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University of Central Florida

Special education

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Examining Practices Of Elementary School Principals: Selection Of Co-Teaching Teams, Jeannette Tejeda Jan 2015

Examining Practices Of Elementary School Principals: Selection Of Co-Teaching Teams, Jeannette Tejeda

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to explore the lived experiences of urban elementary school principals in relation to co-teaching and their co-teacher selection process. Three elementary school principals who exemplify characteristics of shared, ethical, and transformational leadership from a large urban school district in the southern United States were interviewed. The findings from the interviews were utilized to create a Likert-type survey to be administered to select co-teachers and select teachers not co-teaching at each of the three schools. The interview data were examined using Hycner's guidelines for phenomenological analysis. The Likert-type surveys administered to co-teachers and teachers not …


Urban School Principal Rated As Highly Effective: Support And Culture For Co-Teaching, Michelle San Jan 2015

Urban School Principal Rated As Highly Effective: Support And Culture For Co-Teaching, Michelle San

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The recent revisions to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (2004) and the passing of the No Child Left Behind Act (2001) promoted a movement toward meaningful inclusion, which has led to an increase in interest in co-teaching (Friend, Cook, Hurley-Chamberlain, & Shamberger, 2010; Nichols, Dowdy, & Nichols, 2010). When co-teaching is effectively executed both students with and without disabilities benefit academically and socially (Friend & Cook, 2007). Researchers indicate that a key factor in effective co-teaching is administrative support (Friend et al.; Dieker & Murawski, 2003; Murawski & Dieker, 2008; Murawski & Dieker, 2004; Scruggs et al., 2007). …


An Examination Of The Impact Of Student Characteristics And Teacher Experience And Preparation Program Attended On Student Achievement In A Small School District, Michael O'Neal Jan 2013

An Examination Of The Impact Of Student Characteristics And Teacher Experience And Preparation Program Attended On Student Achievement In A Small School District, Michael O'Neal

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Demonstrating a direct link between teacher education programs and student growth is, to say the least, complex. Yet, using value-added systems as a means of holding teacher preparation programs accountable for the effectiveness of their graduates is a growing trend. However, few quantitative studies linking TPPs with the effectiveness of their graduates exist. The availability of student test scores linked to specific teachers in administrative databases makes it possible to use value-added modeling to obtain estimates of teacher effects. Only recently have researchers tapped into this expanding volume of data in an attempt to examine Teacher Preparation Programs as variables …


An Analysis Of The Legal Issues Of School Voucher Programs For Students With Disabilities And Its Impact On The Individuals With Disabilities Education Act (Idea), Patricia Fontan Jan 2012

An Analysis Of The Legal Issues Of School Voucher Programs For Students With Disabilities And Its Impact On The Individuals With Disabilities Education Act (Idea), Patricia Fontan

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study examined the current case law on school voucher programs for students with disabilities and legal protections under IDEA. The idea of school vouchers can be traced back to the 1950s but have taken a new form in the past 13 years. There have been several court challenges to the constitutionality of school voucher programs with mixed results which will lead to court challenges in the future on a state by state basis based on the state’s constitution. School vouchers have been developed to target specific populations of students including students with disabilities. But with very little accountability for …


Examining The Beliefs And Practices Of Effective School Leaders As They Relate To Serving Students With Disabilities, Kimberly Steinke Jan 2010

Examining The Beliefs And Practices Of Effective School Leaders As They Relate To Serving Students With Disabilities, Kimberly Steinke

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

As academic reform movements push schools to provide more rigorous learning environments for students, it is essential that the "person in charge" at the school level be prepared and capable of meeting the demands of high stakes measures that affect critical dimensions of school life. Educational leaders today face a significant amount of pressure to improve the quality of education at all levels and across all disciplines. While school leaders face the pressures of No Child Left Behind in terms of increased student performance, they must also be concerned about serving students with disabilities appropriately. The purpose of this study …


Inclusionary Practices: Impact Of Administrators' Beliefs On Placement Decisions, Maria Vazquez Jan 2010

Inclusionary Practices: Impact Of Administrators' Beliefs On Placement Decisions, Maria Vazquez

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

School leaders are charged with responding to the challenges presented by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act and the education of students with disabilities in the least restrictive environment. The idea of least restrictive environment moves schools from educating students with disabilities in special education to regular education classrooms, from special education schools to neighborhood schools. Providing inclusive settings poses many obstacles and challenges to school based administrators and in their capacity school leaders can either alleviate or generate barriers for the process; they can inhibit or inspire school personnel to accept the inclusion of students with disabilities in the …


The Impacts Of Co-Teaching On The General Education Student, Alicia Parker Jan 2010

The Impacts Of Co-Teaching On The General Education Student, Alicia Parker

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate four research questions concerning the impact of co-teaching on general education students educated within a classroom inclusion model. General education students who received instruction during their 10th-grade year in a co-taught language arts or mathematics class were compared with other 10th-grade students receiving instruction from the same teacher but without the additional co-teacher. Achievement data from the Florida Comprehensive Achievement Test (FCAT) were gathered on these students. The state of Florida calculates and reports developmental scale scores (DSS) for students taking the FCAT. These scores are calculated to track student progress over …


Ucanfnsh: A Virtual Learning Environment Created To Engage And Inspire Self-Determination In Middle School Students With Learnin, Kara Rosenblatt Jan 2009

Ucanfnsh: A Virtual Learning Environment Created To Engage And Inspire Self-Determination In Middle School Students With Learnin, Kara Rosenblatt

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study explored the efficacy of using a virtual college campus to teach self-determination skills to middle school students with learning disabilities. Teaching self-determination skills is considered best practice for students with disabilities as they transition into adulthood. Three measures, a self-determination knowledge measurement scale, a behavior rubric, and 15 multiple choice questions measured self-determination knowledge and skill application ability with 71 middle school students with learning disabilities. The measures were used to determine whether the students who learned about self-determination skills in the virtual college setting during one training session displayed more knowledge and application of these skills than …


Academic Interventions For Successful Inclusion Of Students With Mild To Moderate Emotional/Behavioral Disabilities In General E, Carolynne Gischel Jan 2008

Academic Interventions For Successful Inclusion Of Students With Mild To Moderate Emotional/Behavioral Disabilities In General E, Carolynne Gischel

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Students with emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD) have traditionally been educated in self-contained special education settings. Recent legislative changes such as the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act of 2001 and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) 2004 have led to increased inclusion of students with EBD in general education classrooms. Because of these changes, general educators need to know which research-based interventions are effective in improving academic performance with these students. This systematic review examined the literature to identify research-based effective interventions for students with EBD served in general education settings. Studies included in this review had to …


An Investigation Of The Efficacy Of The Text Talk Strategy On Pre-School Students' Vocabulary Acquisition, Heather Batchelder Jan 2008

An Investigation Of The Efficacy Of The Text Talk Strategy On Pre-School Students' Vocabulary Acquisition, Heather Batchelder

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Using a single subject Multiple Baseline design, this study examined the efficacy of the Text Talk vocabulary acquisition strategy with regard to the use of new vocabulary by pre-kindergarten students in an inclusive classroom within a public charter school. Five pre-school students participated in the study. Students with varying exceptionalities as well as students with typical development were included in the study. Three classroom teachers implemented the Text Talk strategy utilizing eight books and vocabulary scenario models during an interactive story time that included the direct instruction of vocabulary in the study. During the baseline and intervention phases data collection …


Comparing Middle School General And Special Educators' Use Of Research-Based Instruction In Mathematics For Students With Learni, Shelby Robertson Jan 2008

Comparing Middle School General And Special Educators' Use Of Research-Based Instruction In Mathematics For Students With Learni, Shelby Robertson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate the differences between general and special educators regarding the implementation of research-based strategies that target the needs of students with LD in mathematics, as well as general and special educators' perceptions of their preparedness to use instructional strategies in mathematics. A sample of general and special educators who taught mathematics to students with learning disabilities (LD) at the middle school level responded to an online survey. The survey examined teacher self-reported classroom use of instructional practices specifically aligned with NCTM standards, direct instruction, graduated instruction, grouping practices, and self-monitoring. Additionally, educators responded …


Co-Teaching: Using Video To Identify Current Practices And Promote Teacher Discussion In Middle School Mathematics Classrooms, Kimberly Davis Jan 2008

Co-Teaching: Using Video To Identify Current Practices And Promote Teacher Discussion In Middle School Mathematics Classrooms, Kimberly Davis

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study explored the co-teaching practices occurring within four middle school mathematics classrooms and the influence of video discussions on each co-teaching team. The study took place within three middle schools in central Florida. The study provides a clear picture of the current status of middle school co-taught mathematics classrooms. The research results were inconclusive in that the key components of co-teaching were not observed (co-planning, co-instructing and co-assessing) and the findings were similar to past co-teaching research indicating mixed results. Overall, concerns that emerged from the study were a lack of heterogeneous classrooms, clarity for the role of the …


Does Success For All Impact Reading Achievement Of Students With Learning Disabilities?, Stacey Smith-Davis Jan 2007

Does Success For All Impact Reading Achievement Of Students With Learning Disabilities?, Stacey Smith-Davis

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation seeks an answer to the question: "Will students with learning disabilities who were provided reading instruction through the Success For All reading program demonstrate higher reading achievement on selected reading assessments (Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test and the Qualitative Reading Inventory-3) than the students with learning disabilities who were provided reading instruction through other reading programs?" Determining the impact of the Success For All reading program on reading assessment scores will add to the research about effective reading instruction methods for use with students with learning disabilities. The target population of this study was third grade students with learning …


The Effect Of Prewriting Strategy Instruction On The Written Products Of High School Students With Learning Disabilities, Todd Sundeen Jan 2007

The Effect Of Prewriting Strategy Instruction On The Written Products Of High School Students With Learning Disabilities, Todd Sundeen

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

ABSTRACT We know that many students with learning disabilities struggle throughout their school years with the writing process. High school is no exception. Writing is a life skill that can directly impact the quality of life for older students preparing to graduate and progress to college, a career, or simply the world of work. A need in society exists to improve the writing of all students including those who are on the threshold of high school graduation. Students with learning disabilities enter their ninth year of school with a performance gap of 4 to 5 years placing their equivalent learning …


Highly Qualified Secondary Special Education Co-Teachier Definitions Among The Fifty States, Leslie Sena Jan 2006

Highly Qualified Secondary Special Education Co-Teachier Definitions Among The Fifty States, Leslie Sena

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Rationale for this research was based on recent legislative requirements that all teachers must meet the No Child Left Behind of 2001 and Individuals with Disabilities Improvement Act of 2004 highly qualified requirements by the end of the 2005-2006 school year. The purpose of the study was to determine the extent to which state Department of Education officials representing the 50 states addressed the issue of NCLB of 2001 highly qualified personnel provisions for secondary special education co-teachers. Information for this study was represented by online documents that were retrieved from DOE websites across the United States. Findings suggested that …


Teaching Characteristics And Practices Which Affect Language And Literacy Development For Students With Complex Communication Needs, Laura King Jan 2006

Teaching Characteristics And Practices Which Affect Language And Literacy Development For Students With Complex Communication Needs, Laura King

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study examined teacher characteristics and practices identified as effective through current research for teaching students with complex communication needs. For this population, communication issues are more complex than those typically encountered in other settings. Specifically, the researcher asked: what are the desired characteristics and practices for this population, and are the desired characteristics and practices present in current settings? Working with six teachers in a large urban school district, this study utilized a multiple case study design. Criteria for participation included the teacher as the primary reading/language arts instructor for a student who used an augmentative and alternative communication …


Teacher Attrition And Retention In Exceptional Student Education: An Evaluation Of The Skills, Tips, And Routines For Teacher Success (Starts) Initiative Of Volusia County, Florida Schools, Mary Speidel Jan 2005

Teacher Attrition And Retention In Exceptional Student Education: An Evaluation Of The Skills, Tips, And Routines For Teacher Success (Starts) Initiative Of Volusia County, Florida Schools, Mary Speidel

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Teacher attrition affects the quality of services for students in K-12 education and poses an ongoing challenge for educational leaders, especially in the area of special education. Special educators leave the profession at higher rates than general educators. As a growing state, Florida has identified special education as a critical teacher shortage area. This study evaluated the Skills, Tips, and Routines for Teacher Success (STARTS) initiative of Volusia County Schools, a large district in east central Florida. Implemented in 2001 for new ESE teachers, STARTS offered four days of training in policies and procedures, curriculum, and classroom management. Research questions …


Inclusion Of Students With Disabilities: An International Perspective, Jeanette Amayo Jan 2005

Inclusion Of Students With Disabilities: An International Perspective, Jeanette Amayo

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the inclusion of students worldwide. Because the language barrier would impede the gathering of the necessary research, this study was delimited to only those English-speaking countries such as the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and the United States. The researcher examined many aspects of the education of students with disabilities in each country and how that attributed to the extent in which students with disabilities were being educated in the regular classroom. First, the researcher analyzed the legislation regarding students with disabilities, especially those directives that called for the Inclusion of …


The Effects Of Looping On Student Achievement And Self-Efficacy Of Exceptional Education Students, Marybeth Thomas Jan 2005

The Effects Of Looping On Student Achievement And Self-Efficacy Of Exceptional Education Students, Marybeth Thomas

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The focus of the current study was to examine the effects of looping on academic achievement and self-efficacy for Exceptional Student Education (ESE) students. The basic design of this study was causal comparative, or ex post facto, because the researcher was seeking to identify a difference in achievement based on developmental scale scores between the two groups of looping and non-looping students with ESE classifications. A retrospective causal comparative study was chosen because the researcher began with a potential cause, looping, and studied the potential effects on achievement and self efficacy. The hypotheses were that the experimental group would outperform …


An Investigation Of The Proficiency Level Of High School Students With Autism And Mental Retardation Within Community-Based Job Settings: The Relationship Between The Use Of A Hand-Held Computer Compared To Staff Modeling For Accurate Novel Job Skill Acquisition And Student Learning, Kimberly Gen Spence-Cochran Jan 2004

An Investigation Of The Proficiency Level Of High School Students With Autism And Mental Retardation Within Community-Based Job Settings: The Relationship Between The Use Of A Hand-Held Computer Compared To Staff Modeling For Accurate Novel Job Skill Acquisition And Student Learning, Kimberly Gen Spence-Cochran

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study examined the effects and efficacy of two vocational instructional interventions - a Hand-Held Computer intervention versus a Staff Model intervention - as vocational instructional tools for high school students with autism and mental retardation. Specifically, the study analyzed the effects of these two treatments on the completion of authentic novel job tasks within a local department store. This research indicated the provision of specific technology as an instructional model positively influenced participants' ability to: accurately complete tasks, exercise increased independence during task completion, reduce problematic behavior during task completion, and lower necessary staff prompts during task completion. The …


An Investigation Into The Apparent Over-Representation Of Blacks In Educable Mentally Handicapped Programs In K-12 Schools Within The 67 Florida Public School Districts, Arlene H. Thomson Jan 2004

An Investigation Into The Apparent Over-Representation Of Blacks In Educable Mentally Handicapped Programs In K-12 Schools Within The 67 Florida Public School Districts, Arlene H. Thomson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Placement into educable mentally handicapped (EMH) programs is necessary for some students in order to allow them the opportunity to receive an education appropriate for their special needs. Nonetheless, identification as EMH is often perceived as negative and demeaning. Decades of research have substantiated the over-representation of black students into certain categories of special education, including EMH, in comparison to white and Hispanic students. This disparity has raised questions within schools, academe and research communities, and legislative and governing bodies as to the causes, compelling factors, and related variables impacting the phenomenon. This study investigated the apparent over-representation of blacks …