Academic Integration of Hearing-Impaired Students: Demographic, Handicapping, and Achievement Factors

Statistical analyses were performed on data containing demographic, handicapping, and achievement information for 1,465 hearing-impaired students sampled from a data base created through the Annual Survey of Hearing-Impaired Children and Youth. The analyses describe and compare achievement levels, age, ethnic status, sex, hearing loss, age at onset of hearing loss, and additional handicapping characteristics of students who were integrated with hearing students during academic instruction with those of non-integrated students who received instruction in special education settings only. Results showed that the integrated students and the nonintegrated students differed with respect to their age, ethnic status, hearing loss, age at onset, and additional handicapping characteristics. They also differed with respect to their achievement levels in reading and mathematics. These achievement differences were apparent when each demographic and handicapping variable was held constant. Analysis of covariance revealed that integrated students performed significantly higher than non-integrated students, even when the other factors included in the analysis were taken into account. Although statistically significant, it was noted that integration status alone accounted for a very small proportion of achievement variation. Discussion focuses on the methodological problems in differentiating placement factors and causal effects in the study of integration as an effective educational practice.