Education Commons^™

6 Strategies To Increase Your Classroom And School’S Culture And Climate, Stacey Keown-Murray, Rob Carroll, Kristi Livingston

Kentucky Teacher Education Journal: The Journal of the Teacher Education Division of the Kentucky Council for Exceptional Children

Creating a positive culture and climate in the classroom and school environment is crucial for fostering student engagement, well-being, and academic success. This article presents six effective strategies that educators can implement to enhance the culture and climate within their classrooms and schools. The strategies focus on promoting a sense of belonging, establishing clear expectations, fostering positive relationships, celebrating diversity, empowering student voice, and encouraging collaboration and teamwork. By implementing these strategies, educators can cultivate a supportive and inclusive environment that nurtures the holistic development of students and promotes a positive learning experience. The abstract provides a concise overview of …

Beyond Certification: Innovative Strategies To Tackle The Teacher Shortage, Abbigail Lp Morris

Kentucky Teacher Education Journal: The Journal of the Teacher Education Division of the Kentucky Council for Exceptional Children

This article challenges educational leaders to look beyond alternative routes for teaching certification and more towards an increased collaboration between districts and universities to help alleviate the teacher shortage issue in Kentucky. It specifically highlights the works of Omaha Public School District and the University of Nebraska Omaha as a model for proactive teacher pipeline.

Discrimination Of Black People In Kansas City Metro Schools, Shelby A Cobb

Murray State Theses and Dissertations

In the United States, education has faced a great deal of scrutiny, particularly, in the last few years. While schools have been integrated, there is more segregation and inequality in education than there was prior to desegregation. Many laws have worked to promote quality education for all, but the majority of these laws have created more issues for people of color. Rather than addressing the issues of systemic racism, the modifications to education have misdirected public focus to specific schools rather than a system of inequality. This study addresses ways that schools could improve to create a level of equity …

7 Hands-On Strategies For Struggling Readers, Elise Murray, Stacey Murray

Kentucky Teacher Education Journal: The Journal of the Teacher Education Division of the Kentucky Council for Exceptional Children

Struggling readers are found in almost every classroom across the world. With differing learning styles and abilities, teachers are encouraged now, more than ever, to be innovative when teaching foundational reading strategies. Within this article, readers are provided with a literature review of research and educational literature that discusses how multisensory, hands-on activities promote engagement and active learning for all students. The recommended seven hands-on learning strategies that can promote learning and support for struggling readers during literacy instruction include Build the Words, Feel the Words, Whole Body Letters, Five Finger Retell, Sight Word BINGO, …

Preservice Teachers’ Perceptions And Knowledge Of Response To Intervention/Multitiered Systems Of Support, Alexandra J. Taylor, Tommy Wells, Amy E. Lein

Kentucky Teacher Education Journal: The Journal of the Teacher Education Division of the Kentucky Council for Exceptional Children

There has been considerable research that establishes the need to improve teachers’ knowledge of and ability to effectively implement response to intervention (RtI)/multi-tiered systems of support (MTSS), and there is a scarcity of research examining interventions addressing these concerns. In a mixed methods study, we examined the perceptions and knowledge of the RtI/MTSS frameworks of undergraduate preservice teaching candidates enrolled in a dual certification program at a small, private Catholic university in Kentucky, before and after participating in a semester-long, experiential learning project. The project involved monitoring both the reading and mathematics progress of struggling elementary or middle school-aged students …

Co-Teaching Strategies: Improving Student Engagement By Increasing Opportunities To Respond, Janet E. Nutt

Kentucky Teacher Education Journal: The Journal of the Teacher Education Division of the Kentucky Council for Exceptional Children

Research indicates that effective co-teaching using high leverage practices can maximize outcomes across content areas and positively affect student engagement. This paper discusses practical ways to increase student engagement by increasing opportunities to respond in a co-teaching setting. Specific examples are included for a secondary mathematics co-taught classroom, but the principles can be applied in any subject or setting. A proposed model of professional development and coaching to support effective questioning techniques and increase opportunities to respond is also discussed for the purposes of teacher training and professional development.

Inclusion, Engagement, And Nearpod: Providing A Digital Alternative To Traditional Instruction, Kristina Buttrey

Kentucky Teacher Education Journal: The Journal of the Teacher Education Division of the Kentucky Council for Exceptional Children

Unfortunately, the onset of Covid-19 and the ensuing pandemic led to a shift in the structure of classrooms across all levels of the educational spectrum. The resulting move to more social distancing methods, including a combination of face-to-face and online formats, led to a need for innovative uses of technology. In this article, Nearpod is explored as an alternative way to present information while increasing engagement and inclusivity in the classroom. Research studies and reviews are scrutinized on the use of Nearpod as tool for teachers and pre-service teachers in K-12.

Growing Capacity In Gifted And Talented Education Through Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, And Mathematics (Steam), Sheron Mark, Chin-Wen Jean Lee, Peter A. Azmani

Kentucky Teacher Education Journal: The Journal of the Teacher Education Division of the Kentucky Council for Exceptional Children

A graduate-level gifted and talented education (GTE) course for in-service teachers was revised aiming to prepare teachers to integrate science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics (STEAM) education into existing curricula to create challenging learning experiences for students identified as gifted and talented. Two university-based teacher educators in science education and GTE, respectively, engaged in action research in order to develop and refine a semester-long STEAM project in the GTE course to accomplish this goal. In all, two elementary, one Music, and one World History teacher participated. Case study analysis explored the teachers’ approaches to developing STEAM-based lessons to expand their …

Group-Based Training On Trial-Based Functional Analysis, Christina Noel, Thomas Gross, Grant Hacherl, Meaghan Ritchie, Matthew Howerton

Kentucky Teacher Education Journal: The Journal of the Teacher Education Division of the Kentucky Council for Exceptional Children

A functional behavior assessment (FBA) of challenging behavior has been identified as a High-Leverage Practice in the social/emotional/behavior area (HLPs; McLeskey et al., 2017). Despite the importance of FBAs to classroom practices, many FBAs are conducted outside of classroom settings. Evidence suggests that FBAs may be more effective when conducted in a child’s typical classroom setting. A trial-based functional assessment (TBFA) is a variant of an FBA that is conducted by practitioners in a child’s classroom environment. The purpose of this paper is to outline the important components that should be included in a TBFA group training designed for practitioners …

Inclusive Ensembles: Differentiating For The Singer On The Autism Spectrum, Natalie Wilkins, Natalie A. Wilkins

Honors College Theses

Exceptional children belong in music classrooms. Music ensemble directors need to overcome complex challenges to meet the goal of inclusion, because ensembles often include a mixture of ages, grades, social and intellectual development stages, musical skills, and a wide variety of diverse learning needs. This study focuses on how a choral ensemble director may create an inclusive environment for students on the Autism Spectrum.

This study reviewed the current research on inclusive rehearsal environments. Analysis revealed varied methods for differentiation that allows students with special needs to thrive in a music classroom and also revealed that music can be a …

An Analysis Of Pre-Service Agricultural Educators’ Self-Efficacy With Exceptional Learners, Sara Edwards, Sara Edwards

Honors College Theses

The total program of agricultural education has established that the inclusion of all students is a priority, including students who fall under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and other similar legislation. However, upon reviewing the literature, a significant deficit has been identified in terms of training and preparation to work with students with disabilities within agricultural education. Literature and philosophy regarding the concepts of self-efficacy and experiential learning theories are explored. Additionally, works regarding special education in the agriculture classroom and primary challenges faced by agriculture educators are reviewed. A need to establish better preparatory training within preservice …

Inclusive Ensembles: Differentiating For The Singer On The Autism Spectrum, Natalie Wilkins

Posters-at-the-Capitol

Exceptional children belong in music classrooms. Music ensemble directors need to overcome complex challenges to meet the goal of inclusion because ensembles often contain a mixture of ages, grades, social and intellectual development stages, musical skills, and a wide variety of diverse learning needs. This study focuses on how a choral ensemble director may create an inclusive environment for students on the Autism Spectrum.

This study reviewed current research on creating inclusive rehearsal environments. Analysis revealed varied methods for differentiation including modified/adapted scores that make use of color-coding, personalized parts, and symbolic notation; choral ensemble formats, such as self-contained choirs, …

Music Therapy’S Role In The Education System, Madison Riley, Tori L. Colson, Moriah Smothers

Kentucky Teacher Education Journal: The Journal of the Teacher Education Division of the Kentucky Council for Exceptional Children

Music therapy is a lesser-known and used related service, yet it provides significant benefits to students that have language, behavioral, and social needs. This article reviews the literature on music therapy, discusses its historical and theoretical roots, and examines its use in educational settings. Special attention is given to therapeutic practices that are geared toward students on the autism spectrum because their social and communication needs are often a good fit for music therapy practices. Recommendations on using music therapy in special and general education classrooms are also made. Additionally, recommendations for including music therapy content in teacher preparation programs …

Choice As An Antecedent Intervention Provided To Children With Emotional Disturbances, Alexandra J. Taylor, Amy Lein

Kentucky Teacher Education Journal: The Journal of the Teacher Education Division of the Kentucky Council for Exceptional Children

Students with ED typically demonstrate social, behavioral, and academic deficiencies within the school setting. This article addresses the antecedent behavior interventions (ABI) of the provision of choice-making opportunities which are an effective practice within the PBIS framework. This study employed a single-subject multiple-baseline across-participants design to examine the effect of choice-making provided in social skills instruction on both academic (i.e., correct responses) and behavioral outcomes (i.e., task engagement, disruptions) for three elementary-aged students with ED.

Results demonstrated improved behaviors of three student participants. All participants showed an increase in task engagement and a decrease in number of disruptions from baseline …

A Review Of Literature: Identifying Barriers To Academic Success Among Students With Disabilities Attending College In Rural Regions, Kaycee Lynn Bills

Contemporary Rural Social Work Journal

College students who have disabilities are an oppressed population that faces many challenges related to accessibility barriers in higher education located in rural environments. The number of adults with disabilities attending college has been steadily increasing over the past decade. As the number of college students with disabilities continues to rise, it is essential for researchers to identify the barriers education attainment barriers they face in rural college settings. This study is a systematic review of literature that analyze past studies in order identify the challenges students with disabilities face in higher education settings located in rural regions. It also …

Exploring Transformative Usability In The Professional Writing Classroom, Danielle Nielsen

Faculty & Staff Research and Creative Activity

This article addresses the importance of teaching transformative usability and accessibility concepts through the lens of disability studies in general business and professional communication courses. It argues that when students learn to analyze audiences, include diverse users, and foresee accessibility before the final draft because they practice user-centered design, their documents become more accessible for all users and situations. It presents a four-unit course plan that integrates disability studies and usability, including legal requirements. The unit plan advocates considering disability and diverse users and uses at the beginning of the design process.

A Study Of Kentucky School District Websites: They’Re Colorful And Informative….But Are They Ada Compliant?, John A. Huss, Shannon Eastep

Kentucky Teacher Education Journal: The Journal of the Teacher Education Division of the Kentucky Council for Exceptional Children

An often-overlooked component of a school district website is the necessity for that website to be accessible to those with disabilities, while following the guidelines of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Section 508 of the Workforce Rehabilitation Act. This study investigated the accessibility of school district websites in Kentucky by selecting a random sample of 50 school districts and analyzing their home pages using WAVE (Web Accessibility Versatile Evaluator), which reports accessibility violations by annotating a copy of the page that was evaluated and presenting embedded icons and indicators to disclose breaches with ADA. Out of 50 districts, …

Technology Use In Secondary Chemistry And Physics Classrooms In Kentucky, Justin M. Elswick

Posters-at-the-Capitol

As the presence of technology grows, so does its importance and usefulness to chemistry and physics education. This study focused on how technology is being used in secondary chemistry and physics classrooms across Kentucky and its perceived classroom effects. Using SurveyMonkey, 74 secondary chemistry and physics teaches in 34 Kentucky school districts were asked about the kinds of technology they used in their classrooms and in what way(s) they used technology. The survey response was 23% (N=17). Survey results indicated that teachers used videos, various apps and websites, cell phones, tablets, lab aids, and SMARTboards in their classrooms. Teachers reported …