Education Commons^™

Inclusionary Practices For Elementary Students With Disabilities, Caroline Brandau

M.Ed. Literature Reviews

This research explores inclusionary practices for elementary-aged students with individualized education plans (IEP) for special education. Three themes were identified: academic achievement through push-in services, secondary benefits of special education services in the general education setting, and power dynamics of stakeholders of inclusion. The paper goes on to examine how practices at Western Washington School District could be aligned with research and then explores implications for future research and transform practice. The paper concludes with a call to action and a positive outlook for the future of special education.

Student With Twice-Exceptionalities Iep Meeting Assignment Description, David Wolff

Open Educational Resources - Teaching and Learning

General education teachers should remember that all students are general education students, first. We need to be prepared to work with students of all abilities in our classrooms. As general education teachers, we have an active role on a child’s IEP team and an active role during the IEP meeting. This assignment asked preservice teachers to develop a script of what they would say at an IEP meeting of one character from four different novels that would be considered a child with twice-exceptionalities.

Teacher Perceptions Of Co-Teaching Effectiveness In Inclusive Elementary Classrooms, Ann Sims

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to examine if co-teaching is an effective strategy of inclusion for students with Individualized Educational Program (IEP). Specifically, students in the general education classroom for grade levels kindergarten to fifth grade in the state of Illinois. Co-teaching has been utilized in middle and upper-grade levels, but the implementation of co-teaching has started to integrate into elementary grades. Two questions guided the study; is co-teaching an effective inclusive strategy for students with an IEP in a general education classroom; and does the model of co-teaching impact the student's academic progress? A quantitative study utilizing a …

Let’S Talk Fluency: Elementary Educators’ Perceptions Of The Impact And Implementation Of Fluency Instruction Within The Leveled Literacy Intervention Framework, Megan L. Michalczak

Dissertations

This study was warranted to thoroughly understand general and special education teachers’ perceptions of the implementation of Leveled Literacy Intervention (LLI) within Tier II and Tier III of a Multi-tiered System of Support (MTSS) while focusing on reading fluency instruction. Using a mixed methods approach, this study described the impact of LLI on student outcomes in reading fluency, as well as examined the integrity of LLI implementation within Tier II and Tier III through descriptive statistical analysis of student achievement data and a document review of intervention records. In addition, through the use of inductive thematic analysis of observations and …

The Effects Of Schema-Based Instruction On Solving Mathematics Word Problems, Scarlet Hughes, Joshua Cuevas Dr.

Georgia Educational Researcher

The purpose of this study was to investigate the frequency with which students use math word problem strategies during and after schema-based instruction. It examines the extent to which students increase their ability to correctly solve word problems. It compares students’ attitudes toward mathematics problem solving before and after schema-based instruction. The study was conducted in a resource class with seven second-grade students on individualized education programs (IEPs). A single-subject research design was used. The schema-based instruction was implemented by the special education teacher in a small group setting. Students showed an increase in attempted and correct strategy use during …

Finding The Right Words: Exemplary Educators Essence Of Vocabulary Instruction, Mackenzie W. Sheahan

Dissertations

This study was warranted in order to deeply understand the exemplary teacher and the complexity of beliefs, challenges, and overall essence of vocabulary instruction in early elementary. By using an Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis the study illuminates how exemplary second-grade teachers make meaning of their own daily experiences in relation to vocabulary instruction. Specifically, the study allows insight into the perceptions and daily actions that meet the needs of all students, with and without disabilities, through vocabulary instruction.

Motivating The Unmotivated: How Are We Supporting Struggling Readers In Upper Elementary Classrooms?, Maci V. Wood

Honors College Theses

Motivating struggling students to read is a question considered by many general education reading teachers and special education teachers alike. Since student classroom experiences today differ greatly from classrooms of the past in terms of instructional practices and learning supports, scripted materials that seldom cater to student interest have often been promoted due to the pressure of standardized assessment. With little to no student engagement present in the classroom, it is up to the student to find the will to read or to the teacher to utilize alternative strategies in increasing student motivation (Cambria & Gunthrie, 2008). However, there is …

Elementary And Special Education Track Certificate, Joanna Burkhardt

Library Impact Statements

No abstract provided.

Strategic And Interactive Writing Instruction: An Efficacy Study In Grades 3-5, Kimberly Wolbers, Hannah Dostal, Steve Graham, Lee Branum-Martin, Jennifer Kilpatrick, Rachel Saulsburry

Exceptional, Deaf, and Interpreter Education Faculty Research and Scholarship

A quasi-experimental study was conducted to examine the impact of Strategic and Interactive Writing Instruction on 3rd-5th grade deaf and hard of hearing students’ writing and written language compared to a business-as-usual condition (treatment group N = 41, comparison group N = 22). A total of 18 hours of instruction was provided for each of two types of writing—personal narrative and persuasive. Writing samples, collected prior to instruction and after, were scored for writing traits, written language accuracy, and complexity. Data were analyzed using a two-level, mixed-effects regression. Results show the treatment to be effective for personal narrative and persuasive …

Graduate Certificate In Dyslexia Knowledge And Practice, Joanna Burkhardt

Library Impact Statements

No abstract provided.

Teaching Students With Autism Spectrum Disorder To Mand Within The Inclusive Classroom, Jennifer L. Mcintire

Doctoral Dissertations

Recent federal legislation mandate that students with autism (ASD) be educated within the general education environment and held to high standards of achievement. Many interventions exist to teach language skills to children with ASD. Most have been developed in clinics or segregated settings, and have not been demonstrated as effective within general education classrooms. This research assessed the effectiveness of an intervention to teach two students with ASD to mand (request) within the general education classroom. Generalization and maintenance of independent manding (requesting) skills will be assessed. Both students learned to mand within the natural environment and demonstrated maintenance and …

Cognitive Function And The Administration Of A Writing Strategy Compendium Incorporating Autobiographical Recall And Art, Jonnie Sue Cleveland

Dissertations

The ability to write is vital in many academic areas (U.S. Department of Education, 2011). Roughly 70 percent of U. S. students in a representative sampling during 2010 (grades 8 and 12) scored only at the Basic (fractional grasp of prerequisite information and abilities) level and below (U.S. Department of Education, 2011).

Fifty-four percent of students in the eighth grade and 52 percent of students in the twelfth grade in the United States scored at the Basic level. Another 20 percent of students in the eight grade and 21percent of students in the twelfth grade scored below the Basic level. …

What's The Sense In Nonsense Word Fluency Probes?, Maggie M. Habershaw

Honors Projects

A major focus of education in the United States has been for “optimal” literacy instruction for all students. To accomplish this goal, major initiatives have centered upon the early identification and prevention of reading difficulties. To this end, professionals in the field are using numerous literacy programs and assessments to promote optimal literacy instruction. One of these assessment programs is the Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills (DIBELS). Across the United States, over 2,000,000 students are administered the DIBELS Nonsense Word Fluency probe each year. The purpose of this study is to reflect on teacher perceptions and experiences with …

Collaborative Teaching: A Delivery Model To Increase Responsiveness To The Needs Of All Learners Through Academic And Social Inclusion, Dayna Reilly

Dissertations, Masters Theses, Capstones, and Culminating Projects

Students with special needs often miss out on classroom curricula for specialized instruction. While these services are valued for educational benefits, this instruction method often has negative impacts on social-emotional development and targets students for their differing needs.

Integrated collaborative teaching models include collaborative teaching among general and special educators in an inclusive environment. In this descriptive study, the author examined integrated collaborative teaching as a delivery model to increase responsiveness to the needs of all learners through academic and social inclusion.

This study involved students with a wide range of disabilities from two different grade leveled collaborative classrooms, who …

Evaluating The Use Of The Math Reasoning Inventory For Improvement In Fraction Instruction, Kathy Huffman Boyer

Dissertations

In an attempt to close the mathematic achievement gap between students from the United States and students from other countries, a new national set of standards, the Common Core State Standards for Mathematics, was developed and adopted by the state of Michigan in 2010. These standards emphasize mathematical reasoning and application, rather than the previous emphasis on performing calculations. Unfortunately, teachers generally have had little training in how to assess students’ mathematical reasoning, how to teach mathematical reasoning, or how to provide remediation to those students who show need. The purpose of this study was to see if use of …

The Effect Of Direct Instruction In Teaching Addition And Subtraction Of Decimals And Decimal Word Problems On Students At Risk For Academic Failure, Heather Hoopes Small

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This study investigated the effects of a direct instruction program on the ability of elementary school students identified as at risk for math failure to add and subtract numbers with decimals, and complete addition and subtraction word problems with decimals. Direct instruction has previously been shown to increase the math skills of special education and general education students. This study examined the extent to which these students could master these skills in six hours of instruction, with carefully designed sequences of examples and strategy instruction in word problems. The study took place in two elementary schools. The participants were fifth …

Dissect: A Framework For Effective Inclusive Instruction In Science, Jenny Sue Flannagan, Lucinda S. Spaulding

Lucinda S. Spaulding

In this presentation we present a framework for effective inclusive education in science.

The Quest For A Meaningful “Special Education”: The Educational Journeys Of Nine Students With Learning Disabilities From An Inaccessible Learning Environment To One That Enabled Them To Learn, Amy E. Ballin

Educational Studies Dissertations

This ethnographic case study follows the educational journeys of nine students with learning disabilities who with luck and parental advocacy attend a school designed to address their disability. The researcher explores the role of cultures, both within and outside the school, and examines some of the effects of the social construction of special education on student learning.

This study draws no conclusions regarding the connections between the cultures at the school and the student’s success. However it does highlight the perspective of students, parents, and teachers, noting the ways in which they describe how and why this school environment allowed …

Examining Teachers' Knowledge And Perceptions Of Response To Intervention, Ashley Elizabeth Moore Swigart

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Response to Intervention (RTI) is a multi-step approach to providing interventions to students within general and special education. This study investigated the relationship between elementary, middle, and high school teachers’ perceptions of RTI and (a) whether they taught general versus special education, (b) grade level taught, (c) knowledge level of RTI, and (d) presence in a school implementing RTI and participation in the process. Understanding teachers’ perceptions is of particular importance to school psychologists and can be used to ensure that teachers participate fully in the RTI process. Participants were given a questionnaire to complete that assessed their perceptions and …

Course Portfolio For Special Education 305: Introduction To Exceptional Learners - Collaborative Decision Making In Teacher Preparation, Theresa Ochoa,

Other Faculty Course Portfolios

My intention in this portfolio is to highlight the multimedia problem-based learning simulations I have developed to prepare my undergraduate students to enter the field of education with skills to make decisions about students with disabilities. *** NOTE: due to the multimedia aspects of this portfolio, the portfolio is quite large (30 megabytes) and will take some time to download and open.

An Analysis Of Instructional Components And Their Effects On Task Engagement And Self-Aggression Within A Classroom Setting, John J. Wheeler, Stacy L. Carter, Michael R. Mayton, Rebekah A. Thomas

John J. Wheeler

Is The Level Of Teacher Burnout More Significant Among Elementary Special Education Teachers Or Elementary General Education Teachers?, Susie Brandt, Deana Burgess, Debra Watts

The Corinthian

Increases in class size and class mix, a preponderance of students from nontraditional families, lack of student motivation, discipline problems, and the mainstreaming of special needs students in general education classes have contributed to greater demands on teachers in the classroom. As a result of such major changes and demands, teachers are reported to be experiencing higher levels of stress leading to the possibility of burnout.

Assessing Professional Development Needs Of Elementary Teachers Implementing Inclusion Of Children With Disabilities In General Education Classrooms, Patricia D. Burgess

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

A descriptive study was conducted to identify authentic professional development needs of elementary teachers preparing, implementing, and maintaining inclusion of students with disabilities in the general education classrooms in Northeast Tennessee. The purpose of this study was to contribute information of identified professional development needs of elementary teachers to current research on responsible inclusive education. Data were collected from 325 elementary teachers randomly assigned to the sample using a 65-item survey designed for this study. Three subsections of the survey, Assessing Professional Development Needs of Teachers Implementing Inclusion in Grades PreK-8, assessed the perceived needs of conditions, areas, and foundations …

The Adaptation Of Regular Elementary Classrooms For Children With Moderate And Severe Disabilities: Inclusion Practices From The Principal's Perspective, Jerry R. Herman

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study examined the perceptions of elementary school principals in Tennessee regarding the desirability and feasibility of adapting regular elementary classrooms and programs for the inclusion of children with moderate and severe disabilities. The purpose of the study was to add an administrative dimension to current research on inclusive educational programming for children typically educated in special (CDC) class settings. Data collection for the descriptive design of the study was accomplished by use of a 40 item survey instrument with a 7-point Likert-type scale for each construct (i.e., desirability and feasibility). Four ten item subscales addressed the areas of Staff …

The Adaptation Of Regular Elementary Classrooms For Children With Moderate And Severe Disabilities: Inclusion Practices From The Principal's Perspective, Jerry R. Herman

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study examined the perceptions of elementary school principals in Tennessee regarding the desirability and feasibility of adapting regular elementary classrooms and programs for the inclusion of children with moderate and severe disabilities. The purpose of the study was to add an administrative dimension to current research on inclusive educational programming for children typically educated in special (CDC) class settings. Data collection for the descriptive design of the study was accomplished by use of a 40 item survey instrument with a 7-point Likert-type scale for each construct (i.e., desirability and feasibility). Four ten item subscales addressed the areas of Staff …

The Utilization Of Music Therapy Strategies For Increasing Prosocial Skills In Students With Behavioral Disorders, Marlene Lennia Anunson

All Graduate Projects

A representative sample of music therapy strategies was developed for use by general music teachers in elementary schools. A literature search was conducted in effective social skills training methods and music therapy techniques. The strageties developed can be used by elementary general music teachers to help improve prosocial skills in students with behavioral disorders.

Increasing Reading Fluency In Students With Reading Difficulty, Kathryn Balabanis Peabody

All Graduate Projects

Four methods designed to increase reading fluency were employed in a primary level Special Education resource room. The methods were implemented in accordance with the theory and research regarding reading fluency. Each of the four methods effectively increased the students' ability to read fluently. However, the implementation of these methods varied in cost and time.

Silent Reading Before Oral Reading On The Iri: Implication For Diagnosis And Instruction, Catherine P. Benedetti

All Master's Theses

The purpose of this study was to test the effect of silent pre-reading on the number of oral reading errors a student makes on an IRI. Twenty children read passages silently and then orally read passages without pre-reading. The results supported the null hypothesis that there would be no statistically significant difference on oral reading performances for disabled second and fourth graders. Implications for diagnosis and instruction are discussed.

Notification Of A Commercial Reading Program Presented As Learning Activity Packets For Learning Disabled Students, Edna M. Meyers

All Graduate Projects

This project represents a modification of a commercial reading program, with individual learning activity packets as the management tool for the program. The project plan provides for:

1. Program goals and objectives

2. An initial placement test

3. Unit criterion tests

4. Mastery level tests

5. Individual learning activity packets

Each learning activity packet includes:

1. Individual student record and assignment page

2. Individual story report forms

3. Vocabulary words

4. Detailed comprehension questions

5. Individual student/teacher reading contract

This project provides a reading program that meets the unique instructional needs of the learning disabled student in a financially feasible …

Increasing The Verbal Response Rate Of A Mentally Retarded Girl, Preston W. C. Smith

All Master's Theses

This investigation was instigated to assess the effectiveness of a systematic application of reinforcement on the verbal response rate of a withdrawn, educable mentally retarded student in a junior high school special education class. The purpose of this study was to test the following hypothesis: There will be no statistically significant difference in the subject's verbal response rate between the baseline average and under conditions of systematic application of reinforcement.