An Evaluation of De La Salle Lipa’s Readiness to Respond to Different Special Needs: Basis of Proposed Program for Inclusion of Students with Special Needs
De La Salle Lipa, Philippines
ABSTRACT
As a formidable learning institution offering Bachelor of Elementary Education Major in Special Education, De La Salle Lipa (DLSL) envisions itself to be in the forefront of teacher-training and an institution that upholds its mission of providing holistic education for all. This study aimed to determine the level of readiness of DLSL to cater to students with special needs included in the regular classroom in terms of school plant facilities, teachers and staffs’ knowledge, curriculum and services they offer and programs they have. The Department of Education’s “Basic Checklist for Evaluating an Institution’s Readiness for Inclusion” was adapted as part of the questionnaires given to selected respondents including teachers and staff, administrators, students and parents. Chi-square goodness of fit test was used to determine if the DLSL respondents vary significantly in their perceived level of readiness. Results indicated that there is a marked perception among the respondents confirming the institution’s readiness for inclusion. Analysis drawn from the data gathered through the survey, follow-up interviews and focus group discussions were used as basis in drafting the proposed program for inclusion for students with special needs. Interviews with personnel from Children’s Developmental Intervention Center, Inc. (CDIC), a private institution in Lipa City which offers Individualized Education Program for children with special needs, and benchmarking with other schools which already have an existing program for inclusion were also done. These factors were instrumental to the completion of the formal program for inclusion for students with special needs which is the main contribution of this research to the institution’s mission of “teaching minds, touching hearts and transforming lives”.
KEYWORDS
Special education, inclusion, descriptive-survey, De La Salle Lipa, Philippines