Education Commons^™

English Language Learners And Special Education: One District's Journey Through The Collaborative Problem Solving Process, Laura S. Salem

Department of Educational Administration: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

English Language Learners are a growing population in schools in the United States. There are many challenges that face this group of students in addition to learning English as a new language. A major issue for teachers, schools, and districts is determining whether an English Language Learner is experiencing academic difficulties based on issues primarily related to language acquisition or whether a learning disability is contributing to the academic challenges. As a result, English Language Learners are often misidentified for Special Education services and may be placed in classrooms that are not adequately prepared or appropriate to meet their needs. …

The Social Inclusion Of Young Adults With Intellectual Disabilities: A Phenomenology Of Their Experiences, Sarah A. Hall

Department of Educational Administration: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Social inclusion enhances the quality of life of young adults with intellectual disabilities (ID). Young adults with ID continue to face prejudice and discrimination that limit their social inclusion. They experience limited social inclusion because there are not enough appropriate activities available and they have limited opportunities to develop friendships. The social inclusion that people with disabilities experience within their local community varies greatly.

There is a deficiency in the literature concerning the social inclusion of young adults with ID. Previous considerations of disability have focused primarily on physical access and reflect the local contexts in which the participants live. …

Professional Development Of Early Childhood Administrators Within A Professional Development School (Pds) Learning Community, Ginger L. Zierdt

Department of Educational Administration: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT OF EARLY CHILDHOOD ADMINISTRATORS WITHIN A PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT SCHOOL (PDS) LEARNING COMMUNITY

Ginger LuAnne Zierdt, Ph.D. University of Nebraska, 2009

Advisor: Marilyn L. Grady

The traditional roles of early childhood educators have expanded to include management and leadership responsibilities. Through the stories and observations of early childhood administrators who participated in a Professional Learning Community within a Professional Development School (PDS) partnership, we discover new insights about the leadership and management skills needed to lead quality early learning programs.

Given the importance of professional development for early childhood administrators, it is important to understand how this phenomenon is …