Education Commons^™

Parent Experiences Navigating The Hartford Youth Scholars Program Application, Maria Vicuña

Senior Theses and Projects

In the United States, large disparities in education and educational attainment across racial and ethnic groups continue to exist. To combat this disparity, families may look for opportunities that will help their child succeed such as academic programming/enrichment. Hartford Youth Scholars (HYS) is one such program, located in Hartford, CT. While programs such as HYS exist, these programs are usually in demand and unfortunately, due to lack of resources and funding, there are only a limited number of students programs have the capacity to admit. While this is the case, it’s important that all families have a fair shot at …

Special Education Teacher Perceptions On The Nature Of Resources Of Respective Programs Across Contexts, Hannah Tjalsma

Senior Theses and Projects

Special education teachers must have access to adequate resources in order to provide their students with the opportunities they need to succeed. However, there are significant disparities in the access to resources across different contexts. Previous literature has identified team support, administrative support, and training to be significant resources perceived by special education teachers. The purpose of my study was to examine the perceived nature of resources by special education teachers and investigate the variation of these perceptions across different socioeconomic contexts. I conducted seven interviews with special education teachers in Massachusetts to gain greater insight into this topic. This …

Parents Accessing Special Education Services During The Covid Pandemic, Julianne Petrillo

Senior Theses and Projects

No abstract provided.

The Evolution Of Deaf Education In The United States- A Historical Analysis With Recommendations For Enhancing Deaf Education In The Future, Jaymie Bianca

Senior Theses and Projects

When deaf education formally began in the United States in 1817, it started as an entirely new concept. Founders of the American School for the Deaf, Thomas Gallaudet and Laurent Clerc, introduced numerous teaching methods during this time, the most prominent being American Sign Language (ASL). While the public did not know much about deaf education, Clerc and Gallaudet worked diligently to ensure that they educated the public on the importance of deaf education. Thus, this thesis ponders what public perceptions of deaf education and relevant teaching methods of deaf education were like through an in depth historical analysis of …

Special Education In Hartford And Cape Town: What Policies And Programs Reveal About An Educational Culture’S View Of Students With Disabilities, Sara Barrett

Senior Theses and Projects

Abstract

This paper analyzes special education policy in Hartford, Connecticut and Cape Town, South Africa to see how different educational cultures view students with disabilities. The themes of teacher training, curriculum, and treatment of children in addition to language use are described and compared. Cape Town educational culture arguably has a more holistic view of students with disabilities as the policy commits to providing more resources and hiring confident and trained teachers committed to providing for the needs of their students. However, Hartford has more guidance on the treatment of children and more accepting language use in the policies. This …

What Student And School Factors Increase Disadvantages In Special Needs Students? An Investigation Of Student Learning Growth In Students With Ieps, Julia Burdulis

Senior Theses and Projects

This study used public-use data from the National Center for Education Statistics’s (NCES) Early Childhood Longitudinal Program, Kindergarten Class of 2011 (ECLS-K: 2011) to examine math and reading learning growth from 4th to 5th grade among student with and without Individualized Education Programs (IEPs). When comparing the non-IEP student sample to the IEP student sample, a disproportionate number of minority students and students of low socioeconomic status were observed in the IEP student group. Among non-IEP students, significantly decreased score growth was predicted in students who were Black, Hispanic, had less highly educated parents, were from a low income household, …

Desegregating Schooling In Hartford, Connecticut: The 1996 Sheff V. O’Neill Court Case And Two Decades Of Integration Policy, Adam Bloom

Senior Theses and Projects

No abstract provided.

Understanding The Push-In/Pull-Out Method: Why Support Matters For Socialization, Christina L. Raiti

Senior Theses and Projects

My research combines qualitative and quantitative methods in order to answer: How do the social dynamics of children with autism change as they transition throughout the day from general ed to special ed settings in a Hartford public school? Findings are based upon coded observations of three third-grade students with autism for more than twenty hours in various classroom settings, and also thematic analysis of interviews with three of their classroom educators at the site in Hartford, Connecticut. The findings shows that students with autism are more likely to have positive physical and verbal interactions in structured environments rather than …

Extended Stereotype Threat: Parental Concern That A Child Will Confirm A Negative Stereotype Associated With Dyslexia, Berkley Singer

Senior Theses and Projects

This study introduces a novel concept, Extended Stereotype Threat (EST). EST is based on stereotype threat, whereby one is concerned that he/she may confirm a negative stereotype associated with being a member of a targeted group. EST extends stereotype threat as someone outside a targeted group (e.g., a parent of a dyslexic child) fears that a member of that group (i.e., his/her child) will confirm a negative stereotype associated with the group. Seventeen parents of dyslexic children between the 3^rd and 8^th grades were interviewed. Topics included beliefs about dyslexia, interactions with the child’s school, and how parents’ …

American Sign Language: Culture, Community, & Identity, Hannah Malenfant

Senior Theses and Projects

How does American Sign Language influence the discovery of self and identity in Deaf adults? My thesis argues that American Sign Language is an intricate part of Deaf identity and deaf children and their families need to begin to learn American Sign Language upon discovery of hearing loss. Not only does it serve as a form of communication that is the most natural and practical, but it also serves as a cultural bond. This was an ethnographic study with interviews of pairs and individuals. I found that there was often a conflict between Deaf and hearing culture. There were also …