01, h2 = .14).
Teachers .89 .80
The Levene tests were nonsig-
nificant, so equal variances be-
Employers .81 .74
tween the groups were assumed
for all univariate F-tests.
An independent t-test of the
Table 3 mean differences between
teachers and employers of gen-
SSRS-S Subscale Means, Standards Deviations, and
eral education students on the
Univariate F-tests
SSRS-T indicated no statistically
(General and Special Education Students) significant difference (t = -1.36,
df = 44, p = .18). A Levene’s test
Social Skills General Special Univariate p n2 of equal variances (F = .02, p =
Subscales M S M S F .90) was nonsignificant, so equal
group variances were assumed.
Assertion 13 3 12 4 1.25 .27 .03 A two-group multivariate
analysis of variance for mean
Cooperation 15 3 12 4 .17 .68 .01 differences between teachers
and employers of general edu-
Empathy 17 3 14 4 7.08 .27 .01 cation students on SSRS-T
subscales (assertion, coopera-
Self-Control 11 3 11 3 .01 .98 .001
tion, and self-control) was not
statistically significant (F = .76,
df = 3,42, p = .53). The SSRS-T
Findings cial skills or problem behaviors
subscale means, standard de-
that needed to be addressed.
The internal consistency reli- viations, and univariate F-tests
This finding implies a lack of
ability coefficients (Cronbach are reported in Table 4. The
awareness and concern for plac-
Alpha) for the SSRS-S and SSRS- Levene tests were nonsignifi-
ing social skills and problem be-
T by participants are presented cant, so equal variances be-
haviors in transition plans of
in Table 1. The reliability co- tween the groups were assumed
special education students.
efficients are consistent with for all univariate F-tests.
An independent t-test of the
those reported in the inven- An independent t-test of the
mean differences between gen-
tory manuals and related re- mean differences between
eral and special education stu-
search literature. teachers and employers of gen-
dents on the SSRS-S indicated
The internal consistency re- eral education students on prob-
no statistically significant dif-
liability coefficients (Cronbach lem behaviors indicated no sta-
ference (t = 1.17, df = 46, p = .25).
Alpha) for the SSRS-T problem tistically significant difference
A Levene’s test of equal vari-
behavior subscales by partici- (t = 1.79, df = 44, p = .08). A
ances (F = .17, p= .69) was non-
pant are presented in Table 2. Levene’s test of equal variances
significant, so equal group vari-
These reliability coefficients (F = .05, p = .83) was nonsignifi-
ances were assumed.
are consistent with those re- cant, so equal group variances
A two-group multivariate
ported in the inventory manuals were assumed.
analysis for mean differences
and related research literature. A two-group multivariate
between general and special
A content analysis of indi- analysis of variance for mean
education students on SSRS-S
vidual transition plans (ITP) for differences between teachers
subscales (assertion, coopera-
the special education career and employers of general edu-
tion, empathy, and self-control)
and technical education stu- cation students on problem be-
was statistically significant (F =
dents revealed none of the tran- havior subscales (external, in-
2.52, df = 4,42, p = .05) indicat-
sition plans indicated any so- ternal) was not statistically sig-
ing at least one of the subscale
8 Volume 25, Number 2, Winter, 2003/Volume 25, Number 3, Spring 2003
.90) was nonsignificant, so equal
group variances were assumed.
Table 4
A two-group multivariate
analysis of variance for mean
SSRS-T Subscale Means, Standards Deviations, and
differences between teachers
Univariate F-tests (Teacher and Employer rating of general
and employers of special educa-
education students) tion students on SSRS-T sub-
scales (assertion, cooperation,
Social Skills General Special Univariate p n2 and self-control) was statisti-
Subscales M S M S F cally significant (F = 2.59, df =
2,42, p = .05) indicating that at
Assertion 13 3 12 4 1.25 .27 .03 least one of the subscale mean
differences was statistically sig-
Cooperation 15 3 12 4 .17 .68 .01 nificant. The SSRS-T subscale
means, standard deviations,
Empathy 17 3 14 4 7.08 .27 .01 and univariate F-tests are re-
ported in Table 6. The Levene
Self-Control 11 3 11 3 .01 .98 .001
tests were nonsignificant, so
equal variances between the
groups were assumed for all
Table 5
univariate F-tests. Findings in-
dicated that employers rated
Problem Behavior Subscale Mean, Standard Deviation,
special education vocational
Univariate F-test (Teacher and Employer ratings of general
students higher on average in
education students) cooperation than teachers (F =
4.57, p = .04, h2 = .09).
Subscales Teacher Employer Univariate p n2 An independent t-test of the
M S M S F mean differences between
teachers and employers of spe-
External 3.04 2.74 1.83 1.97 3.00 .09 .06 cial education students on prob-
lem behaviors indicated no sta-
Internal 3.83 2.67 2.87 1.89 1.96 .17 .04 tistically significant difference
(t = 1.50, df = 46, p = .14). A
Levene’s test of equal variances
Table 6 (F = . 01, p = .92) was nonsig-
nificant, so equal group vari-
SSRS-T Subscale Means, Standard Deviations, and
ances were assumed.
Univariate F-tests (Teacher and Employer rating of special A two-group multivariate
education students) analysis of variance for mean
differences between teachers
Subscales Teacher Employer Univariate p n2 and employers of special educa-
M S M S F tion students on problem behav-
ior subscales (external, inter-
Assertion 12 5 14 5 .96 .33 .02 nal) was not statistically signifi-
cant (F = 1.32, df = 2,45, p = .28).
Cooperation 11 3 13 4 4.57 .04 .09 The subscale means, standard
deviations, and univariate F-
Self-Control 13 6 14 5 .29 .59 .01 tests are reported in Table 7.
The Levene tests were nonsig-
nificant, so equal variances be-
nificant (F = 1.79, df = 2,43, p = An independent t-test of the
tween the groups were assumed
.18). The subscale means, stan- mean differences between
for all univariate F-tests.
dard deviations, and univariate teachers and employers of spe-
F-tests are reported in Table 5. cial education students on the Conclusions
The Levene tests were nonsig- SSRS-T indicated no statistically
This study was conducted to
nificant, so equal variances be- significant difference (t = -1.42,
analyze special education stu-
tween the groups were assumed df = 46, p = .16). A Levene’s test
dents’ specific ITP-related social
for all univariate F-tests. of equal variances (F = .02, p =
skills and problem behaviors,
The Journal for Vocational Special Needs Education 9
Teachers and employers
rated special education career
Table 7 and technical education stu-
dents on assertion, cooperation,
Problem Behavior Subscale Mean, Standard Deviation,
and self-control subscales of the
Univariate F-test (Teacher and Employer ratings of special SSRS-T. Employers rated special
education students) education students significantly
higher than the teachers on the
Subscales Teacher Employer Univariate p n2 cooperation subscale. This find-
M S M S F ing pointed to an important dis-
tinction related to special edu-
cation students desire to be
External 3.25 3.29 2.08 2.80 1.75 .19 .04
more cooperative and not dis-
ruptive in the workplace than
Internal 3.79 2.48 2.83 2.30 1.93 .17 .04
general education students.
In the review of literature,
general and special education education students’ social skills the connection between social
students’ self-reported social subscale ratings for assertion, skills and vocational education
skills, and the relationship be- cooperation, and self-control has been clearly established. In
tween teacher and employer were not statistically different. transitioning students from
ratings of general education and A univariate F-test revealed school-to-work, it is important
special education students’ so- that general education students that social skill, problem behav-
cial skills and problem behav- rated themselves higher in em- iors, and vocational education
iors. Findings indicated that pathy than special education be addressed. Research indi-
special education students’ in- students. This indicated that cates that youth with disabili-
dividual transition plans did not general education students ties have difficulty finding and
contain information regarding were more concerned about keeping a job.
social skills or problem behav- another’s emotions, thoughts, To this end, transitional
iors. This finding was surpris- or feelings; possibly a high planning must be implemented
ing and pointed out a lack of school students desire to “fit in” in order to overcome these ob-
awareness and concern for the with peers. The similarity of so- stacles. The author further sug-
impact social skills and problem cial skill ratings on assertion, gests that additional research is
behaviors can have on employ- cooperation, and self-control be- needed to establish the link be-
ment when planning transition tween general and special edu- tween better social skills and
services for special education cation career and technical job success. Follow-up studies
students. The prior research lit- education students is an impor- could ascertain job longevity or
erature indicated social skills tant finding. This implies that retention, promotion, dismissal,
and problem behaviors were im- general education and special and/or job transition related is-
portant characteristics that an education students in the work- sues to determine if social
employer considers when hiring place are functioning at compa- skills training transfers to the
an employee. Black and Langone rable levels. employment setting. Finally, an
(1997) have suggested that edu- Teachers and employers evaluation of career and tech-
cators and coworkers should rated general education career nical education programs that
strive to provide opportunities and technical education stu- prepare students for the work-
in the school and in the com- dents the same on social skills place could be conducted to de-
munity for disabled students to and problem behaviors. Findings termine whether these issues
develop social skills. The con- indicated no statistically sig- are being assessed.
tent analysis finding affords a nificant mean differences in rat-
compelling argument for requir- ings on social skills, social References
ing educators to include social skills subscales, problem be- Benz, M. R., & Halpern, A. S.
skills and problem behavior as- haviors, and problem behavior (1993). Vocational and transition
sessment in ITPs. This appears subscale scores. This finding services needed and received by
to be a major concern educators pointed out a general consensus student with disabilities during
have overlooked in completing between teachers and employ- their last year of high school.
Career Development for Exceptional
ITPs (Benz & Halpern, 1993). ers on the social skills and prob-
Individuals, 16, 197-211.
The general and special edu- lem behaviors of general educa-
cation career and technical tion student employees.
10 Volume 25, Number 2, Winter, 2003/Volume 25, Number 3, Spring 2003
Binkley, K. E. (1997, November). Education of All Handicapped Act The Vocational Education Amend-
The importance of social skills of 1975, Pub. L. 94-142, 89 Stat. ments of 1968, 20 U. S.C.A. Sec.
to the employability of male vo- 773 (1975). 1241, et seq. (West 1990).
cational students with and with-
Education of the Handicapped Act U.S. Department of Labor,
out mild disabilities. (Doctoral
Amendment of 1990, Pub. L. 101- Secretary’s Commission on
dissertation, Indiana University
476, 104 Stat. 1103 (1990). Achieving Necessary Skills (1991).
of Pennsylvania, 1997). Disserta-
What work requires of schools: A
tion Abstracts International, A 58/ Elksnin, L. K., Elksnin, N., &
SCANS report for America 2000.
05, p. 1576. Sabornie, E.J. (1994). Job-related
Washington, DC: U. S. Govern-
social skills instruction of adoles-
Black, R. (1996). Work awareness ment Printing Office.
cents with mild mental retarda-
instruction for students with
tion. Journal for Vocational Special Wagner, M., Blackorby, J.,
special learning needs. The Jour-
Needs Education, 17 (1), 1-7. Cameto, R., Hebbeler, K., &
nal for Vocational Special Needs
Newman, L. (1993). The transi-
Education, 19 (1), 3-11. Forness, S.R., & Kavale, K. A.
tion experiences of young people
(1996). Treating social skill defi-
Black, R. and Langone, J. (1997). with disabilities: A summary of
cits in children with learning dis-
Social awareness and transition findings from the National Longi-
abilities: A meta-analysis of the
to employment for adolescents tudinal Transition Study of Spe-
research. Learning Disability Quar-
with mental retardation. Reme- cial Education Students. Menlo
terly, 19 (1), 2-13.
dial & Special Education, 18 (4), Park, CA: SRI International.
214-223. Frank, A. R., & Sitlington, P.L.
Wagner, M., Blackorby, J. Cameto,
(1997). Young adults with behav-
Blackorby, J., & Wagner, M. (1996). R. & Newman, L. (1993). What
ioral disorders before and after
Longitudinal postschool out- make a difference? Influences on
IDEA. Behavioral Disorders, 23
comes of youth with disabilities: postschool outcomes of youth with
(1), 40-56.
Findings from the National Lon- disabilities: The third comprehen-
gitudinal Transition Study. Ex- Gresham, F. M., & Elliott, S. N. sive report from NLTS. Menlo
ceptional Children, 62, 399-413. (1990). Social skills rating system. Park, CA: SRI International.
Circle Pines, MN: American
Blalock,G., & Patton, J. (1996). Yell, M.L., & Shriner, J.G. (1997).
Guidance Service.
Transition and students with The IDEA Amendments of 1997:
learning disabilities: Creating Individuals with Disabilities Edu- Implications for special educa-
sound futures. Journal of Learn- cation Act Amendments of 1997. tion general education teachers,
ing Disabilities, 29 (1), 7-16. [On-line]. Available: http:// administrators, and teacher
www.ed.gov/offices/OSERS/ trainers. Focus on Exceptional
Butterworth, J. & Strauch, J.
IDEA/index.html Children, 30 (1), 1-19.
(1994). The relationship between
social competence and success Krieg, F. J., Brown, P., & Ballard,
Correspondence regarding this
in the competitive work place for J. (1995). Transition: School to
persons with mental retarda- work. Bethesda, MD: The National manuscript may be directed to Dr.
tion. Education and Training in Association of School Psychologists. Michael P. Monahan, 2121 Parkside
Mental Retardation and Develop- Drive, Denton, TX 76201.
Oakland, T. (1992). School drop-
ment Disabilities, 29 (2), 118-33.
outs: characteristics and preven-
Carl D. Perkins Vocational Educa- tion. Applied & Preventive Psy-
tion Act of 1984, Pub. L. 98-524, chology, 1, 201-208
98 Stat. 2435 (1984).
Sabornie, E. J., & Beard, G. H.
Carl D. Perkins Vocational Educa- (1990). Teaching skills to students
tion and Applied Technology Edu- with mild handicaps. Teaching Ex-
cation Act of 1990, Pub. L. 101- ceptional Children, 23 (1), 35-38.
392, 104 Stat. 753 (1990).
School to Work Opportunities Act
Chadsey-Rusch, J. (1992). Toward of 1994, Pub. L. 103-239, 108
defining and measuring social Stat. 568 (1994).
skills in employment settings.
Sitlington, P. (1996). Transition to
American Journal on Mental Retar-
living: the neglected component
dation, 96 (4), 405-418.
of transition programming for in-
Digest of Education Statistics. (2001). dividuals with learning disabili-
Table 378. Unemployment rate of ties. Journal of Learning Disabili-
persons 16 years old and over, ties, 29 (1), 31-41.
by age, sex, race/ethnicity, and
The Vocational Education Act of
highest degree attainted: 1998,
1963, 20 U. S. C. A. Sec. 2301, et
1999, 2000. [On line]. Available:
seq. (West 1990).
http://nces.ed.gov/pubs2002/