Calculated Industries 4019 Materials Estimating Calculator $25.72 The Material Estimator is designed for contractors, trades people, and estimators who need to estimate materials and costs for concrete, fences, decks, bricks, tile, flooring, gravel, painting, drywall, panelling, and more. It helps users quickly and easily calculate material costs and allowances, and get exactly the materials they need. Reducing estimating errors will same time and money. Solar/b…

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Cost and Estimating Guide Vol. I: Practices & Procedures $160.00 PDCA’s Const and Estimating Guide Volume I: Practices and Procedures presents a step by step method for estimating the cost of painting and decorating work. This manual will present viable methods for those in the industry to accurately perform this important task….

DEWALT Construction Estimating Complete Handbook (Dewalt Professional Reference) $15.88 A real-world guide to success in construction estimating, the DEWALT Construction Estimating Handbook is loaded with tips, checklists, worksheets, data tables, and tutorials that will provide readers with the tools they need to effectively navigate through every step of the estimating process. The book focuses on the construction estimating “how-to” essentials and provides on-the-spot answers back…

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DEWALT Construction Estimating Professional Reference (Dewalt Trade Reference) $12.20 This unique and easy-to-understand pocket guide was developed by a real-world contractor who has perfected the art of construction estimating! The DEWALT Construction Estimating Professional Reference is the only resource individuals need for learning to successfully bid on a variety of construction projects. Chock-full of practical advice based on the author’s real-life experience in bidding co…

Instant Estimator $12.96 Labor and Material Cost EstimatingSoftware for Contractors and BuildersProduct InformationEstimate project costs quickly easily and accurately with Instant Estimator – an essential business resource for every successful contractor. When it comes to construction costs nobody likes surprises. Instant Estimator puts the tools you need for accurate cost projections right at your fingertips. Esti…

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How much does a full little league backstop cost including construction?

Need an estimate to help prepare a budget. Thanks

They can vary quite a bit. Our league in Syracuse, NY had to replace one and it ran around 1800.

DEWALT Construction Professional Reference (Dewalt Trade Reference Series) $12.15 This outstanding “answer book” is the perfect professional reference for questions concerning basic building disciplines. The DEWALT Construction Professional Reference features at-a-glance information on hardware sizing, correct nailing patterns, walls and flooring, doors and door openings, roof pitches, stairway stringers, steel, excavation, masonry, and much more! With illustrative diagrams an…

DEWALT Plumbing Professional Reference (Dewalt Trade Reference) $9.95 The DEWALT Plumbing Professional Reference is an essential resource for anyone working with plumbing systems. It covers everything users need to calculate water demand, find installation requirements, size pipes, size pumps, design drainage systems, and much more. Helpful troubleshooting guides, charts, tables, and graphs assist visually oriented users in getting the job done right the first time….

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QuickBooks Premier Contractor 2012 $249.99 Financial Management – Standard Retail – CD-ROM – PC…

RSMeans Building Construction Cost Data 2012 (Means Building Construction Cost Data) $110.33 RSMeans Building Construction Cost Data 2012 is the most used, quoted, and respected unit price guide available to the construction industry. It is the professional estimator’s first choice for reliable price data for accurate budgeting and estimating, with more than 23,000 completely updated unit price lines….

RSMeans Contractor’s Pricing Guide: Residential Repair & Remodeling 2012 (Means Residential Repair & Remodeling Costs) $23.55 RSMeans Contractor Pricing Guide: Residential Repair & Remodeling Costs 2012 provides reliable construction cost information for the residential repair and remodeling contractor, featuring total unit price costs for every aspect of the most common repair and remodeling projects. In a format organized for the way you build — from frame to finish, it covers every step needed to complete each task. …

RSMeans Square Foot Costs 2012 (Means Square Foot Costs) $104.55 RSMeans Square Foot Costs 2012 is designed to provide reliable early estimates of building costs, addressing hundreds of residential, commercial, industrial, and institutional buildings. For those preparing more detailed estimates, costs are broken down into “assemblies” component specifications and costs. This fully illustrated section simplifies component identification and pricing….

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Job Costing Software Is Key To Construction Profits

In the United States the diciest industry is construction .

Even in the best of economies more construction contractors go belly up in than not.Knowing this, many builders reason that the best solution for dealing with risk is to keep their business modest. And yet, many fail.

Nonetheless, for every failure, there is a success. What separates the winners from the losers? Job Costing software.

Using job costing software is a lot easier than most trade pros believe it to be. The Small Business Administration study that established how risky the Construction Industry is, also found that staying small increases the odds that a contractor will fail. Growth is necessary for small contractors to win.

Contractors perish because they fail to accurately supervise construction job costs. They can easily monitor job costs and develop by using construction job accounting techniques and job costing software.

Construction Job Costing Software – What Is It

You can’t know for sure that you are profitable if you don’t know what your expenses and income are for each job.

To recognize how much you actually expend and make on each job, you must directly track spendings for labor and material costs. It is also indispensable to track operating costs directly to their various jobs.Many builders can be tempted to put everything into “general overhead”. Allocating expenses to individual jobs is a fairly simple matter.

Professional job costing software and cost accounting will give you the power to:

- link an precise job estimate directly to a bill
- track precise receipts info to each customer
- take specific job material costs and break them down by client
- correlate time used to each job with actual dollar amounts
- create reports that monitor profitability on each job
- track profitability trends across jobs and time scales
- promptly find the profit leaks and secure them up fast

Using Construction Job Costing Software

Setting up a job and entering a budget for it is the initial matter you need to for precise use of job costing software. You already do this task when you produce your detailed estimate, like the kind you make using the National Estimator Construction Cost estimating software (see your trades’ current National Estimator at www.Contractor-City.com/nat20esandco.html ).

An estimate is never a single figure, but actually a series of smaller numbers, each estimate distinguishing a different area of the project. Each phase has a sub-budget for labor, equipment, subcontracts, material, and a miscellaneous general category. Unit cost estimating lets you to get well-defined bids in. There is also a category classified as ‘burden’, that distributes the cost of the operation back to the job by tallying a percentage of the general and administrative overhead. You can quickly work out if every job is exercising its fair share of paying for the business as a whole by using job costing software.

Budgets and Job Costing Software

Setting up a job budget is easy. Much of the work is done at the estimating phase. The Construction Specification Institute (CSI) has made an easy job cost numbering system called the CSI Cost Code to help contractors budget and track costs.

You can easily import any estimate using your National Estimator straight into Quickbooks (find help with Quickbooks for Contractors at www.Contractor-City.com/cogutoqupro22.html ). Enter your subcontractor bills and vendor invoicing, your payroll, and then your customer billings as you normally do into your Quick Books accounting software. Your costs will be being kept track of as they are accrued.

Good job costing software uses accrual accounting. Accrual accounting is a technique that acknowledges your expenses as they are incurred, instead of waiting until you get paid. You can use accrual accounting by using products from accounting software companies like QuickBooks. As you enter each cost, you assign it a CSI Cost Code. This way, your true job costs are compared, tracked and compiled immediately to the budgeted costs. Forecasting the completion costs for each code is possible using very top of the line construction job costing software.

Do You Really Need Expensive Job Costing Software?

Even without this high-tech forecasting, using modestly priced job costing software with job cost accounting allows deep peace of mind for builders, as it supplies current, detailed true cost information. If costs in any area go into overrun, the builder has time to stop, work out what the trouble is and fix it. This way, you can minimize time and money harm, and increase your profitability. Using construction job costing software and job cost accounting every day, as a regular part of the process, is obligatory to all successful contractors. It allows management to effectively control costs through monitoring. Job costing software reduces risk, builds profitability and guarantees success.

Job Costing Software is the Key To Success

Job costing software is much more than a simple tool that construction contractors require in order to avoid catastrophe, it’s the straightforward key to their success. Contractors that don’t use job costing software are either lucky or bankrupt. Do you want to bet your future on luck?

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Other useful pages:
How To Save Your Construction Business Using Job Costing Software

About the Author

Dennis Reyes writes about construction. He hopes you find this article useful and encourages you to explore all the resources available at www.Contractor-City.com

Anyone know where to get these?

I need e-books about construction estimates(quantity of materials such as sand, CHB and the likes) for my studies, i want to know how they do estimates.

If you want FREE try googling this

ELSEVIER Referex Engineering, Complete Collection Torrent

Download utorrent first then download the specific book you need

Sorry but I cant post the exact link, i think its copyrighted

But if you are willing to pay then…

www.contractor-books.com/Estimating.htm

or google construction estimates book

Construction Business Lumber Takeoff Advice – Contractor Facts

QuickBooks Premier Contractor 2012 $249.99 Financial Management – Standard Retail – CD-ROM – PC…

Calculated Industries 4019 Materials Estimating Calculator $25.72 The Material Estimator is designed for contractors, trades people, and estimators who need to estimate materials and costs for concrete, fences, decks, bricks, tile, flooring, gravel, painting, drywall, panelling, and more. It helps users quickly and easily calculate material costs and allowances, and get exactly the materials they need. Reducing estimating errors will same time and money. Solar/b…

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RSMeans Building Construction Cost Data 2012 (Means Building Construction Cost Data) $110.33 RSMeans Building Construction Cost Data 2012 is the most used, quoted, and respected unit price guide available to the construction industry. It is the professional estimator’s first choice for reliable price data for accurate budgeting and estimating, with more than 23,000 completely updated unit price lines….

RSMeans Contractor’s Pricing Guide: Residential Repair & Remodeling 2012 (Means Residential Repair & Remodeling Costs) $23.55 RSMeans Contractor Pricing Guide: Residential Repair & Remodeling Costs 2012 provides reliable construction cost information for the residential repair and remodeling contractor, featuring total unit price costs for every aspect of the most common repair and remodeling projects. In a format organized for the way you build — from frame to finish, it covers every step needed to complete each task. …

RSMeans Square Foot Costs 2012 (Means Square Foot Costs) $104.55 RSMeans Square Foot Costs 2012 is designed to provide reliable early estimates of building costs, addressing hundreds of residential, commercial, industrial, and institutional buildings. For those preparing more detailed estimates, costs are broken down into “assemblies” component specifications and costs. This fully illustrated section simplifies component identification and pricing….

Cost and Estimating Guide Vol. I: Practices & Procedures $160.00 PDCA’s Const and Estimating Guide Volume I: Practices and Procedures presents a step by step method for estimating the cost of painting and decorating work. This manual will present viable methods for those in the industry to accurately perform this important task….

Primavera SureTrak Project Manager 3.0 $750.00 Aimed at those who won’t put up with limits in their project management software, Primavera SureTrak 3.0 provides an excellent all-around package for getting control of time, resources, and budget. With excellent built-in Web and collaborative capabilities, this is a program that can simplify any busy manager’s life. To get started, SureTrak 3.0 bundles the KickStart tool, which lets even tho…

Instant Estimator – Labor and Material Cost Estimating $7.99 Instant Estimator calculates the costs of your building or engineering project before you begin! Eliminate cost over-runs due to labor and materials. The money you save by estimating your very first job will pay for the program. Build your estimate with over 4,000 items predefined for you including their cost and time required for labor. Edit and customize plus download updated material prices. …

Tips to Save Swimming Pool Construction Cost

Swimming pool construction costs vary depending on the size of pool you want installed, the material used, the complexity of design, the area you live in. Here are some general tips to help you cut on construction cost.

The contract you sign with your builder can be the most important step in building a swimming pool. It should provide specific information about the pool you are going to have built.

Make sure the dealer has a CSP Certified Service Professional on staff. The National Spa & Pool Institute trains, tests and retests pool service technicians before certifying them as service professionals and designating them as CSP Certified Service Professionals.

Ask the pool builder for a list of customer references. Contact those people and ask them how they felt about the entire pool building process, before and after the sale.

Beware of any swimming pool contractor who requires a substantial down payment, or who wants high percentages of the contract paid before much work has been done.

Never pay in cash. Use checks or money orders only. As far as a down payment, never pay more than 10 percent of the estimated price, or $1,000, whichever amount is lowest. The amount a pool/spa contractor can collect before starting may be even lower in your state. Pay only when you are satisfied that each phase has been completed to your satisfaction.

 Hold the final 10 percent until you have received and reviewed the contractor’s completion notice. A release of lien from each subcontractor and building supplier (You don’t want a nasty surprise when you sell your home.) An approval from the local building or safety department.

Always compare prices and services of several contractors before you begin.

Get all your bids in writing, and then compare them. Make sure the bid specifies the materials to be used, including quantity, brand, size, color, etc. Don’t forget to include the clean-up costs.

The lowest bid is not always the best. All warranties offered by the contractor for labor and materials should be in writing as well. Also, request the written warranties from all equipment manufacturers.

Ask your contractor for the latest products, and if they could be cost-effective for the future.

Additional features such as tiling, waterfalls, etc will cost extra for the contractor to provide. Ask about the costs of these extra features you require when asking for a quote.

When choosing a pool heater or lighting, make sure it works efficiently.

Split your lighting systems on larger pools to reduce unnecessary lighting and costs.

You can use a cover on your swimming pool to minimize evaporation and reduce heating costs.

  Install a solar powered heating system.

  Install solar lights around your pool.

Save energy and time by selecting a larger filter versus a standard filter size. A larger filter reduces backpressure buildup, which helps your pump. You also do not have to clean your filter as often, saving you valuable time.

About the Author

Sonu Shah Currently Working as marketing executive for California swimming pool builders provides detailed information on swimming pool plans.

I am thinking of building a home, could people tell me if these are good estimates for construction cost?

I am thinking of building this home http://www.houseplans.com/plan_Details.asp?id=2160 in Wisconsin. The plan costs $1,060. I did cost estimates and the total construction costs ranged from $225,000 to $275,000 (because I fiddled around with some building material and building options). Would you say this is a good estimate?

Acermill is correct, those numbers are not good. Also keep in mind that you do not get to fiddle much with materials, those are building code.

Also, put aside about 10k for an architect if you buy those plans. If the planning department requires any change, no matter how small, you need new plans, signed and stamped by an architect. You will end up with 6-7 complete plans before you are done.

Personally I think you will be better off hiring an architect in your county in the first place (building rules are by county, so you may as well hire there).

Construction Cost Estimating Software

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Hottest Jobs in the Construction Industry

All thanks to the ever-increasing population, people are demanding more of everything, food, water, clothing and perhaps the most important of them all, shelter. It is the constant demand for houses, office buildings and other structures that is creating a demand for jobs in the construction industry. However, when we talk about construction, the only image that comes to our mind is the one of laborers working away with heavy equipment. Although this is true, there is definitely more to the jobs being offered in this industry. Actually, the construction industry comprises of many assignments, which come together to form a Construction Project.

The overall designing aspect in the construction industry is becoming very popular among the job seekers. In this respect, the design team would include the following job profiles:

Architects: The architect usually advises the construction contractor by preparing drawings and instructions with respect to the planned structure. The average income of the architect may range anywhere from $65000 to $75000. Architectural firms are always on the lookout for new talent and architects can also progress into high paying fields like real estate, project management, etc.

Surveyors: Civil engineering is incomplete without the aspect of surveying involved. Surveying is nothing but using scientific methods in order to determine the area and the feasibility of the construction project. This simply means that the surveyors form the brain by determining the points, angles and distance of the construction site. The average salary of the surveyor ranges from $55000 to $65000.

Construction Engineers: This job profile involves a lot of planning, including structural planning and its development, etc. However, due to the safety concerns in the construction industry, the construction engineers usually tend to focus more upon the paper work like viewing and studying the contracts, keeping a check on the available Construction Materials, etc. The average salary of the construction engineer ranges from $50000 to $55000.

Safety Manager: This is one of the most responsible jobs out there in the construction industry. Safety is main concern on construction sites due to the accident-prone nature of the work involved. The Construction Safety manager is responsible for maintaining and keeping the safety of the workers in mind, especially during the construction work. He has to make sure that he maintains the safety standards according to the rules and the regulations that have been prescribed by the State or the District Safety departments.

The construction safety manager is also supposed to monitor the safety and the health issues of the workers, which are covered under the company’s health policy. Another duty of the construction safety manager is to investigate any construction related accident, especially those arising out of working with heavy equipment and machinery like bulldozers, cranes, etc. The average salary of a construction safety manager ranges from $75000 to $85000.

There are many more fields that you can set your eyes on, namely Construction Accounting, Construction Estimating, Construction Management, etc. The jobs in the Construction Business are most sought after, all thanks to the construction industry aiming at the construction of government offices/buildings, residential complexes and last not but the least, construction of highways and other roads. Thanks to all of these factors, the job market in the construction industry is witnessing a double-digit growth, which makes the construction industry one of the most sought after job markets in the 21st century.

About the Author

Heavy Equipment School, National Training is fully accredited by the DETC. We offer training programs for various Heavy Equipment that employers want. Talk to a Heavy Equipment career councilor for free (limited time) by visiting our website http://www.earthmoverschool.com.

What are Take off Estimates in construction and how long does it usually take do finish one?

Take off estimates is where you hand a contractor a blue print, and he tells you what he can build the home for.

This is usually put into a contract, both parties signing, and the construction begins.

They can take as long as a month to get back.

Power Takeoff and Construction Estimating Digitizer

Estimating for Residential Construction $108.95 Author: David Pratt Estimating for Residential Construction offers a concise introduction to residential estimating processes and to the steps involved in accurately preparing a cost estimate. Author David Pratt uses clear, straightforward language to describe the basic arithmetic of residential construction work, along with logical explanations of how to prepare takeoffs. Readers will learn how t…

RSMeans Building Construction Cost Data 2012 (Means Building Construction Cost Data) $110.33 RSMeans Building Construction Cost Data 2012 is the most used, quoted, and respected unit price guide available to the construction industry. It is the professional estimator’s first choice for reliable price data for accurate budgeting and estimating, with more than 23,000 completely updated unit price lines….

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How to Grab a Career in Residential or Commercial Construction

Construction is a never ending process. Each day, thousands of commercial and residential buildings are constructed worldwide. As long as construction exits, the demand for the Carpentry & Construction professionals will be on the rise. Getting trained in Carpentry & Construction is the easiest way to get into the careers in residential/ commercial construction.

The Associate Degree in Carpentry and Construction Technology

People often have a misconception that carpentry cannot be considered as a professional qualification. The true fact is that, by joining the carpentry and construction technology programs, one can earn an associate degree. Carpentry is a complicated process and needs proper training. It is the carpenter who shapes the lumbar into homes and businesses. People often refer the carpenter as a craftsman. These craftsman skills can be gathered by joining the associate degree in Carpentry and Construction Technology.

What is taught in Associate Degree in Carpentry and Construction Technology?

The students of this associate degree program can learn the much needed skills to get into entry level careers in carpentry and construction technology. Tools and Safety, Blueprint Reading, Construction Site work, Floor Framing, Wall Framing, Roof Framing, Drywall Installation and Finish, Interior Millwork, Cost Estimating, Construction Contracts, Construction Remodeling, Cabinet Making, Related Trades, Stair Construction, Exterior Finishes, and Roofing Techniques are the areas covered in this associate degree program.

The Career Opportunities

As already mentioned, the demand for skilled carpentry and construction professionals is really high today. The careers in carpentry are of two types such as commercial and residential. Your career depends upon the degree program that you choose. Residential carpentry and construction technology sometimes requires fewer skills when compared to the commercial one. Hence if you wish to get into a career in construction technology quickly, a degree in residential construction and carpentry technology will be the best option. There are some training schools where the students will be taught with both residential and commercial construction technologies.

The Best Carpentry Trade Schools

Though the Carpentry Trade Schools are available everywhere today, the Pennsylvania Carpentry Trade Schools are considered to be some the best ones. These Construction schools are familiar with various contractors and carpentry associations and they are able to offer great placement assistance to the students who have successfully completed the degree program. The success rate of the students graduated in the Pennsylvania Carpentry Trade Schools is really very high.

Bottom line

The associate degree will help you to get in to entry level careers easily. Associate degree holders in Carpentry & Construction Technology have great opportunities to advance in their career. They can easily pursue higher education to move on in their career in construction technology.

About the Author

The author of this article is an experienced career advisor. He knows the importance of Associate Degree for ones career progress. When it comes to the best diploma programs, he recommends Pennsylvania Carpentry Trade Schools. He knows the fact that graduates from triangle-tech will be able to get into an aspiring career instantly.

Dose anyone have any idea of rough estimate fees from engineers in Southern California?

I’m planning to design & build a log cabin in Southern California; with residential characteristics in the project; wondering if anyone with first hand expirience knows of engineer fees: such as fees from Electrical, Plumbing, & Stuctural Engineers; in as far as plan reviews/drawings/cunsulting fees/paper work: I will be drawing the plans myself; they need to cordinate w/ my plans (I’m an architectural draftsman; using CAD) & I will cordinate w/my logging company’s log plans; wanting to leave the architect out of my venture. Plans: 1600-2010 square feet; two story, 2 ded, 2 bath. My request based on design aspects of the engineers; not the building/construction portion: aiming to shoot for a custom log home that needs to go thru the/my City/County. Any advice, tips, or shortcuts anyone can give me I would really appriciate it. Thanks.

You’re looking for a structural with seismic experience, even I would call the building department and ask them what they will require from you for a building permit – do you need stamped plans, calculations and plans, a letter, or is there a prescriptive approach you can use to demonstrate equivalence and compliance. You’d also like to know their interpretation of the seismic zone (this will be UBC and out of date, but zone zero is good news, zone four is bad news), snow load (if applicable) and frost depth, and wind speed. This will save the engineer some work and as you’re intending to act as architect you can help out as much as you can.

I personally detest “the other guy does the drafting” projects because you really haven’t any control over the quality of the drawings because you’re not drawing them, so at the end of the project you’ve worked all these situations out and they’re not drawn right, so what do you do? Well, you refuse to stamp the plans until they’re to your satisfaction. you can always ask the structural engineer for their preference.

In terms of structural parlance, you’re looking for a structural engineer with experience in heavy timber (or timber) construction. Does the company you’re working with have anyone they have used in the past?

I don’t know why plumbing, electrical would be different from a normal house. Any book on house planning should be able to give you estimates for this work, and they are typically done to NEC and the plumbing code, require licensed contractors for the work and that’s about it, besides showing where the sinks, toilets, and electrical outlets are on the drawings, the wiring and connectors is left to the electrician / plumber. Don’t skimp on them. They’re worth it if you don’t want overflowing toilets and electrical fires. I’m not going to say those are engineers, they are more typically tradesman when dealing with a house – but get licensed guys who went through trade school.

Structurally, the cost might be, might be, something like 1-5%of the cost of the project. The architectural fees you’re avoiding can be benchmarked around 3-8% of a project, with the engineer’s fee “inside” that. In the interest of full disclosure, you might want to find a structural engineer who is also an architect (there are some, they’re rare), or tell the engineer you need them to act as prime/lead because there will be no architect. (you only need them to act as prime for the drawing phase, it sounds like you have a contractor lined up for construction, this isn’t as bad as it sounds, I’m thinking a sheet of details from the engineer and the rest – electrical, architectural, plumbing – you draw, they just show the details and size the timbers as needed, maybe one or two stamped drawings).

You can try looking around the american wood council, or the american institute of timber construction, or the american forest & plywood association (AFPA, I’m not solid on the words). For references.

There is a timber construction standard that recently came out, unfortunately I don’t remember who published it. (meaning – you might be able to do a prescriptive structure and bypass the engineer too, as long as things are built within the permitted limitations of that standard, if your building department will accept it).

My understanding from a ‘large wood’ home contractor is he’s pretty displeased with the inconsistency of plans between engineers and at the time was looking for someone to give more of a business commitment to one engineer so all the drawings and means of construction/attachment were relatively consistent, and I don’t know how that worked out for him. (I pointed, I don’t have liability insurance for that and won’t take on outside work without it, maybe in a few years I’ll try it out on my own, but the prediction is that housing in 2008 is going to be the worst year since 1985 – you might find some really hungry contractors eager to build for a competitive price – just remember you’ll need to provide supervision and be actively involved in the construction). The guy I talked to did sandwich panel houses with timber frames, not the same as what you’re trying to get, but if you’re desperate, I’d suggest calling the contractors and asking them who they’ve worked with – their biggest annoyance is the guy to talk to and give consideration to what they say.

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Cooperation Between Teachers And Special Teachers In An Inclusive School

ABSTRACT

The research focuses on cooperation between special needs teachers and the regular teachers, the major objectives of the research were; to determine teacher opinion on cooperation in inclusion, to determine the factors that impede cooperation in the integrated environments and to determine the most suitable model for cooperation.

The research employed the use of secondary and primary resources. Secondary resources were necessary in understanding the models of cooperation in the inclusive classroom. Primary research was used to achieve all the three objectives. The research involved the use of observations and interviews. There were ten schools considered for the interview. Sampling was done in accordance with the following criteria; presence of cooperation between special needs and regular teachers in the inclusive classroom, willingness of the participants to take part in the research, availability of one of the four inclusion models, availability of inclusion from five years or more and type of school i.e. it had to be a primary school. If a school met these criteria, then two teachers were chosen for the interview and one of them had to be a regular teacher while the other had to be a special needs teacher.

It was found that special needs teachers had the least preference for cooperation in the inclusive classroom. It was also found that the factors that affected special needs teachers in the process of cooperation were experience, lack of clarified roles in the integrated environment and poor support structures from the school administration. Additionally, the regular teachers cited experience, domination by special needs teachers, poor support structures, lack of training and the special needs child’s requirements as the main impediments to cooperation between them. The research also found that the most effective model for implementing cooperation between special needs and regular teachers in inclusion is through the integrating-classes model.

INTRODUCTION

The process of cooperation between regular teachers and special educators is called co-teaching. Here, the two professions work hand in hand in order to deliver knowledge to a specific group. Normally such a group is characterised by students who have diverse learning needs. The main advantages of collaboration between regular and special needs teachers can be summarised as follows;

• Supports the regular teacher as a professional
• Reduces or eliminates stigmatisation for special needs children
• Improves the inclusive program
• Creates a diverse instructional environment (Avramidis et al, 2000)

The issue of collaboration between the two types of teachers improves service delivery because it allows children with special needs to benefit from the provisions of the general curriculum; a concept that cannot be achieved if those special needs children do not get effective support. It should be noted that co-teaching can only be successful if the special needs teachers and the regular teachers both have good judgment and also if they exercise flexibility in the inclusion process. Teachers who plan on working with one another need to be prepared for that by training. On top of that, they also need to have support from the administration. This means that they ought to be given the right opportunities to co-teach or to create relationships with one another. Cooperation between the two types of teachers can only be effective if those respective professionals implement and plan the inclusive program effectively. On top of that, it is only possible if these two categories of teachers communicate well with one another; they need to do this regularly and clearly. In light of all the latter requirements for success, it is necessary to examine whether the respective parties have adhered to these parameters. (Hannah, 1998) Therefore, research in this area of inclusive education is important so as to reveal what is actually happening on the ground. By examining the level of cooperation between special education teachers and mainstream teachers, one can pinpoint the problems and gaps in implementation. In effect, the research will offer guidelines on what can be done to improve the educational experience of special needs children.

The issue of inclusion presents numerous challenges to stakeholders involved in the process. Concerns such as teacher training, curriculum changes, parental role and effective administration of inclusion need to be examined and the most feasible approaches taken. Experts have suggested a number of remedies that can ensure that special needs children can fit well into the integrated environment. Some of these suggestions affect the category of mainstream teachers and special teachers. (Clouch, P and Lindsay, 1991)

Team formation between the two types of teachers has been suggested as an alternative towards making inclusion successful. Additionally, others have asserted that special needs teachers need to look at a special needs child’s individual problem; these problems may include anxieties or use of wrong strategies in the past. Alternatively, it is possible for special needs teachers to collaborate with mainstream teachers in the preparation process of working with a special needs child and seek the best solution towards dealing with these children. All the latter issues have been considered and implemented in inclusive schools. It is therefore appropriate to examine all the available approaches and ascertain whether they are working currently. By conducting research in this field, it is possible to asses which models of implementation are appropriate and what factors affect the implementation of these models. (Forlin, 1995)

By examining the issue of cooperation between special needs teachers and regular teachers, it will be possible to bring out some of the impediments to inclusion. Matters such as having a positive attitude towards working with special needs children, being ready for such a concept, getting support from the overall school management and comprehensive description of problems facing the inclusive program can go a long way in ascertaining that inclusion thrives in mainstream schools.

Research question

Overall Hypotheses

‘Certain approaches in inclusion are more effective at achieving cooperation between teachers than others.’

Specific objectives

The research will examine the following research questions hence when reworded, they can be considered as the specific objectives

1)      What are the opinions of special needs teachers and regular teachers on cooperation?

2)      What factors impede cooperation between regular and special needs teachers in inclusive schools?

3)      What are the most effective models of implementing collaboration programs between regular and special education teachers?

The first research question is particularly important because one must pinpoint the least cooperative party. Owing to the fact that mainstream teachers and special education teachers undergo different training and have different teaching approaches, it is quite possible to find that one party may not fully support the idea of collaboration. In such cases, one category of teachers may feel superior to the other and may not value cooperation. (Killer and Flem, 2000) Consequently, assessment of their opinions is necessary in order to highlight the ineffective party and thus nip the problem in the bud. Since it is rather difficult for either party to state directly that they oppose collaboration with one another, then the most appropriate method of assessing this research hypothesis is through observation. The method involves third parties that can form their own opinions about the matter. Since this is a sensitive issue, teachers may not give their honest opinion and it is therefore necessary to use an approach that does not rely solely on their word of mouth. However, it is also important to get feedback from the respective candidates in order to have a starting point. Consequently, their opinions ought to be sought through interviews. (Veal and Ticehurst, 2000)

The second research question involves determining the factors that impede cooperation between special needs teachers and special education teachers. The solution to this question is imperative in inclusive education because it will assist teachers in implementing inclusive education programs by making them aware of the real issues behind their lack of collaboration. On top of that, it will assist administrators and other inclusive education stakeholders in the process of training teachers. Additionally, it will make the inclusive classroom more satisfactory to the special needs child. This research question will be addressed through two approaches; observation and interviews. The interviews will give a teacher’s perspectives on the most significant impediments to inclusion. Additionally, the research question will be assessed through observation. This method can complement interviews in that it allows an external party to look at the inclusive classroom in a fresh perspective. (Babbie, 2005)

The third research question involves an assessment of the best inclusive model for collaboration between special educators and mainstream teachers. This will be instrumental in giving teachers and administrators a direction as to which framework is necessary in the process of inclusion. This will also act as guide for them in the inclusive classroom. The latter research question will be assessed through observation. This is because the question is of an analytical nature. Consequently, using a secondary party to seek answers is more proficient than relying on the subjects themselves. This particular question is very technical. As a result, the person solving this question ought to have a thorough knowledge of the available co-teaching strategies available. While a sizeable number of teachers know and implement collaborative models, other teachers may not, consequently asking them (through interviews) about their schools’ model may not be feasible. Observation is therefore very effective in this case. (Waring, 2000)

METHODOLOGY

Research design

There are two major types of research cycles that one can choose from i.e. the design cycle and the empirical cycle. This particular study involved the use of the latter cycle. This cycle entails five major steps that can be outlined as follows; identification of research goals, outlining the research design, collecting data, analysing data and reporting the findings. (Sayer, 1992)

This type of research cycle is applicable in two types of situations, that is when trying to test the validity of existing theory and also when trying to come up with new theories. This research will encompass both ascertaining new theories and also verification of existing theory. The issue of determining opinion of the different types of teachers on collaboration will entail development of new theory. On the other hand, finding out which factors impede cooperation between special needs and regular teachers will involve use of existing theories. It should be noted that the same applies to determination of the most effective model of cooperation among teachers.

After verifying the research questions and the steps that the overall design will take, it is necessary to lay out details of the research design. This involves the research philosophy, research strategies and research approach. These steps were explained by Saunders et al (2003) as research layers and were laid out in five steps. The latter authors believed that one should start with the outermost layer and then work their way to the innermost layers. The research philosophy is the outermost layer. In this particular research, the research philosophy that governed the outcome was the reality philosophy. This means that there was the belief that data collection and explanation ought to employ similar approaches. Additionally, it also encompassed the view that there is an external element to the theory in use.

The research approach in this particular study was governed by deductive and not inductive reasoning. This is as a result of the fact that the largest part of the study encompassed the use of pre-existing theories. Data collection was based upon pre-existing theories. At first, theories were established then the implementation of those theories was analysed. It should however be noted that the research also had some elements of inductive reasoning but these instances were fewer compared to deductive cases. Shown below is a summary of the research onion process.

Research Philosophy

Positivism                                                             Realism                                                     Interpretivism

Research Approach

Deductive                                                                                                                                      Inductive

Research Strategies

Comprehensive interviews        Analysis of observations                                        Grounded Theory

Time Horizon

Cross-Sectional                                                                                                                        Longitudinal

Data Collection Methods

Sampling                       Secondary Data                      Observation                      Evaluation of the results

Source: Saunders et al (2003): The Research process onion; Prentice Hlall

The next layer is the research strategy. This normally occurs through the exploration phase. In this case, it encompassed studying the behaviour of respondents in observation studies. It also encompassed an in-depth understanding of other sensitive issues through interviews. Thereafter, the research was characterised by the testing phase. In this case, it involved the assessment of the research methodology to test the research question. Since this research involves theory application, then action research (manipulating and changing variables) was not part of the research strategy because it may interfere with the results. This occurs as a result of intervention by the researcher. (Meyers et al, 2005)

The time horizon in this case was a cross-sectional rather than a longitudinal one. The interviews and observation aspects of data collection were done within a specific time frame. Consequently, it was plausible to place these studies within a specific time scale. Additionally, the research is not focusing on development or change, it is simply studying the occurrences at any one time. Since the research only encompasses validation of the research methodology, then it was best to use a cross sectional time horizon. (Sandoval, 1996)

Data collection is the last aspect of the research onion. This aspect encompasses examining issues surrounding reliability and validity of the data. The use of interviews as a method of data collection was appropriate in qualitative research. This is because it allowed an in-depth understanding of the prevailing circumstances and this unravelled some issues that I may not have been familiar with prior to the research. On the other hand, the reliability of interviews comes into play because measuring some of the elements revealed in the interview process can be difficult. There is a tendency for respondents to give answers that do not relate to the question. On top of that, it is possible that respondents may modify their answers to please the interviewer. Similarly, the use of observation methods can also bring problems in trying to ascertain their reliability owing to the fact that most of the findings are limited to the opinions and biases held by the observer. (Davenport et al, 1999)

Data collection must be done in such a way that it ensures construct validity. This involves using multiple sources of information. In this case, the research combined observation, interviews and secondary sources. By combining both secondary and primary sources, the research’s validity was ascertained. Internal validity is another aspect that needs to be considered. It refers to process of developing sound arguments for the results obtained. In this case, the research should refrain from reflexivity which occurs when the respondents give answers expected of them. Additionally, recall biases and pre-conditioned answers from the participants should also be taken into account. These aspects were all incorporated in the research. External validity is another aspect that should be ensured in the data collection phase. This involved comparing results to the external environments. This was ensured by validating the testing phase. All the latter aspects ensured that the research process was a successful. (Yates, 2004)

Procedures

The research mostly involved the process of observation. Here, the most useful instrument was the eyes and a camera as a recording instruments. The research mainly focused on the activities in the inclusive classroom with regard to special needs and mainstream teachers who were working together. (Sandoval, 1996)

Despite the fact that the research questions may involve a wide range of activities, it was necessary to narrow down the activities that ought to be the most important to the research. In this case, the activities observed in the inclusive classroom included; student performance of tacks, discipline within the classroom and consultation between special needs and regular teachers among others. However, owing to the fact these activities may be too many, then it was crucial to select a small portion of them. In other words, the observational methods involved sampling techniques from the numerous range of activities recorded within the survey. (Forline et al, 1996)

The research was partly exploratory and partly hypothesis based. The first research objective that focuses on determining teacher attitude towards collaboration within the inclusive classroom was largely exploratory. This is because little research has been done on the issue of cooperation between the two parties. Consequently, there were very few research models that can govern this research question.

The second research question involving determining factors that impede collaboration between regular and special needs teachers was hypothesis based. This is because there are some existing hypothesis on the cause and effects of cooperation between these two types of teachers. The purpose of the research will be to ascertain that these factors are indeed true. In other words, the research was verifying the hypothesis on the research question. In this case, the hypothesis was that there are factors that impede cooperation between special educators and regular teachers. The observation was done in order to ascertain which factors carry most weight. The most important things to watch out for with regard to this research questions are teacher behaviour in the classroom and the outcome of their behaviour i.e. whether it is positive or negative. (Sayer, 1992)

The last research question involves determining the most effective model for implementing inclusive education. In this regard, the observation will be hypothesis based. There are a variety of models set out by certain individuals, consequently, the most effective ones are the ones that yield the best outcomes in the inclusive classroom.

The observation was done in its original setting i.e. it was non systematic observation where interference is not eliminated out of the research. This is because when one tries to eliminate possible disturbances, then can alter the outcome of the research. By trying to study collaboration between special education teachers and regular teachers, it would be most effective to analyse this process in its natural environment because any attempt to make the inclusive classroom ‘more conducive’ for research would simply give false inferences.

It should be noted that non-systematic observation may sometimes be too slow. This is because it involves eliminating all the possible assumptions and theories one holds true. It also entails taking in all the things that the researcher observes as they start with the research. No activity is ignored as it may important. After the researcher has familiarised themselves with the subject, this is when they can begin deducing the most important occurrences. If the research was to follow such a routine, then chances are that the research will take too long. In this case, the research involved some pre-conceived ideas, consequently, it would be necessary to establish whether these ideas are actually true. Therefore, not all the activities will be important in the survey. (Glaser and Strauss, 1967)

In specific terms, the research was also done through a consulting-type observation. Here, the participants of the research aired out their thoughts and ideas. This is important because sometimes the parties may forget that they are involved in a research and may do or say things that do cannot be easily understood by the researcher. In order to minimise interference if the activities under study, it was necessary to tell the participants about this at the beginning of the research. Consequently, the students, special educators and regular teachers involved in the observations will be expected to think aloud.

Due to the fact that human beings tend to act unnaturally when they are being observed. In order to achieve results that display people in their natural environment, then the research involved a recording device i.e. a digital camera. Teachers could go on doing what they normally do without having the feeling that they are being watched all the time. However, the disadvantage of this method is that subjects may not do what is required in the study. Consequently, I prompted the class to conduct certain activities prior to the research then left the room. The other advantage of using a camera for this study is that it allowed a thorough analysis of the events that occurred in the classroom even days after the observation. This is sometimes very difficult when direct observation is done since the observer may have difficulties recording every single aspect of the session all at once. (Easterby-Smith et al, 2002)

Interviews

The research also involved qualitative interviews. The purpose of the interview is to generate insights about the impediments to cooperation in the inclusive environment. The interview was also crucial in assessment of teacher’s opinions towards collaboration with one another. While the former aspect can be studied through observation of the inclusive classroom, such an approach may not fully give all the factors because some issues cannot observed on face value. As matter of fact, most of the time, the factors that impede cooperation between the two parties can only be found outside the classroom. Consequently, conducting an interview would be an effective method of bringing out some of these factors. On top of that, the interview is personal in nature and helped in the process of revealing some hidden truths. (Easterby-Smith et al, 2002)

In particular, the interview was conducted through the qualitative interview process. In this case, questions were laid out prior to the research. The major advantage of such an approach is that it guided the interview process so that the discussion was not haphazard. In the qualitative interview process, the interviewer holds the highest form of control because he/she is the one that determine the responses in the interview. In this research method, the interviewer ensures that the research will remain focused thus bringing about better results in the end. Additionally, it is essential that the interviewer encourages personal opinions as much as possible. This means that participants ought to describe their experiences in their own ways rather than being directed by prompts from the interviewer. Consequently, there will be obligations on both sides of the coin. The interviewer is expected to act in a certain way according to research philosophy and the interviewee is also expected to adhere to certain obligations. These were all the interviews. (Waring, 2000)

Data collection

Data was collected from a total of ten schools. Each school was an inclusive school and was located in different neighbourhoods. There were several issues that were taken into consideration before choosing a particular school. In other words, the schools were not just randomly selected. (Glaser and Strauss, 1967) Schools had to have inclusive programs that involved both the regular teachers and special needs teachers. Additionally, those schools were required to have implemented this cooperative strategies of inclusion for no less than five years. Schools that took part in the interview were also expected to take part in the research process voluntary without fear or intimidation. Additionally, the research only involved the use of primary schools as it can be tricky trying to mix results from elementary and the secondary schools together. This could possibly interfere with the outcome of the results because there are different dynamics that affect primary schools as compared to secondary schools.  (Fishbaugh, 2000)

Besides all the later criteria, it was necessary to ensure that schools were compatible to the theoretical models present in the third research question (determining which school model was most effective). Schools had to fall in either of the following categories;

The integrating class or the working-and-learning-together model; in this model, the regular teacher and the special educator stay in the classroom together and teach the class together. The second model is called the Integrated and special education help model. In this model of integration, the special needs teacher is a member of the school teaching staff and they work in between classes collaborating with various classes at different times of the day. The other model is called the mobile special educational services model. This model involves application of mobile strategies between various classrooms. This means that the special needs teacher is not part of the school staff, they are usually called by a wide range of schools to deal with specific problems. The fourth model is called the single integration model. In this model of inclusion, the special needs teacher is given specific hours of the day to deal with special needs children and thereafter; he/she leaves the rest to the regular teacher.  (Fishbaugh, 2000)

The UK is a diverse area with numerous education models. There are also a wide range of philosophies that govern these education models. It was therefore feasible to check on all the latter models in order to obtain fair representation form the participants. Of the schools chosen for interview, two schools implemented the single integration model, three schools implemented the mobile special education model, two schools implemented the special education help model and three implemented the integrating classes model.

Owing to the fact that there ere numerous aspects that were sought in the process of choosing schools then precedence was given in this order;

1)      possessing an inclusive program of cooperation with one of the four models of implementation

2)      being a primary schools

3)      have implemented inclusion for five years or more

willingly take part in the research (DeBoer, A. et al, 2000)

The schools chosen for observation were also the same ones used for interviews. Each school was represented by two teachers each. One teacher had to be a special educator while the other had to be a regular teacher. It was also necessary for the participants in the interview to have taken part in collaborative strategies in the inclusive classroom. This ascertained that they represent the rightful group and that they were talking about things which they were familiar with. (Easterby-Smith et al, 2002) It should however, be noted that two teachers from each school is a relatively low number and may not necessarily represent the views of all the teachers in the school. The purpose of the research was not to obtain representatives for particular schools; instead, it was to obtain representatives for all inclusive teachers in the nation. Consequently, most of the answers given in the interview process needed to represent the views of those respective teachers regardless of the school which they came from.

The process

For the observations, it was necessary to ensure that very little attention was given to me as the researcher, instead, more emphasis ought to be on the task at hand. To minimise these distractions, a camera was placed at the back of the class. (Villa, R. et al, 1996)

The class was informed that they had to explain what they were doing prior to the observational process. But thereafter, the two types of teachers were left to run their own show. The observations were done for a period of three days in each school. Then the last important information was collected from the recordings. The use of aids in the study was essential in ensuring that answers were given in a natural environment. (Crotty, 1998)

After recording these sessions for three days, it was then necessary to single out some particular circumstances that denoted lack of cooperation or success in cooperation depending on the nature of the classroom environment. Although it is difficult to determine opinions directly through observation, some features indicated a positive attitude. These features included;

-If both teachers gave each other room to handle the students

-If teachers took part in classroom activities at least fifty percent of the time

-If the suggestions made by one teacher were respected by the other

-If both teachers disperse reading material

-If students consider both teachers as important to the class

-Classrooms that have a controlled and conducive environment for study

-Classrooms in which special needs and regular children get the help they require

All the latter features indicate that teachers respect one another and that they are indeed capable of working together within the same environment. The reason why the latter features were chosen is that it would be very difficult for teachers to act in this manner if they had a negative attitude towards cooperation. These features will also give an indication of which model is most effective in fostering cooperation between special needs and regular teachers. Those classrooms that will appear more organised, more student friendly and more integrative will be deemed as the most successful models. On the other hand, when the classroom is disorganised with rowdy students everywhere, when children are not working together or when it appears that one teacher is dominating the other, then it will be concluded that that model of teaching is not effective for children. (Gould, J.& Gould, 1999)

The interview method chosen is a structured interview. Here, participants were expected to answer a preset series of questions. (Dixon and Pickard, 2003) The major advantage of such an approach is that the interview is more focused hence it avoids dwelling on other irrelevant issues. Thereafter, the answers that were given by respondents were then classified into certain categories. This is because there were some common features among the responses given. Precedence was given to the most similar and most common responses. This was necessary because the questions were open ended and they therefore solicited some varied responses. (Rose, D. &Smith, 1993)

It was assumed that having a positive attitude towards inclusion affected the way the teachers conducted themselves in the classroom. Consequently, this was an inference that was carried forward to a particular category of teachers. Consequently, the opinion of teacher about cooperation was assumed a predictor of the actual practices in the classroom.

The interview was also important in the process of assessing the most outstanding factors that were impeding cooperation between the teachers. Teachers were required to state which factors they felt were slowing down progress in the inclusive classroom. Additionally, there were some neutral question asked in the interview process that were garnered towards determining some of these impeding factors. For instance teachers were required to indicate how long they had worked with special needs teachers if they were regular teachers or vice versa. This was done in order to determine whether the issue of experience affected the overall outcome of collaboration. (Mingers, 2003)

On top of that, teachers were also asked about the level of support they have been receiving from the school administration. They also gave information about the kind of training they underwent before working with special needs children and hence special needs teachers. Additionally, teachers were also expected to give information about the availability of resources that help them deal with inclusion. Issues such as gender were noted to during the interview process. Besides that, interview participants were also required to give their opinion about the nature of the special needs children and how it affected their relationship with their counterparts.

Data analysis

Responses given by teachers about their opinions regarding inclusion were classified into three categories. This was a necessary classification because answers varied widely depending on the wording used by the participants. These three categories were

• Neutral to cooperation
• Oppose cooperation
• Supports cooperation

The teachers were then clustered into two groups i.e. the special educators and the regular teachers. Their positive and negative opinions were tabulated and results compared against one another in bar charts.

With regard to the factors that impede cooperation, these were analysed using two categories. Here there was an analysis of the factors that regular teachers thought was most important and there was also an analysis of what the special needs teachers thought impeded their cooperation. The most common factors were tabulated and then plotted to determine the most important ones. In this case, factors that impede cooperation were regarded as an independent variable while the category of teachers were considered as the dependent variables. These two variables were compared against one another and the factor with the highest ranking was the most influential. (Hussey and Hussey, (1997)

Ethics

The research was conducted ethically due to the following reasons. First of all, the respondents were duly informed that their participation was completely voluntary. Even when conducting the research, no individual was forced to give answers. Additionally, the participants were duly informed that their right to privacy was protected. Consequently, those who discussed sensitive issues such as blaming their superiors for failures in the inclusive classroom were protected from any victimisation. This was achieved by maintaining anonymity. In cases where school administrators wanted the results of the survey, they received them without mentioning any particular name in the process. Lastly, the research was done practically. The results given in the ‘results’ section of the report are true and are not fabricated in any way. (Mutch, 2004)

Validity

The research will improve its validity through the process of triangulation. The latter term refers to checking for truth through incorporation of a variety of methods or techniques. In this case, the research did just rely on interviews as the source of information. Additionally, it did not just involve the use of observational methods of research. The research also entailed secondary research. Here, there was an examination of some of the research done on conceptual models and frameworks for cooperation between special education teachers and regular teachers. Consequently, this allowed a cross check of the facts obtained in one form of research with that in another form. (Bell and Bryman, 2003)

Additionally, it allows an in-depth understanding of the issues of collaboration in inclusion. By doing all these, validity of the research was enhanced. It should also be noted that triangulation shifts focus from a participant’s viewpoints. This is because when the research entails only the participant’s view points then chances are that that participant may not give the researcher permission to print out the item.

RESULTS

The research found that regular teachers had a more positive opinion of collaboration than their special needs education counterparts. Of all the 10 schools chosen for the study, only three special needs teachers reported a positive attitude while the rest did not. On the other hand, seventy percent of the regular teachers asserted that they supported collaboration between themselves and the special needs teachers. Shown below is a graphical representation of these opinions

Consequently, it can be said that special needs teachers do not support collaboration with regular teachers. The findings obtained from the survey also indicated evidence that supported the latter assertions. It was found that special needs teachers were not as cooperative as the regular teachers. This can be inferred to their opinions on the matter i.e. if their classroom practices are not positive, then it is also likely that they do not fully support cooperation between the two categories of teachers. (Hughes et al, 1996)

The observational part of the research found that in five of the schools, special needs teachers seemed to control the class. They often interrupted their regular counterparts when trying to deal with a certain situation even when it was clear that the mainstream teacher could handle the challenge. For example, one child with attention deficit disorder had been instructed to complete a mathematical question. In the previous days, the child would be taken to a corner where he was required to stay there for a period of ten minutes without moving if he did not follow instructions. This normally used to work, therefore, when the regular teacher found that this child was not cooperating with her, she decided to send the child to a corner. This strategy would have worked but the special needs teacher intervened in the situation and wanted to use another strategy. The special needs teacher instructed the regular teacher to use another approach which ended up confusing the child. This regular teacher had the potential to tackle this problem alone without requiring intervention from the special needs teacher. This caused some confusion in the classroom. (Leyser et al, 1994)

Given the fact that special needs teachers were having difficulty employing their skills in some of the schools, then it can be inferred that these same teachers did not embrace the idea of cooperation within the classroom.

In the process of measuring what teachers thought about the most important factors that impede cooperation between them, it was found that they each held their own opinions as revealed in the interview. The following were some of the factors indicated by the teachers;

The first aspect pointed out by eighty percent of the mainstream teachers was the issue of domination by their special needs counterparts. The mainstream teachers explained that special needs teachers treated them as inferior colleagues within the classroom. Most of them asserted that special needs teachers thought regular teachers knew nothing about the pedagogy and that they could tutor them on the matter. Another factor that was mentioned by fifty percent of the special needs teachers was the issue of experience. They felt that the longer someone worked with a special needs teacher, the easier it was to work well together and also the easier it was for that particular individual to consider the special needs teacher as the co-worker. Experience was two-way in that it applied to the regular teacher’s themselves and also to the special needs teachers. (Schhorth et al, 1997)

Thirty percent of the regular teachers also pointed out that the lack of training on teacher cooperation in the inclusive environment was partly to blame for poor collaboration between the two parties. This was something that they had to forge while in the field yet their special needs counterparts received training on this issue. It therefore gave them an unfair advantage compared to the regular teachers. Fifty percent of the regular teachers also cited lack of supporting structures as another impediment to cooperation between the two groups. They asserted that their schools did not give them adequate resources to cope with the needs of the classroom more so because they had to wok hand in hand with the special needs teachers. Two out of the ten regular teachers interviewed claimed that the type of special needs children within the classroom played a large role in cooperation between them. This teacher claimed that it was very difficult to cooperate with the special needs teacher when one of the special needs children was out of control. This is because it seemed to undermine their authority and it also made them appear incompetent before the special needs teacher. (Marchesi, 1998)

On the part of the special needs teachers. There were some three outstanding factors that they thought impeded cooperation between them. The first was the lack of undefined roles in the classroom. Eighty percent of special needs teachers thought that they were expected to fit into the inclusive classroom without clearly defined roles. Some teachers felt that the counterparts in the inclusive classroom i.e. the regular teachers knew exactly what they were supposed to do. However, the special needs teacher was given the daunting task of determining what they were supposed to do within the classroom especially because someone else was already doing most of the work.

The other issue that most of the special needs teachers seemed to have problems with was the lack of support structures (sixty percent of them thought that this was a problem). They mostly cited the administration as an impediment towards the cooperation. Here, some teachers felt that they had too much to do especially when the ratio of special needs teachers to regular teachers is unfairly low yet all the classes are inclusive classes. Other teachers explained that the school administration failed to realize the needs of the special needs child as the curriculum and other learning aids were not made available. The overall result for such a prospect was that it became increasingly difficult for the two groups to cooperate with one another. (Marchesi, 1998)

The third issue was in terms of experience. Most (seventy percent) of the special needs teachers felt that they would work well with their mainstream counterparts if the latter had experience with the approach. They claimed that those regular teacher who had worked for long with special educators were more likely to respect them. They were slo likely to coordinate their activities in a better way than if they had never cooperated with them before. Shown below are graphical representations of what regular and special needs teachers thought about the factors that impede cooperation

Regular teachers

Factors

percentage

Domination

80

No experience

50

No training

30

Poor supporting structures

50

Special child’s needs

20

.

Special needs teachers

Factors

percentage

No defined roles

80

No supporting structures

60

No experience

70

be seen from the pie charts above, both categories of teachers thought that a lack of experience on either impedes cooperation between them. However, the most dominating factors among the regular teachers was domination from their special needs counterparts. On the other hand, the special needs teachers thought that lacking clearly defined roles was the most significant impediment to their cooperation. There were some factors that were unique to the two types of teachers, for instance, teacher domination and the nature of the special need’s child were exclusive to the mainstream category. On the other hand, the issue of having defined roles was also exclusive to the special needs teachers.

As for the last research question; which model is most effective. The main answers were obtained from the observational part of the research. Through observation, it could be seen that the schools implementing the mobile inclusion model were not very effective in dealing with the special needs child. Most of the time, the mainstream teacher gets accustomed to handling the challenges on her own, consequently, when a special needs teacher is called to intervene, the regular teacher seems lost in the process. (Lindsell and Roberts, 1997) For example, in one situation, a special needs teacher was called to handle a child who was mentally retarded. The child had started making disruptive noises within the classroom for some days; consequently, it had become very difficult for the rest of the class to continue with the lesson. When the special needs teacher was called to handle the situation, the regular teacher merely stood at a corner looking lost. This teacher did nothing for the entire four hours that the special needs teacher had intervened. Yet the same behaviour was usually not displayed when the teacher was handling the class on her own.

The second model called the single integration model was found to give average results. Since the special needs teacher was given only a portion of the lesson time to work with the class, then it became increasingly difficult to forge relationships with the children because the regular teacher dominated most of the classroom activities. The observational research indicated that children in such classrooms tended to respect their regular teachers more. For instance, those who wanted to ask permission to visit the lavatories usually approached the class teacher. Also, children referred most of their questions to the regular teacher more than the special needs teacher.

The third model called the integrating class model was the most efficient model. Here, their pupils respected both teachers. Also, most of the pupil’s tended to concentrate on tasks including the special needs children. The classrooms were rarely interrupted by special needs children and most of the teachers were not forced to take up more time trying to deal with disruptions. It seemed that both teachers had worked out a way of dealing with one another as they actively took part in learning. Even the desk arrangements in class reflected this level of cooperation. In one of the schools implementing this model, desks were placed in circles so as to encourage better discussion and assistance from the teachers. It would be very difficult for one teacher to deal with a specific challenge when desks are arranged in rows. This latter arrangement places more emphasis on the teacher as the only source of help yet the fellow students or the other teacher can do the some thing and save on time. Overly, schools that implemented this model were more organised, more efficient and they knew what they were doing in the process.

The fourth and final model is called the integrated and special education help model. Here, the special needs teacher deals with different types of classes at any one time as they are members of staff. The model was not found to be that efficient because the special educators did not bond with their respective classes. Sometimes the services of the special educator were needed in a class yet that special educator was not present, the overall result was that mainstream teachers lacked support. They had to deal with challenges on their own and the special educator came in at times when he was not needed or at times when the specific situation has already by-passed. It is therefore more effective for the special needs teacher to be in the classroom most of the time because they can internalise a particular child’s problems and then come up with the most effective strategies of the dealing with the challenge.

CONCLUSION

Cooperation between special needs teachers and regular teachers is susceptible to a number of external factors. (Soodak L. et al, 1998) These factors can either motivate or discourage these two parties. The purpose of the research was to determine the opinions of the two categories of teachers regarding cooperation in the inclusive classroom. Through both the interviews and the observational method, it was found that the special needs teachers had less enthusiasm for cooperation within the classroom than their regular counterparts. These findings indicate that there is a need for the special needs teacher to be made aware of the benefits of cooperating with regular teachers. Perhaps their inhibitions could have been brought about by the gaps in implementation. On top of that, some special needs teachers denoted a form of superiority complex, which makes it difficult to work with other professionals. In order to eliminate this negative attitude, it would be necessary to improve supporting structures in schools while at the same time train special needs teachers about the need to work with regular teachers and the need to respect them too. (Jausovec and Siegel, 1994)

After determining which category of teachers had the least enthusiasm for cooperation, it was then necessary to unravel some the reasons behind this negative attitude or the impediments to the process of cooperation. The research revealed that some factors were synonymous to regular teachers and others were synonymous to the special needs teachers. It was found that’s special needs teachers were concerned about the lack of clearly defined roles in the school. They were expected to forge the roles on their own and it was difficult. Other concerns such lack of support structures and the poor experience were also cited by the group. School administrations ought to make changes with regard to cooperation between the two types of teachers. (Snyder, 1999)

They should give adequate resources for helping the special needs child and they should also tackle role clarification of the special needs teacher. In this case, school administrators could inform both categories of teachers what their expectations and tasks in the inclusive classroom are. This information is also necessary in the process of designing training curricula for both the regular and special needs teachers. During training, both categories of teachers should be given a clear explanation of what they are supposed to do in the classroom so as to minimise instances of disagreement between the two groups. (Vaughn et al, 1996)

The research aimed at establishing the most effective model for cooperation between the special needs and the regular teacher. Since it was found that the most effective model was the integrating class model, then inclusive schools should adopt this model. This implies that there should be an adequate supply of special needs teachers within the classroom in order to allow enough time for them to deal with specific classes. The other models that do not encourage constant presence of the special needs teacher may not be the best approach because the special needs teacher does not get time to learn the students. Consequently, the regular teacher is overburdened and has to tackle all the challenges of the classroom alone

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Construction Estimating Form Makes Bidding Easier

All construction contractors and construction estimators use an estimating form. These forms contain all the necessary information to provide an accurate estimate. With an estimating form, there will be no forgotten information. All the information that is needed to provide an estimate is right in front of you, all you have to do is fill in all of the information. A complete estimating for should contain the following information;

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· Amount of estimates

· Square and cubic foot estimates

· Unit price of estimates

· Assembly estimates

This information will assist you in putting a bid together to send to general contractors who will consider your services if your bid is within their budget. A bid form is another form that all construction contractors should have readily available. Often times, if the General Contractor is interested in your bid, he or she will send you a contract form from their office for you to fill out. You will still use your bid or proposal for the numbers, however it will be transferred to the General Contractors letterhead. Standard operating procedure states that the following information be included on your proposal;

· Your company name, address, telephone number

· Contractor License number including expiration date

· Current date

· Job name and location

· The title of your scope of work

· A description of what your range of work includes, including material. If a joint check is mentioned, make sure you include it on your bid or proposal

The total of your proposal should always be written in words as well as numbers. It is important to include any type of payment arrangements that are made. Make sure that you sign the form, and print your name so that it can be read easily. Make sure that you restrict the number of days that your bid or proposal is good for. This will create a faster response time, and finally, make sure that there is a place for the General Contractor to sign providing he is in agreement with your bid or proposal.

There are many different contract-estimating forms available to meet the needs of any project. There are standards and guidelines that need to be followed by all contractors that have been developed by the American Society of Profession Estimators (ASPE) and the American Association of Cost Engineers (AACE). The forms that are provided allow the contractor to make adjustments to fit the project they are bidding on.

Construction Bidding and estimating software is available on the market today, this software contains all of the information and necessary forms to create an accurate bid or proposal. It will contain Contracts, bid proposals as well as change orders for remodeling, new construction and Time sheets and Material jobs. It will also contain Process billing sheets, purchase orders for all materials needed, along with time and material invoices.

About the Author

Nick Hurd is the developer of LiteningFast Estimating. LiteningFast is an estimating program that helps you estimate faster, easier and more accurately. It’s integrated with QuickBooks to provide job cost. You can find more information at A Construction Estimating Form can make estimating easier . You’ll be glad you did.It was introduced to tbe market in 1994 and currently has over 3,500 users in the US, Canada, and around the world.

Moving to Australia.?

I am due to go to Australia next september. The plan is to go with a working holiday visa, which allows me up to 12 months stay. I work as an Estimator in the Construction Industry and hope to get sponsored whilst I am out there and stay for 2-3 years. What is the best thing to do regarding flights, ie one way or return and how likely is it that I will get sponsored? If anyone has been in a similar position or can shed some light on this then please let me know, thanks very much.

you would need to have skills that an employer can not find in australia for them to be able to sponsor you
when entering on a working holiday visa you must show proof of return ticket or funds to buy one……if customs is suspicious they can reuse you entry visa or not

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A contractor knows that creating an estimate is the first step in securing a job. The client will look at all of the estimates and choose the one that best suites his or her needs.

Estimating a small home is pretty basic. An experienced estimator can look at the square footage of the home to be built and have a good idea of what it will cost to complete the project. He or she also knows that there is a chance of delays and ever changing prices of materials.

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Whether it is because they are out of stock or there is an outstanding invoice, material suppliers are notorious for delaying the delivery of materials for a job. This is not only poor business practice, it can lead to laborers who get an hourly rate just sitting around the jobsite doing nothing, and getting paid for it. This is the number one reason that Construction Jobs run over budget.

Most contractors are very good at Estimating Construction Costs. There payments are made in increments that have been prearranged. This method of payment keeps the job up and running to insure that it is completed on time. However there is a pattern of business that must be followed to insure that the job runs smoothly without costly delays.

The contractor must decide which types of materials that he or she will need for the construction job. Flooring, windows, doors, roofing and plumbing are all necessary components to complete any construction job. The contractor may opt to use less expensive materials; this will bring the cost of the job down, however it may show in the end results.

The contractor must also decide who will work on the project. If he or she uses sub contractor, they will have to submit estimates on their services and the contractor will choose the lowest bid.

Architectural, legal expenses, and the building permit are another expense that a contractor needs to include on an estimate. If he or she has the experience, it will be very close to the actual amounts.

When a contractor has the experience, creating an accurate estimate will not be a problem. Creating an estimate will not only give you a timeframe for completion, its can save you a lot of time and money.

About the Author

Nick Hurd is the developer of LiteningFast Estimating. LiteningFast is an estimating program that helps you estimate faster, easier and more accurately. It’s integrated with QuickBooks to provide job cost. Estimating the Costs of Construction needs to be accurate and timely It was introduced to the market in 1994 and currently has over 3,500 users in the US, Canada, and around the world.

for an estimate with a contract can the contractor change the price of it after the owner agrees to contract?

i live in Ontario, Canada and agreed to a contract price estimate of $33,000. When they started the project however they said supplies were in short demand, so they changed the price of completion to $45,000. can they do that legally?

Contractors are notorious for this bait and switch mess. If it is a firm contract, then a reasonable amount over the K is often allowed. (5-15% for example) If the contractor waited until there was no other option for you, and you can find someone who can do it for the original price, I would go with the second person and let them take it up where the other left off.

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Manage your jobs costs and bids with construction estimating software. You can develop comprehensive and accurate estimates for all of your project bids.Construction estimating software can help you gain an edge over your competitors, by allowing you to design profitable, affordable, and detailed bids.A good quality program will have the following characteristics:The software program should have the ability to manage your general accounting, payroll functions and billing.A flexible program is a must because it will allow for quick changes to the entire project whether it be an adjustment of unit costs or room to room dimensions.The processing of purchase orders is important because it will track all of your incoming orders and inventory.The ability of archiving your pass projects will be invaluable in a construction estimating software program. This feature will allow you to develop a data base of completed projects to use as a quick reference when creating estimates for future job bids.Features:Determine exactly what your needs are in estimating a job bid.Purchase a software that is simple to use by all no matter their level of computer skills.It should be organized and presented logically.Choose a software program that is easy to install and to use again no matter what your technical skills are.The program you choose should provide tutorials, online demonstrations and classes.The manufacturer should provide an email address, FAQ’s, a phone number for technical support.Construction estimating software will make bidding for residential or commercial construction projects easier.These types of software programs help you to prepare detailed profitable bids that will increase your profits, keep track of bids and project costs, archive previous job bids, customize calculations, formulas and compare subcontractor and vendor quotes.There are several types of estimating software available. You can find estimating software for Painting, Flooring, Roofing, Construction, Repairing, Job Cost, Remodeling and Home Improvement.You can find Construction Estimating software here. http://www.allbusinesstools.com/construction.estimating.htm

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RSMeans Building Construction Cost Data 2012 (Means Building Construction Cost Data) $110.33 RSMeans Building Construction Cost Data 2012 is the most used, quoted, and respected unit price guide available to the construction industry. It is the professional estimator’s first choice for reliable price data for accurate budgeting and estimating, with more than 23,000 completely updated unit price lines….

RSMeans Electrical Cost Data 2012 (Means Electrical Cost Data) $104.02 This is an invaluable resource for anyone involved with the installation, planning and maintenance of electrical equipment and systems, with the latest costs for accurate electrical estimating. RSMeans Electrical Cost Data 2012 contains the latest electrical components and materials, wit extensive estimating reference tables….

DEWALT Construction Estimating Complete Handbook (Dewalt Professional Reference) $15.88 A real-world guide to success in construction estimating, the DEWALT Construction Estimating Handbook is loaded with tips, checklists, worksheets, data tables, and tutorials that will provide readers with the tools they need to effectively navigate through every step of the estimating process. The book focuses on the construction estimating “how-to” essentials and provides on-the-spot answers back…

Consequences of data loss and Why should Offsite Backup be used

There is a calculated trend in all business corporations and firms: when the enterprise is getting bigger, its support of data increases its complexity, volume and value. The larger your enterprise is, the more significant your data files become. The traditional tape backup can no longer produce in-depth data information about all the important features of your business. That’s why many people get acknowledged to a more adequate file protection. A secure offsite backup system can be the possible solution. Business owners and offices managers have got it straight: if the business is to flourish, precise data information storage should be used.

Offsite backup systems offer something, which no other data store can do: they protect to the greatest extent all your files. But why should they do that, you may ask. Imagine you are a business owner. You have your own office computer, which is crammed up with all the valuable info. Well, what if the computer gets stolen, or a short-cut puts it out of practice? What will happen to your enterprise? If you are still not convinced enough to the rational extent, let’s consider the following statistic data. 1 in every 4 computer users suffers a critical data loss every year. Last years over 500,000 were stolen. Disk and other hardware failures are so numerous that major disk and computer manufacturers/resellers are reducing their warranties to 12 months. Over 25% of data loss is a result of computer program errors, software viruses and natural disasters (factors completely out of your control). 50% of businesses that lose their data never open their doors again. Of those businesses that do manage to stay open, 90% end up failing within two years. Data loss will cost business an estimated £12 Billion this year.

Still not believing? Consider the following fact: computer experts say that once data is lost, it can no longer be recovered to the full. Some data that contains pieces of valuable information will be forever lost in the digital space, with no hope of getting it back. Disaster recovery planning (DV) often fails to extract the lost files in the similar way as they were before the disaster struck. This happens because of the various regulations and compliance, which occur during the recovery process.

Data loss can happen to anyone, no matter how good the tape protection system is. There is no tape backup that can comprise all the valuable information without omitting some precious stuff. Text documents, financial records, contact records, address books, email messages and databases that you have created on your computer or servers may disappear forever unless you take a serious action to prevent it. The lost files are hard to recover, and it takes a lot of precious time and nerve-racking to recover even to the approximate extent the ruined system as it was before the disaster. The value of data highly exceed the mere cost of your computer or server, as you have to pay a great amount of money for reproducing the whole information as it was before the crack down. So, the most reasonable thing to do, if you don’t want to spend a lot of money afterwards, is to re-ensure your system using secure online backups.

Even though that is the sacred truth, most people avoid taking backup precautions. They leave their data files unprotected, and thus expose their business on the danger of bankrupt. Why do people do it? Because of laziness, because they don’t want to spend additional money, or just because they think that would never happen to them. Is it so hard to take some pre-consideration and backup your data? Sooner or later, everyone gets a strike in their unprotected file systems. Then it is too late to split hairs over the lost information. You should better take the action in advance and construct a data backup system, so that your files are fully protected and your business is ensured.

About the Author

Lee Morrell is a specialist backup advisor for small to medium enterprises. For further information
of how we can protect your data, regardless of disaster, please visit

www.perfectbackup.co.uk

does someone know where i can find the construction cost data for shopping center in southern california?

Do you need construction estimates or sq. ft. average cost? The sq. ft. average cost can be obtained from the city planning department.

Home Depot has a really good project estimating program -free- you have to ask for it at the commercial accounts desk. This will help you figure the construction costs by the zip code – assuming you buy all the supplies from Home Depot!

AB005 Carrefour China (Charles & Jasmine)