Comparative Study of Parental Participation in Regular and Special Education Programs

Abstract
The purpose of this study was to determine if significantly different opinions existed between parents of regular education students and parents of special education students concerning (a) school involvement, (b) quality of instruction, and (c) equality of educational opportunity. Data were gathered from a telephone survey of 1,702 randomly selected parents. Results showed a comparable pattern of responses between parents of handicapped and nonhandicapped students. Apparently, whether a child was enrolled in regular or special education had only a negligible effect on either parent involvement or satisfaction with the schools.