Impact of Special Olympics Programming National Evaluation of the Special Olympics Unified Sports Program (Final Report, December 2001, by the Center for Social Development and Education, University of Massachusetts Boston and Department of Special Education, University of Utah) Evaluation Report Appendix A Appendix B Since its inception, Special Olympics has continually responded to changes in societal policies and attitudes toward individuals with mental retardation. One such change has been the "inclusion movement" wherein individuals with mental retardation participate in general education classrooms and schools, integrated workplaces, and their local communities. Special Olympics responded by developing the Integrated Sports program, later renamed Unified Sports®. The goal of Unified Sports was to bring together individuals with and without mental retardation of similar age and ability to compete as a team on an equal playing field. (For more information on Unified Sports, please see the "Compete" section of this Web site.) The purpose of this National Evaluation of the Special Olympics Unified Sports Program was to analyze the perceptions of key stakeholders (state directors, athletes, family members, partners, and coaches) regarding their commitment to the concept of Unified Sports, and their overall satisfaction with the Unified Sports Programs. Specifically, a multi-method and multi-source approach was used to provide information on (a) how effectively Unified Sports is presently being implemented; (b) its impact and value from the perspectives of athletes, families, and coaches; and (c) the program's overall contribution to the mission of Special Olympics. In conducting the study, the evaluation team sought to identify the "best practices" of various Unified Sports programs across the United States. National Evaluation of the Special Olympics Unified Sports Program      < Microsoft Word document, 118K>       < Adobe PDF, 182K > I. Introduction      A. Background      B. Purpose of the National Evaluation II. Evaluation Procedures      A. Overview.      B. Development of Survey Instruments      C. Selection of Sites      D. Procedures III. Finding      A. Administration of Unified Sports at the SO Headquarters Level      B. Administration of Unified Sports at the State Level      C. Athletes' Participation in Unified Sports      D. Partners' Participation in Unified Sports      E. Family Member Perspectives of Unified Sports      F. Coaches' Participation in Unified Sports IV. Conclusion and Recommendations Appendix A      < Microsoft Word document, 116K>       < Adobe PDF, 165K > Table 1: Participant Demographics-State Table 2: Participant Demographics: Athletes and Partners Table 3: Athlete/Partner-identified Positive Aspects of Unified Sports Table 4: Participant Demographics: Family Members Table 5: Family Table 1: Participant Demographics-State Member's Perception of Athlete Improvement in Select Areas Table 6: Aspects of Unified Sports that Families Liked Most Table 7: Aspects of Unified Sports that Families Liked Least Table 8: Participant Demographics: Coaches Table 9: Family Member's and Coaches General Priorities for Athletes Table 10: Coach-identified Problem Areas Table 11: Family Member's and Coaches Competition Priorities for Athletes Table 12A: Coaches: Do you feel that it is sometimes necessary to make rule modifications? Table 12B: Coach-identified Reasons for Rule Modifications Appendix B      < Microsoft Word document, 185K>       < Adobe PDF, 246K > Athlete Questionnaire Family Member Questionnaire Partner Questionnaire Coaches Questionnaire    < Return to Impact of Special Olympics Home page >