Education Commons^™

Jaepl, Vol. 7, Winter 2001-2002, Linda T. Calendrillo, Editor, Kristie S. Fleckenstein, Editor

The Journal of the Assembly for Expanded Perspectives on Learning

Morris Berman tells the story of his maternal grandfather, who, when he was five years old in 1883 or 1884, was sent to a Jewish elementary school in Belorussia. On the first day of class, the teacher startled the young boy by taking each child's slate and smearing the first two letters of the Hebrew alphabet—aleph and beys—on it in honey. His grandfather's first lesson consisted of eating the letters off the slate. The symbolism of this act is complex, Berman muses, but central to the ritual is the belief that what is real must be taken into oneself, ingested: …

Diagnostic System And Method For Phonological Awareness, Phonological Processing, And Reading Skill Testing, Janet Marie Wasowicz,, Arthur C. Maerlender

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

A diagnostic system and method for evaluating one or more phonological awareness, phonological processing and reading skills of an individual to detect phonological awareness, phonological processing and reading skill deficiencies in the individual so that the risk of developing a reading deficiency is reduced and existing reading deficiencies are remediated. The system may use graphical games to test the individual’s ability in a plurality of different phonological awareness, phonological processing and reading skills. The system may use speech recognition technology to interact with the tests.

Brief 9: Practices And Policies For Dealing With Students With Mental Health Issues, New England Resource Center For Higher Education, University Of Massachusetts Boston

New England Resource Center for Higher Education Publications

One of higher education’s crowning achievements is that colleges and universities are currently educating many groups of people who have been denied access to this resource in the past. A growing percentage of the new population of students arrives on campus with unique mental health needs, which until now campuses have been largely unprepared to accommodate. This new student profile may be more familiar to Student Affairs’ offices, but the educational implications extend to the whole campus. Members of NERCHE’s Student Affairs Think Tank discussed this topic at one of their meetings and offer the following insights.

Dual Differentiation: An Approach For Meeting The Curricular Needs Of Gifted Students With Learning Disabilities, Susan M. Baum, Carolyn R. Cooper, Terry W. Neu

Education Faculty Publications

Gifted students who experience difficulty with reading, mathematics, spelling, handwriting, and organization frequently become frustrated at an early age. Well-intentioned teachers attempt to remediate their weaknesses; yet, these youngsters still feel alone in the classroom. Moreover, their academic limitations often mask enormous talent, which seldom has an opportunity to surface. Thus, gifted learning-disabled students require curriculum that develops their special talents and provides them strategies to compensate for problematic weaknesses. This article discusses the dual characteristics of gifted learning-disabled students and suggests a unique curriculum that integrates both through talent development. Developed through Project HIGH HOPES, funded federally by the …

Acquisition And Generalization Of Activity Schedules And Their Effects On Task Engagement In A Young Child With Autism In An Inclusive Pre-School Classroom, N. Gayle Massey, John J. Wheeler

John J. Wheeler

A Guide To Schoolwide Planning For Paraeducator Supports, Michael F. Giangreco, Susan W. Edelman Edd, Stephen M. Broer Psyd

College of Education and Social Services Faculty Publications

A Guide to Schoolwide Planning for Paraeducator Supports is a field-tested, schoolwide planning tool designed to improve the quality of paraprofessional supports offered in public schools to supports students with disabilities and other identified support needs. Support for the preparation of this article was provided by the United States Department of Education, Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services under the funding category, Model Demonstration Projects for Children and Youth with Disabilities, CFDA 84.324M (H324M980229), awarded to the Center on Disability and Community Inclusion at the University of Vermont. The contents of this paper reflect the ideas and positions of …

Perceptions And Experiences Of Middle School General Education Social Studies And Science Teachers With Respect To The Inclusion Of Low Reading Level Students In Their Classrooms, David Walls

Theses and Dissertations

P.L. 94-142, and subsequent laws, require that all students receive a free and appropriate public education provided in the least restrictive environment (LRE). When a child study team has determined that a child is eligible for special education services they decide which program will most benefit this child's academic progress. Numerous variables determine placement in the most appropriate and least restrictive environment, so that when a child is placed in the general education setting for content area classes it is in the best interest of that child.

This study provided documentation of the attitudes, perceptions, and concerns of general education …

A Case Study In Augmentative And Alternative Communication: Usage By An Eight Year Old Male With Developmental Apraxia Of Speech, Marie E. Maine

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of using a sophisticated electronic voice output augmentative communication device with an eight-year-old male who has been diagnosed with Developmental Apraxia of Speech. The design of this research was a case study. Data collection measured the subject's academic, language, and social status before and after implementation of the augmentative communication device. Measures included standardized and criterion-referenced tests, adaptive behavior rating scales, structured observations, anecdotal data, interviews, and review of school records. Findings indicated the subject was able to participate in several assessments during the post-treatment condition that could not be …

Effective Strategies For Managing Adhd Students In The Classroom, Merri Owen

Theses and Dissertations

With so many school-age children being identified ADHD or ADD, many teachers as well as administrators feel ill-prepared to handle these students in their classrooms. The purpose of this study was to determine procedures teachers use effectively to manage ADHD students' behavior in their classrooms. It was also used to determine if a differential relationship exists between the willingness of upper elementary teachers and lower elementary teachers to accommodate ADHD students in their classrooms.

Forty-five teachers completed a survey to determine how frequently specific strategies were used and their perception of the effectiveness of these strategies. The teachers identified how …

The Effectiveness Of Increased Support By Special Education Teachers On The Academic Achievement Of Learning Disabled Students In Main Subject Area Inclusionary Classes At The Secondary Education Level When Compared To No In-Class Support, Kelly A. Fitzhenry

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of increased support by special education teachers on the academic achievement of learning disabled students in main subject area inclusionary classes at the secondary level when compared to no in class support. This information can help analyze the effectiveness of an inclusion program, validate successful inclusive educational policies that should be continued, and pinpoint the need for revision. Grade point average data of included learning disabled students in Core English II, Core B Math, and Introduction to Earth Science during the 94-95 academic year when no in class support was …

A Study Of The Amount Of Training That Pre-Service And In-Service Special Education Teachers Receive In The Teaching Of Reading, Virginia Egbert

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine if special education teachers at the pre-service and in-service levels have received and are receiving enough training to proficiently teach reading to their students, This study attempted to reveal the level of knowledge and training that special education personnel possess in the area of teaching reading. Data was gathered through a questionnaire, and then the responses for all of the participants were analyzed and presented in graphs. The responses were classified as those from in-service teachers or pre-service teachers in order to compare the data between the two groups.

The findings for …

The Relationship Of The Language-Based Characteristics Of A Selected Group Of Post-Secondary Esl Students To Pass Rates On The New Jersey Basic Skills Reading Test, Tina Previtera

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between selected language-based predictors of reading competence and the reading performance of a group of college-level ESL students receiving Basic Skills instruction. It appeared that a language barrier was preventing this group of students from passing their Basic Skills Reading requirement. It was hypothesized that this resulted in a lack of necessary skills for comprehending standard English. Based on theoretical perspectives obtained from a review of the literature, the language-based characteristics needed to obtain a passing score on the Basic Skills Reading are vocabulary, short-term verbal memory, and broad linguistic …

Implementing Best Practices When Modifying An Early Childhood Curriculum To Facilitate Inclusion Of Children With Disabilities, Cordalia D. Sullivan

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to identify current best practices when modifying an early childhood curriculum to facilitate inclusion of children with disabilities. A questionnaire consisting of twenty items pertaining to the benefits and barriers to an inclusive preschool program was distributed to thirty-four educators who service preschoolers with disabilities directly or indirectly. Those surveyed strongly agreed that including young children with disabilities in typical preschool program is a viable model of service delivery. They stated that benefits outnumber the barriers in an inclusive program, that such programs can benefit children with and without disabilities, and staff training is …

A Study Of The Effectiveness Of An After-School Peer Tutoring/Homework Help Program, Karen S. Symanski

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine if the students in the after-school peer tutoring/homework help club made greater academic gains when compared to students who did not participate in the after-school program as measured by their grade point average.

The subjects of this study were 30 fifth, sixth, and seventh grade students from a one school district in a rural southern New Jersey town. Fifteen students were enrolled in the after-school program. Fifteen students did not attend the after-school program. Grade point averages were calculated for both groups at the end of marking periods one and two. A …

An Evaluation Of First Grade Children's Progress In Reading Using The Success For All Program, Alphefia L. Blount

Theses and Dissertations

This study measured the gains made by students in the Success for All program in the areas of word recognition and reading comprehension. Also, the study examined whether the variables of attendance, student behavior, homework completion and family support affected the results of those gains. The students participated in the Success for All reading program for sixteen weeks. Every eight weeks they were given an assessment to measure progress or regression in word recognition and reading comprehension. The students' reading groups were adjusted accordingly. At the end of the sixteen weeks they were administered the Jerry John's Basic Reading Inventory …

A Study Of The Effects Of First Year Implementation Of The Everyday Mathematics Program In A Second Grade Classroom, Johanna Vicchairelli

Theses and Dissertations

The effects of the first year of the Everyday Mathematics Program for a group of 21 second graders was evaluated through a pre and post-test study during the 2000-2001 school year. The students in the study had not experienced the program in kindergarten and grade one. Math achievement was evaluated using the individually administered KeyMath Diagnostic Inventory of Essential Math Skills. Scores reflected progress in the areas of Basic Concepts, Operations and Applications. Student perceptions about math were measured using an Interest Inventory fall/spring. In addition, teacher perceptions and parent reflections were gathered to assess adaptability reactions. Standard scores, scaled …

The Effectiveness Of Using Brain Based Strategies In Classroom Instruction To Enhance Student Learning, Stacey Agin

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of using Brain-Based strategies to teach science content. Data was gathered over a ten-week period, which encompassed the entire third marking period. The results were found using primarily the students' test scores. The scores were presented in two categories: whole class averages as well as the special education students' averages.

The subjects of this study include forty-six fifth grade students, ranging in ages from 10-11. Twenty-one are enrolled in the researcher's homeroom class, and twenty-one in a comparable fifth grade class in the same school. The researcher is the science …

Transitioning And Adapting To College: A Case-Study Analysis Of The Experience Of University Students With Psychiatric Disabilities, Kenneth M. Werner

Dissertations

The psychiatric rehabilitation literature (Unger, 1987) indicates that few studies have been conducted about the adaptational demands associated with the transition to college for young adults with psychiatric disabilities who negotiate the university experience without the benefit o f a supported education program .

The purpose of this study was to describe how individual, social, and institutional factors contributed to the successful transition and adaptation to college life for students with psychiatric disabilities. The study sought to identify how students with psychiatric disabilities disclosed their illness in order to request support services and accommodations, and which services were essential or …

Dissing Disabilities: A Student's Duty To Mitigate Maladies, J. J. Knauff

Brigham Young University Education and Law Journal

No abstract provided.

Relationships Between Learning Disabilities And The Original Seven Multiple Intelligences And Strategies To Incorporate The Two Domains, Michael P. Callahan

Graduate Student Dissertations, Theses, Capstones, and Portfolios

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Tools For Inclusion: Stories Of Success: Using Networking And Mentoring Relationships In Career Planning For Students With Disabilities And Their Families, Jaimie Ciulla Timmons, Jennifer Schuster, Mairead Moloney

Tools for Inclusion Series, Institute for Community Inclusion

This brief gives examples of how students and families have successfully used networking and mentoring to learn about jobs and find employment, and gives students tools to build and use their personal networks throughout the career planning process.

Somali Immigrant And Refugee Women In Boston: Settlement And Adjustment Problems, Samia H. Mafal

Master's Capstone Projects

No abstract provided.

A Manual For First Year Special Education Teachers, Billye June Dillard

All Graduate Projects

Special education faculty and staff face specific problems in educating children with distinctive needs. Overly high workloads for new teachers and paraprofessionals increase the amount of pressure placed on indi victuals faced with inclusion. This manual is designed to be used as a guide to help teachers through their initial introduction to the classroom. Special Education Law, Inclusion, Motivation Techniques for Special Children, and Parent Involvement are discussed. In addition, valuable resources for further exploration are provided.

Early Childhood Education: A Meta-Analytic Affirmation Of The Short- And Long-Term Benefits Of Educational Opportunity, Kevin M. Gorey

Social Work Publications

Some scholars who emphasize the heritability of intelligence have suggested that compensatory preschool programs, designed to ameliorate the plight of socioeconomically or otherwise environmentally impoverished children, are wasteful. They have hypothesized that cognitive abilities result primarily from genetic causes and that such environmental manipulations are ineffective. Alternatively, based on the theory that intelligence and related complex human behaviors are probably always determined by myriad complex interactions of genes and environments, the present meta-analytic study is based on the assumption that such behaviors can be both highly heritable and highly malleable. Integrating results across 35 preschool experiments and quasi-experiments, the primary …

Taking It Personally: The Role Of Memoirs In Teacher Education, Sharon A. Hollander

Electronic Journal for Inclusive Education

The current popularity of memoirs and book groups is a cue to education faculty. When complemented by discussion groups and writing assignments, memoirs can be used to facilitate the process of inclusion in the schools by teaching both general and special educators about children with disabilities and their families. These works can also promote quality reading and writing, inspire original and insightful responses from students, and foster a sense of community in class. Some advantages and previous applications of this method are described and recommendations for implementation are made.

The National Board For Professional Teaching Standards: Professional Assessment For Teachers Of Students With Exceptional Needs, Ronald G. Helms Ph.D.

Electronic Journal for Inclusive Education

The National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS) has established five areas of Exceptional Needs as new certification areas: Early Childhood through Young Adult/Exceptional Needs (birth to 8 years), Mild and Moderately Impaired (5 to 21+ years), Severe and Multiply Impaired (5 to 21+ years), Visually Impaired (birth to 21+ years), and Deaf/Hard of Hearing (birth to 21 + years). Pre K - 12+ Exceptional Needs teachers may now be recognized by their schools, communities, state, and nation as master teachers. Teachers are clearly central to planning, implementing, developing, and modifying NBPTS policies and procedures. Only Special Needs educators will …

Reframing Educational Psychology For The New Millennium, Jill Lindsey North Ph.D.

Electronic Journal for Inclusive Education

The role of education psychology in the 21st century must be to provide a research-based pedagogical foundation upon which preservice and practicing teachers can draw to develop the habits of mind necessary to ensure all students learn. Historically, the field of educational psychology is the study of how people learn (Crowel, Podell, & Kaminsky, 1997). However, the work most associated with the field of educational psychology during the 20th century has been the development of tests and measurements to identify learners' capacities and abilities. Much of the work by educational psychologists has been focused on identifying extremes of performance in …

Book Review: The Paraprofessional's Guide To The Inclusive Classroom: Working As A Team, Patricia R. Renick Ph.D.

Electronic Journal for Inclusive Education

In a special education program, working with paraprofessionals can be either an asset or a nightmare of tension and conflicting role expectations. As a supervisor of student teachers, the complaint that is heard most often is the difficulty establishing a smooth, coherent working relationship with paraprofessionals in the classroom. Often many school districts do not adequately define the roles and expectations for paraprofessionals and do not provide training and preparation for this position. The purpose of this text is to provide a format and structure for creating just such a working relationship.

Mighty?, Craig Davis

Electronic Journal for Inclusive Education

The following poem was written by a teacher candidate at Wright State University in response to viewing the movie, The Mighty. This movie reveals the challenges and the triumphs two students with disabilities face as they forge a unique and enduring friendship.

Inclusive Elementary Schools And Those Who Lead Them, Mary Ellen Bargerhuff

Electronic Journal for Inclusive Education

This qualitative study examines how principals' leadership qualities influence effective elementary inclusion programs. Guiding questions address principals' perceptions of the beliefs, knowledge, and behaviors essential to leadership in an inclusive school. Sites for this study were three fully included elementary schools (no self-contained classes) in southwest Ohio. Data collection methods included semi-structured interviews, observations, shadowing, and document review. The conceptual framework of relational leadership, particularly the attributes of caring, collaboration, courage, vision, and intuition organized the study. Findings illustrated that the principals believe relational leadership is necessary for the success of inclusive learning communities; they make collaborative, proactive leadership by …