Education Commons^™

Teaching The Sun As Simile: Bringing Nature Into Language Arts Middle School Classrooms, Stormy Kage

Master of Arts in Professional Writing Capstones

Teaching the Sun as Simile is an essay that explores an interdisciplinary approach to teaching middle school English Language Arts (ELA) by infusing nature and environmental studies. This essay defines emerging concepts of new literacy studies and eco-criticism, literacy, and composition as it relates to ELA pedagogy. Also, it provides an explanation for the importance and relevance of using nature to develop an ecosystem of better readers, writers and communicators in middle school general ed and special ed classrooms.

You And Me, Suzanne J. Gikas

Ought: The Journal of Autistic Culture

Poem

It’S About Time: Initial Findings From A Feasibility Study Of A Time-Study Tool For School Social Workers In Michigan, Michael S. Kelly, Steven Whitmore

International Journal of School Social Work

Starting in late Summer of 2015, the two authors began collaborating on the pilot testing of a school social work (SSW) time-study tool with a sample of SSW in suburban Detroit (n=9). This article details the path towards the development of the time-study tool, drawing from the extant literature on workload and caseload issues in related special education fields, and resulting in the time-study tool that was first piloted with SSW in 2015-2016. Initial data from year one of the two-year 2015-2017 pilot project is shared in this article, along with qualitative data based on interviews with the SSW in …

Pre-Service Teacher Attitudes Toward Inclusion In The Classroom, Anna F. Landis

Ramifications

A survey was conducted of students at West Chester University regarding their attitudes toward inclusion. The study was based upon previous studies by Margevica, Tubele, Bolton, Doan, & McGinley (2017) that examined Latvian students’ attitudes toward inclusion. Deng (2008) created a survey that examined the attitudes of educators in China towards inclusion. According to the National Center for Education Statistics (2016), 95 percent of 6- to 21-year-old students with disabilities are served in general education school settings. The survey was administered to declared education majors, undergraduate and graduate, who were in attendance to randomly selected classes that represented a range …

Collaborating For Change: Nh-Me Lend/New Mainers Public Health Initiative (Nmphi) – An Interagency Parent Advocacy And Information Project, Marnie Morneault, Hibo Omer

Poster Presentations

Over the past two decades, Maine has experienced rapid growth of racially, ethnically and linguistically diverse populations, as has the US generally. Although Maine’s population is largely White (95%), children in Maine are disproportionately from minority populations; currently 9% of children in Maine are from a race other than White. With funding support from a Focused Assistance to Support Training Project (FAST) grant, the NH-ME LEND Program partnered with New Mainers Public Health Initiative (NMPHI) to develop and deliver parent advocacy training modules for Somali parents of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). NMPHI is a public health and …

Special Education In China: Viewing Special Education Through A Cultural Lens, Melissa Hosek

Senior Honors Theses

The purpose of this study was to understand the cultural perceptions of disabilities and the impact on special education for teachers at schools in China. Teacher education and knowledge of disabilities was studied through surveys and interviews with Chinese national teachers (N = 12). The two main themes found were the shift in view of those with disabilities from disgrace to honor and the need to use the values in collectivism to continue the positive changes in China. Many teachers were found to have a desire to help students with disabilities but felt they did not have enough knowledge. …

Interdisciplinary Collaboration In Exemplary Counseling-Enriched High School Programs: Integrating College & Career Readiness And Mental Health Wellness For Students With Emotional Disturbance, Amira S. Mostafa

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this mixed methods multiple-case study was to describe how interdisciplinary collaborative teams support the college and career readiness and the mental health wellness of adolescents with emotional disturbance. A secondary purpose was to explore how team members describe and rate the importance of their interdisciplinary collaboration using the four essential elements (reflection, flexibility, newly created roles, and interdependence) based on the model established by Mellin (Mellin et al., 2010). Lastly, this study sought recommendations from team members on improved practices supporting adolescents with emotional disturbance.

Methodology: An explanatory sequential mixed methods multiple-case study design explored the …

Motivational Factors Leading To Exceptional Student Education As A Career Choice, Annissa Brockington

Doctor of Education (Ed.D)

Districts nationwide continue to face the challenge of recruiting and retaining quality teachers for the classroom. The teacher shortage issue is bleaker when seeking teachers to fill some of the most critical subject areas needed such as math, science, and exceptional student education. The purpose of this study was to understand the motivational factors that contribute to an ESE teacher’s decision to remain in the teaching field. Over 600 ESE teachers were surveyed and asked to rate their satisfaction level over a range of multiple factors, and 247 teachers responded to the survey. Using quantitative methodology, a one-sample t test …

Special Education In Catholic Schools Viewed From A Liberatory Hermeneutic, Mary Carlson, Jeffrey Labelle

Journal of Catholic Education

This study explores anew the issue of providing special education in Catholic schools by viewing the ethical implications from a liberatory hermeneutic. By utilizing an interdisciplinary perspective, the research draws upon liberation theology, liberation psychology, liberation pedagogy, and liberation ethics to support the moral mandate for providing education for all God’s children, including those persons with disabilities. The study challenges Catholic educational leaders to reimagine their positions on how schools might promote a more inclusive, liberatory approach to serving the special needs of children with disabilities. Finally, this research provides a Catholic, liberatory, ethical framework for inclusive Catholic education to …

Music Therapy’S Role In The Education System, Madison Riley, Tori L. Colson, Moriah Smothers

Kentucky Teacher Education Journal: The Journal of the Teacher Education Division of the Kentucky Council for Exceptional Children

Music therapy is a lesser-known and used related service, yet it provides significant benefits to students that have language, behavioral, and social needs. This article reviews the literature on music therapy, discusses its historical and theoretical roots, and examines its use in educational settings. Special attention is given to therapeutic practices that are geared toward students on the autism spectrum because their social and communication needs are often a good fit for music therapy practices. Recommendations on using music therapy in special and general education classrooms are also made. Additionally, recommendations for including music therapy content in teacher preparation programs …

Understanding Equitable Assessment: How Preservice Teachers Make Meaning Of Disability, Melissa K. Driver

Journal of Multicultural Affairs

Disproportionality of historically marginalized populations in special education continues to be a critical concern. The identification of students with disabilities is reliant on valid and reliable assessment that is free of bias. The extent to which this is possible given measurement constraints and an increasingly diverse student population is unclear. How teachers are trained to design, select, administer, score, and interpret assessment data related to the identification of students with disabilities is vastly under-researched considering the significant implications of assessment practices. In this study, six special education preservice teachers engaged in an assessment methods course during their second semester of …

The Perceptions Of Private Special Education School Leaders Regarding Their Role In Promoting Self-Care And Renewal Practices For Themselves And Their Teachers, Theresa Melito-Conners

Educational Studies Dissertations

This qualitative study examined the perceptions of private special education school leaders regarding their role in promoting self-care and renewal. There is limited research on self-care and renewal in schools. Data were gathered through surveys and interviews that addressed three guiding research questions: (a) Do school leaders consider self-care and renewal practices to be important for themselves and their teachers? (b) What are the various ways school leaders report they promote self-care and renewal practices for themselves and their teachers? (c) What do school leaders believe to be the factors and conditions that inhibit and foster their efforts to implement …

An Examination Of Co-Teacher's Instructional Practices And Social Validity Following Participation In Professional Development, Jessica Sitton

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

Because co-teaching teams often lack the support to continue to implement the evidence-based strategy of co-teaching beyond initial training and coaching sessions, this project studies the affect of training and coaching on teacher implementation and social validity following participation in co-teaching professional development. The Utah State Board of Education – Special Education (USBE-SES), from years 2012-2019, along with the Utah Professional Development Network (UPDN), from years 2014-2019 provided training, support and coaching to secondary co-teaching teams tied to the content areas of secondary mathematics and secondary English language arts (ELA). This project studied the continued use of instructional components specific …

Professional Portfolio, Matthew Van Orden

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

My transition portfolio contains a compilation of the highlights of my experiences in the transition specialty masters degree program. It includes a literature review, transition assessment report, personnel preparation report, and a collaboration report. I performed a review of the academic literature in the area of transition assessments for people that are non-verbal and that have significant cognitive disabilities. My transition assessment report reviews how I performed a transition assessment for one of my students. This assessment helped me drive my instruction that eventually led to a job in an area of his interest. The personnel preparation report contains a …

Co-Teaching: A Win-Win Situation For All, Kimberly Watson

Culminating Projects in Special Education

Eleven studies looking at the benefits of co-teaching for everyone involved, including all students, teachers, and administration. Also, the key strategies to consider to have a successful co-teaching experience.

A Study Of The Collaborative Strategies Of General Education And Special Education Teachers In The Inclusion Classroom In An Urban High School, Angela Mcdougall

Theses and Dissertations

This study expands on prior research on the benefits and strategies implemented in an inclusion classroom with the general education and special education teacher in an urban high school. The collaborative strategies that both teachers implement are critical to ensure a high level of instruction delivery to the special education students and the general education students that are placed together in the inclusion classroom. The general education teacher and the special education teacher both have their respective roles in the inclusion classroom.

General education teachers, ICS (in class support) and special education teachers who instruct in self-contained classrooms were interviewed …

Literacy: The Shape Of Something Possible, Miles Caudesch

Student Published Works

This article discusses the author's experience utilizing library resources to bond with a student as a substitute special education paraprofessional.

How Are Students Placed In Special Education Treated With Equity And Provided A Free And Appropriate Education In The Least Restrictive Environment?, Elizabeth Matthies

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

Special education legislation was introduced into America schools in 1975. The goal of the legislation was to ensure students with special needs were receiving and having access to a public education. Over the past nearly 45 years, special education legislation has evolved and also remained the same. The question becomes how has the legislation benefited the overall education for students with special needs? Has special education legislation allowed for students to have access to a free and appropriate education (FAPE) in the least restrictive environment (LRE)? Are students, who receive special education services, being provided equity in their education? This …

The Person Dimension Of Alternate Assessment Examined Using Achievement Results And Student Characteristics, Nicole Adams

Theses and Dissertations

This study explored the Person Dimension of validity by expanding on previous work (Kearns, Kleinert, Kleinert, & Towles-Reeves, 2006, Kopriva, Thurlow, Perie, & Lazarus, 2016; Thurlow, Wu, Quenemon, Towels, 2016; and Towles-Reeves, Kearns, Kleinert, & Kleinert, 2009) using data from the Learning Characteristics Inventory, which includes data on different aspects of students’ disabilities, and comparing those characteristics to level scores on state standardized assessments. There are aspects of students’ disabilities that have the potential to impact the validity of an assessment. The sample under analysis includes students in grades 4-8 (ages 9-13), eligible to take alternate assessment. Students with three …

Benefits And Disadvantages Of Inclusion In An Elementary School Setting, Christina Sieber

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

Students who receive special education services must be educated in the least restrictive setting. Inclusion in the general education classroom for students with special needs has become a controversial topic among educators and parents. The purpose of this literature review is to determine the benefits and disadvantages of an inclusive educational placement for elementary students with significant special needs. After an examination of the literature on inclusion, data will be shared to determine the possible benefits and disadvantages of a fully inclusive placement for students with significant special needs. The literature review will also provide an analysis of the research …

Examining The Perspectives Of Elementary Education Teachers Prepared Through Traditional And Dual License Programs, Kelly A. Swindlehurst Ph.D., Colby T. Kervick Ed.D, Katharine G. Shepherd Ed.D

The Journal of Special Education Apprenticeship

Preparing classroom teachers to work with students with diverse learning needs is a challenge that has been well documented by the literature. Earning a dual license in general and special education has been posited as one possible solution to this challenge. This paper reports on a qualitative study that examined the differences between dually licensed and traditionally prepared educators with regards to their self-efficacy and ideas about inclusion. Findings suggest that teachers who earn a dual license in general education and special education may have a stronger sense of self-efficacy as well as a stronger skill set for working with …

Table Of Contents

The Journal of Special Education Apprenticeship

No abstract provided.

The Educational Experience Of Students Who Are Deaf And Hard Of Hearing In Kentucky, Emory Bell

Kentucky Journal of Undergraduate Scholarship

Children who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing (DHH) require much specialized instruction in order to successfully learn in school. Through my course of studies in the Education of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing program at Eastern Kentucky University, I was made aware that there is a shortage of teachers of the deaf in Kentucky, and that as a result many children who are DHH are being taught by teachers without specialized DHH certification. This led to me to wonder just what the educational experience of a child who is DHH in the state of Kentucky looked like. Through …

Professional Learning Communities In Michigan’S Center-Based Schools: A Mixed Methods Study, Benjamin L. Oakley

Dissertations

In 2018 the The Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS), a program of the U.S. Department of Education (DoED), issued a letter of determination to the State of Michigan concerning compliance with the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act 2004 (IDEA) Parts B and C. States are evaluated for compliance with IDEA 2004 based upon a set of 20 State Performance Plan Indicators (SPPIs). Michigan was the only state in the union to receive the lowest rating possible, “needs intervention,” for the 2016-2017 school year.

Over 10% of students with disabilities in the State of Michigan spend less than …

Writing Underachievement: How To Support Students With Learning Disabilities And/Or Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder Through Self-Regulation Strategy Development, Katie Ludin

Education | Master's Theses

Writing underachievement is a national dilemma, especially among students with LDs and/or ADHD. Difficulties with written expression create negative social and emotional consequences for students since writing is critical to academic and professional success. Despite this, few studies have explored the impact of writing underachievement. The purpose of this research was to better understand the experiences of struggling writers within the elementary school setting, especially students who receive special education services. Part of this research included an intervention group. Self-Regulation Strategy Development was taught to a group of students with LDs and/or ADHD. This research was conducted in an effort …

Life Skills For Life-Long Learners: Teaching Functional Skills To Elementary Students With Special Needs, Emily H. Derecat

Education | Master's Theses

Though extensive studies exist regarding teaching life skills at the middle school and high school level in special education to support students’ transition to adulthood, a comparable amount of research is still needed to examine the use of life skills-based programs in elementary special education programs. The purpose of this study was to investigate how a six-week intervention using research-based practices targeting specific life skills impacted 2nd - 5th grade students with moderate to severe disabilities. This study involved a group of 7 students with varying disabilities and behavioral challenges, using video and peer modeling to enhance specific life skills …

The Experience Of Students With Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder During The Transition To Middle School, Hannah M. Berry

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The transition to the middle school setting from elementary school has been the subject of research for decades as data shows a decline in academic success, socio-emotional health and motivation for students. There is a lack of research based transitional programs to support the needs of students at this time, specifically those with special needs. Though the name and specific criteria for students with ADHD has shifted, the impact this neurological disability has on students and learning is comprehensive. Symptoms of this disorder reach and affect each part of the student and their school experience, as well as those around …

A Space To Learn, Amy R. Goods

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

In this dissertation, I explore what it means to different people, in different places throughout life’s spectrum to create a space to learn. This dissertation is a collection of work that I have written throughout my time at the CUNY Graduate Center. The chapters herein represent an arch of my learning over the past five years. The title, A Space to Learn, has multiple meanings. For one, writing this dissertation has provided me a space to explore and reflect on a variety of topics, ranging from memory loss, to teacher preparation programs, to eugenics and special education, to tracking and …

Benefits Of Modifications And Accommodations Training, Brandie J. Malm

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

The purpose of this action research project was to determine the relationship between modifications and accommodations training for school staff and the academic experience of special education students. Participants were three special education students in a public, inclusive, elementary school setting. Data was collected through I-Ready reading and math testing in August and December of this school year and compared to the same data from the previous year. The research question guiding this study was, would special education student’s educational experience improve when the special education teacher provides a comprehensive modifications and accommodations training for general education teachers and paraprofessionals? …

The Impact Of Explicit Social Skills Instruction And Increased Play In A Kindergarten Special Education Classroom, Samantha Klaren

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

The purpose of this action research project is to determine the impact of explicit social skills instruction and an increased amount of play in a kindergarten special education classroom. Data was collected to determine the effect that this intervention had on students’ behavior and academic progress. Data was collected through student referral data and Individualized Education Plan progress monitoring data. Analysis of the data collected suggested that this explicit social skills instruction and increase in play had a positive impact on student behavior in the school setting.