Reading Achievement Comparison of Special Education Students Instructed Through Pull-Out Programs and In-Class Programs

Abstract

Substantial research has shown the positive effect that in-class programs have on the social development and acceptance of students with handicapping conditions. Pull-out programs, which separate students with disabilities from the main classroom, have been found to stigmatize students who are participate in them. However, little research so far has determined which approach is more effective academically. This study examines whether there is a significant difference in the reading achievement between students with handicapping conditions who receive instruction in pull-out programs and students with handicapping conditions who receive instruction in in-class programs. The pretest and posttest reading scores from the California Achievement Test (CAT) were compared between students who had participated in in-class programs and students who were part of pull-out programs. The author found that the mean pretest scores of students in in-class programs were noticeably greater than the mean pretest scores of students in pull-out programs, meaning the samples were not comparable. Further analysis determined that the students in the pull-out programs did not make significantly different reading growth than the students in the in-class programs.