Education Commons^™

A Comparison Of Inclusion And Pullout Programs On Student Achievement For Students With Disabilities, James Matthew Hurt

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Students with disabilities have traditionally achieved to a lesser degree than have their nondisabled peers. Since the 1950s the federal government has enacted laws to provide free, appropriate public education to students with disabilities. In the first decade of the 21st Century the government has produced legislation requiring schools to be responsible for improving instruction for students with disabilities. One of the major trends in accomplishing this task is a move toward inclusive education. This study determined the relationships of assessment type (Standards of Learning (SOL) assessments versus Virginia Grade Level Alternative (VGLA) assessments) and models of service delivery (general …

President's Message On Diversity, Equity, And Inclusion, Janet M. Riggs

Reports from the President’s Office

Last spring I announced that we would take time this year to focus some of our thinking and conversation on the topic of diversity, equity, and inclusion. There are many reasons for us to direct our efforts to this topic: the changing demographics in our society and the need to provide a welcoming environment to a diverse student body, faculty and staff; our responsibility to prepare students for living in diverse communities and working in diverse workplaces; and our desire to prepare citizens who will be sensitive to social injustices and motivated to right them. In addition, we cannot dismiss …

The Perspectives Of Professionals And Parents On Inclusion In Head Start Programs, Thuy Nguyen, Margaret Hughes

The Journal of Special Education Apprenticeship

This study examined the perspectives of professionals and parents on part-time inclusive preschool Head Start programs that included both children with and without disabilities. The purpose of this study was twofold: (a) to examine parent and teacher perspectives of inclusion on the developmental outcomes of all children and (b) to investigate their perspectives on what constitutes a high quality inclusive program. Thirty Head Start and Early Childhood Special Education preschool teachers, as well as 30 parents of children with and without disabilities participated in this study. The major findings indicated that both parents and teachers strongly agreed that all children …

Middle School Inclusion: Case Studies Of Three General Education Teachers, Megan Mackey

NERA Conference Proceedings 2012

Research was conducted in a middle school in the southwest United States. Over 65% of the student population qualified for free and reduced lunch and the enrollment of 36% Hispanic students and 63% white students reflected the overall make-up of the local community. This study examined how three middle school teachers included students with disabilities in their classrooms. Areas explored included preparation, training, and/or support; attitudes and beliefs; learning environment; planning; and types of adaptations. Data revealed that although all participants supported the idea of inclusion, they demonstrated varying levels of characteristics of an inclusive classroom were evident.

High School Teachers' Perceptions Of Inclusion, Carmen Wiggins

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

With the reauthorization of No Child Left Behind, school systems must ensure students with disabilities receive instruction in general education classrooms. Implementing the inclusion model has been challenging for many school systems as the systems try to find ways to meet the needs of their diverse student populations. The purpose of this quantitative casual-comparative and correlational study is to identify high school teachers' perceptions of inclusion. One hundred seventy-three high school teachers from six school districts located in a southeastern metropolitan area completed a survey to allow the researcher to examine if a relationship existed between teachers' perceptions of inclusion …

Diversity, Equity, And Inclusion: Thinking Beyond Access, Janet M. Riggs

Reports from the President’s Office

Last spring I announced at a faculty meeting that a major theme for our campus this year would be diversity and inclusion. I’d like to add equity to that framework as well. This year I hope that we can develop a shared understanding of these topics and some goals to which we can aspire as a community.

Five years ago Gettysburg College established a set of four strategic directions to guide our planning and decision-making: Engagement, Distinction, Access, and Connection. At that time we described Access as our aspiration to “increase the diversity of the student body and create a …

(Un)Packing Your Backpack: Educational Philosophy, Positionality, And Pedagogical Praxis, Yvette Prinsloo Franklin

Doctoral Dissertations

In this philosophical research project, the author examines the question: How can the case be made that there is an imperative need to change the trajectory of current efforts to reduce “achievement gaps” in the United States and (re)vision a transformation of our school settings through conscious-raising sensitivity regarding issues of equity towards equality amongst educators that harnesses the work of philosophy of education scholars? She engages the reader in a theoretical hike through a philosophical argument for attending to philosophical theories of education, extending the work of Jane Roland Martin regarding sensitivity and drawing heavily on the scholarship of …

Impact Of Interpreters Filling Multiple Roles In Mainstream Classrooms On Communication Access For Deaf Students, Heather Rebecca Lawson

Masters Theses

Educational interpreters nationwide fill a variety of roles in their schools, including interpreter, tutor, assistant, consultant, and others, and the impact of these roles on the interpretation of classroom discourse is uncertain. In order to provide deaf students with the free appropriate public education they are promised through the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, we need to know more about the roles educational interpreters are filling and their impact on a deaf student’s access to the classroom discourse. This study was a quantitative study using naturalistic observation of a high school classroom with a deaf student and an interpreter, augmented …

Does Study Of An Inclusive Education Subject Influence Pre-Service Teachers' Concerns And Self-Efficacy About Inclusion?, Stuart Woodcock, Brian Hemmings, Russell Kay

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

Survey data were collected from pre-service teachers studying at a large regional Australian university. These data were examined with the purpose of determining whether pre-service teachers’ views (and concerns) about inclusion and their confidence to teach in inclusive classrooms had changed as a result of studying an inclusive education subject and undertaking a practicum linked to that subject. The results of an analysis based on mean values indicated that the various concerns, namely, resources, acceptance, workplace, and academic standards, did not change markedly as a consequence of the subject and practicum experiences. This analysis also showed a hierarchy of concerns …

Urban Elementary School Prinicipals' Attitudes Toward The Inclusive Environment, Joseph A. Galano

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

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Inclusion And Collaboration: Impact Of Preservice Teachers’ Experiences On Their Knowledge, Attitudes And Perceived Sense Of Efficacy, Tamara Mcmahan Bowlin

Doctoral Dissertations

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEA, 2004) requires students with disabilities be educated in the least restrictive environment (LRE). As students with disabilities are educated alongside their non-disabled peers, there are increased demands placed on general education teachers. Because of the shift in educational responsibilities, it is important for preservice teachers to acquire the knowledge, dispositions and instructional strategies necessary to succeed in educating students with disabilities before they enter the classroom. The purpose of this study was to examine whether preservice teachers’ knowledge, attitudes and perceived abilities (sense of efficacy) toward teaching students with disabilities would be …

Teacher Attitudes Toward The Use Of Accommodations In The Classroom And On Standardized Tests, Michele Penny Meadows

Dissertations

Educating students with disabilities in the least restrictive environment necessitates the use of accommodations and modifications to help these students have better access to the general education curriculum. As a result of inclusion, general education teachers are required to teach students with disabilities in their general education classrooms. Even though regular education teachers have assistance from special education teachers, not all general education teachers (and some special education teachers) believe they have the education, experience, or support to teach these students effectively. This study measured general education teacher and special education teacher attitudes toward the use accommodations for special education …

The Effects Of Training On Teachers' Perceptions Of Inclusion Of Students With Intellectual Disabilities, Kerin M. Vernier

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

In today’s society, many general education and special education teachers struggle with the concept of inclusion of students with intellectual disabilities (ID) in the general education classroom setting and perceive that inclusion of ID students impedes the learning of others. The purpose of this project was to establish if a 60-min training session on the benefits of inclusion would alter teachers’ perceptions of inclusion of children with ID in the general education setting as measured by a pre- and post-training rating scale. Forty-eight general education and special education school teachers participated. Of the 48 participants, 47 had special education experience …

Teaching Students With Disabilities: A Web-Based Examination Of Preparation Of Preservice Primary School Teachers, Jennifer Stephenson, Sue O'Neill, Mark Carter

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

With increasing expectations that preservice teachers will be prepared to teach students with special needs in regular classrooms, it is timely to review relevant units in teacher education courses. Units relevant to special education/inclusion in primary undergraduate teacher preparation courses in Australian tertiary institutions, delivered in 2009, were examined. Information was gathered through a series of Google searches, and available information was very limited for some units. Sixty-one units in 34 courses met criteria for inclusion. Units typically ran for one semester with 30-40 hours of instruction. Just under half the instructors for whom relevant information was available had an …

Overcoming Co-Teaching Challenges, Sharon Gerst, Lucinda Spaulding

Lucinda S. Spaulding

This presentation provides research results from a systematic grounded theory study conducted in an urban school district in Eastern Iowa. The study sought to explain the process by which general education and special education teachers overcome challenges inherent in co-teaching. The theory developed by the study explains how teachers can overcome problems frequently encountered in co-teaching. Recommendations for how administrators and teachers can apply this theory to improving and facilitating co-teaching partnerships are provided.

The Impact Of Students With Special Education Needs In The General Education Setting On Missouri’S State Assessment, Chad D. Lent

Dissertations

Schools and educators have been increasingly educating students with disabilities in the general education setting; while at the same time the level of accountability for making a positive outcome on high stakes assessments for all students has increased. This study began with utilizing the data from 1250 elementary schools from all 524 districts in the state of Missouri over a three-year period (i.e. 2008, 2009, and 2010). This study examined the impact that students with disabilities participating in the general education setting had on the Missouri’s Assessment Program’s (MAP) Communication Art and Mathematics assessments for student with and without disabilities. …

Inclusion Classrooms As It Relates To Self-Esteem, Behavior, And Social Skills, Rachel E. Trampler

Selected Honors Theses

According to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), in the 2007-2008 school year, 13.4% of public education students were enrolled in some sort of program under the Individuals with Disabilities Act of 2004, or IDEA (NCES, 2011). It is imperative to all students that they are placed in the classroom that best promotes academic success, good self-esteem, desired behavior and social skills. This qualitative study uses previously published literature to explore inclusion classrooms and its common practices as it relates to students’ self-esteem, behavior, and social skills. Inclusion classrooms serve the general student body as well as Exceptional Student …

Teacher Preparation For Inclusive Education: Increasing Knowledge But Raising Concerns, Chris Forlin, Dianne Chambers

Dianne J Chambers

The role of the generalist teacher is now affirmed as being an important component in the success or otherwise of inclusive education practice. Issues about the effectiveness of teacher preparation for working in inclusive classes have arisen. An evaluation of pre-service teachers' perceptions regarding their preparedness for inclusion had some interesting findings. The study found that increasing knowledge about legislation and policy related to inclusion, and improving levels of confidence in becoming inclusive teachers, did not likewise address their concerns, or perceived stress, about having students with disabilities in their classes. As universities re-evaluate their teacher preparation courses, a range …

Interpreting Inclusivity: An Endeavour Of Great Proportions, Richard G. Berlach, Dianne Chambers

Dianne J Chambers

Commencing with a historical account of how special needs education has informed the inclusivity debate, the authors consider the knotty problem of what is meant by inclusivity. An examination of the characteristics of inclusivity is then undertaken, and a functional school-based inclusivity framework – a three-faceted model – is proposed. The model commences with a philosophical underpinning designed to generate a number of emphases to be determined by the school. Once agreed upon, these are then operationalised for classroom practices. It is contended that the model is a defensible way of facilitating the development of an inclusivity ethos within the …

Attitudes And Inclusion: An Examination Of Teachers' Attitudes Toward Including Students With Disabilities, Thomas James Walker

Dissertations

This study examined the elements that may influence teacher attitudes in a positive manner toward including students with special needs. The purpose of this project was to explore the factors that may impact the attitudes of general education teachers toward including students with disabilities. The factors examined in this study included experience, professional development, and administrative support. Each of these factors have been indicated by research as having an impact on the attitudes of teachers toward inclusion, however a deeper understanding and description of how these factors impact teachers was needed. Elementary general education teachers were surveyed to determine their …

Learning Ideas - Universal Design In Pre-K And Early Elementary Classrooms, University Of Maine Center For Community Inclusion And Disability Studies

Family Resources

Universal design is an approach to designing environments and products so that the greatest number of people can use them. When applied to curriculum, teachers consider the potential barriers inherent in materials and activities, and plan many avenues to learning. This way, the greatest number of children can participate in the content and activities without adaptation.

Let's Ask The Kids: Consumer Constructions Of Co-Teaching, Dusty Columbia Embury, Stephen Kroeger

Teacher Education Faculty Publications

The purpose of this study was to investigate student perceptions of co-teachers. Students with disabilities are more than twice as likely as their peers without disabilities to leave school early (Kortering & Braziel, 2002; Wilson & Michaels, 2006). Students in two inclusive classrooms in an urban middle school participated in interviews about their perceptions of being in a co-taught class. Data from the student interviews indicated that students were positive about having two adults in the classroom, however, willingness to ask for assistance varied across environments. Acceptance of instruction and discipline from either teacher also varied from classroom to classroom. …

Inclusion, Signing, Socialization, And Language Skills, Virginia Heslinga Ed. D., Erica Nevenglosky

Electronic Journal for Inclusive Education

21st-century education finds schools challenged to increase the inclusion of students with widely varying learning abilities, language backgrounds, social diversity, and skills. Educators and administrators acknowledge a need for interactive learning that engages visual, auditory, linear, spatial, tactile, and kinetic learning styles. Students’ styles for learning vary in combinations and intensity and teachers need to combine flexibility and creativity to present material and practices that will build enthusiasm for learning. Adding sign language to a classroom of heterogeneous learners that includes English language learners (ELL) will aid in generating a positive learning environment, inclusive and interactive for varied learning needs …

A Review Of Inclusive Education In New Zealand, Denise Powell Ed.D.

Electronic Journal for Inclusive Education

Inclusive education is a worldwide response to the belief that all children have the right to be educated at their local early childhood centre or school. New Zealand’s education system has undergone a series of transformations over the past 20 years, which has included modifications to how schools and their students are funded and managed, and the responsibilities various government departments have for ensuring all children receive the best possible education in a variety of environments. This article outlines those changes, suggests a way forward that will help ensure inclusive education practices in New Zealand match the current policies and …

Does Study Of An Inclusive Education Subject Influence Pre-Service Teachers' Concerns And Self-Efficacy About Inclusion?, Stuart Woodcock, Brian Hemmings, Russell Kay

Faculty of Education - Papers (Archive)

Survey data were collected from pre-service teachers studying at a large regional Australian university. These data were examined with the purpose of determining whether pre-service teachers' views (and concerns) about inclusion and their confidence to teach in inclusive classrooms had changed as a result of studying an inclusive education subject and undertaking a practicum linked to that subject. The results of an analysis based on mean values indicated that the various concerns, namely, resources, acceptance, workplace, and academic standards, did not change markedly as a consequence of the subject and practicum experiences. This analysis also showed a hierarchy of concerns …

Public Libraries : Celebrating Diversity, Rajeswari Chelliah, Justin A. Brown, Barbara Combes

Research outputs 2012

No abstract provided.

Bringing Underserved Staff Online @ Lmu, Jamie G. Hazlitt, Raymundo Andrade

LMU Librarian Publications & Presentations

One tangible benefit of working at a university is the number of opportunities for continuing education. At LMU, these resources abound for white-­‐collar, professional staff. But results from a 2010 survey initiated by the library and ITS indicated that the majority of respondents from LMU Facilities employees were unaware that library and technology workshops (which take place year-­round) were offered at all. Through grassroots efforts, Raymundo Andrade and Jamie Hazlitt opened the lines of communication with facilities administration, offered basic technology and English language training opportunities for service staff, and tangibly improved the technology skills and enriched the lives of …

"They Are Here To Stay:" How Rural Northeast Alabama Public Elementary Schools Create An Environment Inclusive Of Hispanic Students, Leah Keith

All ETDs from UAB

Alabama has experienced a marked increase in the number of Hispanic students who have enrolled in its public schools. The Alabama State Department of Education's website shows that during the 2000-2001 school year, there were 9,541 Hispanic students enrolled in Alabama public schools in kindergarten through twelfth grades. By the 2010-2011 school year, that number had expanded to 33,260 Hispanic students enrolled in Alabama public schools. This increase reflects a 349 percent increase over a nine-year period. A lack of knowledge of how to work with Hispanic students often leads to barriers in the full inclusion of Hispanic students and …

Using Learning Walks To Improve Collaboration And Charter School Performance – A University/ P-12 School Partnership: Year One, Paul Thomas Bole, Ken Farizo

Paul Thomas Bole

Many universities exist apart from their community’s public schools. A New Orleans area public university took measures to facilitate collaborative partnerships with four public schools. Those schools were taken-over and converted to charter schools by state officials for poor performance. The partnerships created simultaneous opportunities and challenges, especially in the aftermath of the infamous Hurricane Katrina. One challenge involved replacing damaged school buildings. Another challenge involved forging productive relationships. This article explains how the university utilized ‘Learning Walks’ (Resnick, 1996) to facilitate stakeholder collaboration, which blossomed into partnerships facilitating school and student improvement and professional development opportunities for both entities.