Education Commons^™

Special Education Teacher Attrition: K-12 Administrator Perspectives, Tia Alove Stevens-Hicks

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Abstract

Teacher attrition is a significant contributor to the teacher shortages, with preretirement attrition accounting for two thirds of all attrition. Special education teachers leave teaching at significantly higher rates than their general education peers. In addition, there is a greater demand for special education teachers due to the increase in public school students requiring special education services. As a result, many K–12 administrators and other educational leaders often fill vacant positions with unqualified or new teachers with less experience than their predecessors. Special education teachers have reported that teachers who remained in their positions reported high levels of administrative …

Public Vocational School Teachers' Experiences And Perceived Self-Efficacy In Working With Students With Disabilities In An Inclusive Environment: A Phenomenological Inquiry Study, Amber Jean Caproni

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Full inclusion of students with disabilities within the general education classroom has been a longstanding goal of many school districts within the United States. Many studies have been conducted to understand what attributes are needed for successful inclusion with the evidence pointing to the need for teachers to have a strong sense of instructional self-efficacy when working with students with disabilities. Copious research concerning teachers’ experiences with inclusive education has been conducted across typical public-school settings; however, scant information is known about inclusive education experiences of general education teachers employed in vocational high schools. The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological …

Parents’ Expectations Of Developmentally Delayed Children With Special Education Needs (Sen) When Transitioning Out Of Non-Classroom Based Independent Studies Charter High Schools, Yolanda Vazquez

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this phenomenological study was to identify and describe the expectations of parents of developmentally delayed special education needs (SEN) high school children regarding their children’s transition out of independent studies charter high schools. In addition, it was the purpose of this study to identify how parents perceived independent studies charter high school schools addressed the needs of their SEN children during the transition process.

Methodology: This study used qualitative methodology to gain insight into the lived experiences and perceptions of parents with SEN high school students in a NCB ISP high school transition program. Data was …

An Examination Of The Relationships Between Campus Administrators And Special Education Teachers And Its Influence On Teacher Retention, Tai Lea Peacock

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Teacher shortages have plagued U.S. school districts for many years now as special education and other high-need fields struggle to retain highly qualified teachers. School leaders must gain a better understanding of why special education teachers are leaving at such alarming rates in order to formulate a plan for improving retention. The purpose of this qualitative descriptive study was to examine how campus administrators’ relationships influence the retention of special education teachers. Leader-member exchange theory, which contends that the relationships between leaders and followers impact our work environment and job satisfaction, served as the theoretical framework of this study. A …

Investigating Evidence-Based Practices And Interventions Using Multifaceted Learning Theory For Students In A Special Education Self-Contained Classroom, Adam Maitland

Ed.D. Dissertations

Teachers working in a special education self-contained classroom were required to implement evidence-based practices and interventions, rarely researched in a school setting, with fidelity to meet the needs of students with intellectual disabilities. Evidence-based practices and interventions for students with intellectual disabilities were researched in clinical settings with one to three student participants and without a common evaluation tool. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to use the Tennessee Educator Acceleration Model General Educator Rubric to investigate how experienced teachers used multifaceted learning theory when implementing evidence-based practices and interventions in a diverse special education self-contained classroom to …

Role Play: Actualizing The Iep Meeting For Pre-Service Teachers, Courtney A. Toledo

The Qualitative Report

Teacher preparation programs provide numerous teaching and learning opportunities for pre-service teachers; however, participating in an Individualized Education Program (IEP) meeting is not an experience that can be guaranteed. Leading and participating in IEP meetings are a responsibility that all special education teachers will be held accountable for, but many pre-service teachers will never be able to observe a real IEP meeting before entering the field. In this qualitative case study, the researcher utilizes a simulated IEP meeting to provide pre-service teachers with experience in participating in an IEP meeting prior to entering the profession. The case study method is …

Comparing 1:1 And Small-Group Instruction With Preschool Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Danyel Hen

Theses and Dissertations

This applied dissertation was designed to evaluate alternative and effective forms of instruction for young students with autism spectrum disorder. The researcher examined and compared the difference in the instructional formats of 1:1 discrete trial teaching and small-group discrete trial teaching. Targets were chosen in receptive language and preacademic concepts, and differences were compared based on skill acquisition, speed of acquisition, generalization, and maintenance of skills. The participants engaged in the 8-week intervention phase of the study by following an alternating treatments design schedule during their designated center time rotations in the classroom. All participants engaged in 1:1 discrete trial …

Rural Inclusive Education For Students With Disabilities In The United States: A Narrative Review Of Research, Katie Mae Mccabe, Andrea L. Ruppar

The Rural Educator

Despite a long history of overrepresentation in segregated settings (Brock, 2018), students with disabilities who require extensive supports are more likely to receive inclusive placements in rural schools. In this paper, we present findings from a narrative literature analysis of inclusive education for students with disabilities in rural schools located in the United States. Our search yielded 24 articles, published between 2002 and 2019, which reveal three storylines: (a) perceptions about inclusive education in rural schools and communities, (b) inclusive placements are common for students with disabilities, and (c) access to resources is a factor for rural schools to provide …

Student With Twice-Exceptionalities Iep Meeting Assignment Description, David Wolff

Open Educational Resources - Teaching and Learning

General education teachers should remember that all students are general education students, first. We need to be prepared to work with students of all abilities in our classrooms. As general education teachers, we have an active role on a child’s IEP team and an active role during the IEP meeting. This assignment asked preservice teachers to develop a script of what they would say at an IEP meeting of one character from four different novels that would be considered a child with twice-exceptionalities.

Understanding Novice Special Education Teachers’ And Paraeducators’ Mentorship Relationships: A Comparative Case Study, Maya Evashkovsky, Anna V. Osipova

The Journal of Special Education Apprenticeship

Novice special education teachers (SETs) often report on stress and burnout in their jobs, identifying collaboration with colleagues as a factor that supports them during the first years (Belknap & Taymans, 2015). While previous research focused on teachers' support from their mentor teachers, administrators, and colleagues, in this study we examined the mentorship relationship between SETs and their classroom paraeducators. We analyzed interviews of three novice SETs who taught in a large urban school district. All participants taught in Special Day Classrooms (SDC) and worked closely with paraeducators. The findings of this comparative case study suggest that these relationships are …

The Effect Of Language Used In The Home On Academic Achievement In English Language Learners With Special Needs, Rebecca Dawn Bramblett

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The number of students classified as English language learners enrolled in schools in the United States continues to multiply yearly. An increasing number of these students also qualify for special education services. Students in either group have underperformed compared with their general education peers for years, and the basic academic proficiency levels of these students are concerning when either language proficiency or disability is considered separately. However, when a lack of language of proficiency is compounded with a disability, academic proficiency levels become even more concerning. While student language proficiency and disability are well-researched in terms of academic performance, the …

Special Education Teachers’ Perceptions Of Self-Determination Supports In Inclusion Classrooms, Suzanne Tiffany-Salogub

Theses and Dissertations

The outcomes presented in this dissertation were motivated by a scarcity of research that explores self-determination practices explicitly within inclusive classrooms. Three overarching goals motivated my research. The first was to understand what inclusion teachers know and do in relation to self-determination (Chapter 2). The second was to understand how their practices align with existing knowledge about self-determination in the field (Chapter 3). Finally, I sought to create an accessible, research-based tool tailored to inclusion teachers who seek to support their students in developing self-determination skills (Chapter 4). To achieve these goals, I designed an investigation using a case-study design …

Teaching Students With Maladaptive Behaviors In Special Education, Giselle Valdez Tejeda

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

Thousands of students engage in maladaptive behaviors in Special Education classrooms throughout the world every single day. It is very important for parents and others related to the field to know and get an understanding of how teachers teach students effectively according to their functional skills and understanding. This senior capstone examines how teachers teach students with maladaptive behaviors in Special Education. Through the use of literature review and interviews with three specialists in Special Education, the findings reveal that by finding ways to keep their maladaptive behaviors to interfere with their learning is by providing one-to-one support in classroom …

The Involvement Of Parents Of Students With Disabilities In Rural Early Head Start Programs: A Case Study, Cassandra Annette Justice

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this qualitative collective case study was to describe parent participation for home-based educators and parents at an Early Head Start home-based program in rural Appalachia. Parental participation in the Early Head Start home-based program was generally defined as the active participation of children with disabilities’ parents in a home-based program guided by home-based educators through the implementation of early intervention services. Maslow’s hierarchy of needs guided this study, as it relates to both identifying barriers that may prevent parents from being involved and illuminates how Early Head Start educators help families meet growth and developmental needs. The …

The Lived Experiences Of General Education Teachers' Consultative Interactions With Special Education Team Members: A Transcendental Phenomenological Study, Meredith Kearney Auscavitch

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to describe general education teachers’ lived experiences of consultative interactions with special education team members in an urban school in New England. Information regarding desired outcomes of consultation as well as general education teacher-identified outcomes was explored. The theory that guided this study was the collaboration theory identified by Lee Vygotsky, which details the benefit of collaboration with others to gain knowledge of a task or process using a partnership to support a deeper understanding. A sample of 10 general education teachers provided their perspectives on consultation with special education team members. …

What Keeps Teachers Of Students With Autism Spectrum Disorder Teaching?, Kimberley Rodriguez

All NMU Master's Theses

Currently, staff shortages exist in all areas of education. In the field of special education, there are sub-groups of teachers and classrooms, each with unique challenges. This study explores the experiences of teachers of students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) disability in order to identify important retention factors specific to them. In this qualitative, phenomenological study, the researcher conducted four, one-on-one interviews to discover the district-related factors shared by teachers of students with ASD when considering staying or leaving their current position. Interview responses were categorized into the four themes critical to teacher retention according to the four capital theory …

Disrupting Inequitable Practices In Special Education: Privileging Student And Family Voices, Armineh E. Hallaran

Theses and Dissertations

Black, Latinx, and other minoritized students have long been overrepresented in the high-incidence, subjective, disability classifications including Learning Disability, Speech and Language Impairment, Emotional Disturbance, and Intellectual Impairment. Special education places these students on trajectories that deny them access to quality education and the same postschool outcomes and opportunities as their nondisabled peers. Using Disability Critical Race Theory (DisCrit), and grounded theory analysis this study foregrounds the voices of minoritized middle school students receiving special education under high-incidence classifications. DisCrit allowed for an investigation of how student’s intersecting marginalized identities impacted their experiences as special education students. Further, Education Journey …

Leaders And Restraints: Investigating How Attitudes Of School Leaders Predict The Number Of Physical Restraints, Sarah S. Ulmer

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This study investigates how attitudes of school leaders predict the number of physical restraints that occur in schools that serve students under IDEA. This study focuses on the attitudes of school leaders from the geographical regions of Virginia in public and private schools. The “Educational Leadership and Behavioral Interventions” survey was used to gather research from 33 schools within Virginia. After collecting the data through the survey, the data was analyzed using a predictive correlation research design. The bivariate linear regression was used to analyze the predictor and criterion variables using SPSS. Based on the results of the data analysis, …

Perspectives Of Students With Asd And Their Parents: What Does It Truly Mean To Be Included?, Keara M. Browne

Theses and Dissertations

Though there are a number of practices identified by researchers and other professionals as inclusive, the question remains about whether the students themselves truly feel included. There has been limited research surrounding specific experiences in inclusive classrooms that students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) perceive to be facilitators and barriers to being included in general education and co-teaching settings. The purpose of this study was to inform educational policies and school practices surrounding the inclusion of students with ASD in general education and co-teaching settings by analyzing the perceptions of students with ASD and their parents to determine what it …

Emotional And Behavioral Disorders: Current Definitions, Terminology, And Prevalence, Edward A. Polloway, Rosel H. Schewel, James M. Kauffman, Antonia Charles, Tom E.C. Smith, James R. Patton, Lihua Yang

LC Journal of Special Education

This study provides an analysis of state guidelines with respect to terminology and definitions in emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD) as well as demographic trends. The data were analyzed from the web-based state guidelines for terminology and definitions for all 50 states and the District of Columbia and then from mining data from the most recent reports of the United States Department of Education on IDEA (USDOE, 2015, 2016). Significant findings included current information on state-based terminology, state definitions, and school prevalence. Implications are made with special attention to these factors as identified above as they relate to educational programs …

Graphic Models And Instructional Tools For Students With Special Needs (Revised), Edward A. Polloway, Jacqueline Lubin

LC Journal of Special Education

This document is intended for educators with interest in students with special needs. It provides various graphical models and instructional tools that relate to teaching reading, writing, math, and social studies and science to students with disabilities. The paper is divided into four sections: reading, writing, math, social studies and science. In each section, multiple examples of models are provided. The information provided can be used for general knowledge, as part of course content in special education classes and/or as reference material. The authors acknowledge the work of Allison Meade and Wendy Bailey-Joseph in developing an earlier edition of this …

Demographic Trends In Educational Programs For Students With Emotional And Behavioral Disorders, Edward A. Polloway, Rosel H. Schewel, James M. Kauffman, Tom E.C. Smith, Antonia Charles

LC Journal of Special Education

This study analyzes demographic data in the field of emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD). The data are from the most recent reports of the United States Department of Education on IDEA (USDOE, 2015, 2016). Findings focus on school prevalence, ethnicity, placement in educational environments, and school exit patterns. Implications focus in particular on attention to these respective demographic areas identified above as they relate to educational programs.

Homework Problems And Remedies, Antonia M. Charles

LC Journal of Special Education

This literature review provides a summary of some of the homework problems experienced by students with learning difficulties documented in previous research. It also seeks to outline some practical suggestions which can be utilized to remediate the homework problems experienced by this group of students. Finally, this review examines the role of teachers in assisting this group of students become successful in this regard.

Phonemic Awareness: An Important Piece Of The Reading Puzzle, Brandi Booker

LC Journal of Special Education

The purpose of this paper is to provide research findings on phonemic awareness. The major topics to be discussed are assessment, strategies, and effectiveness. This paper will conclude with a discussion on the major topics and its importance for special education.

Choice Making And Individuals With Significant Disabilities, Jacob Wolf, Kristin Joannou

LC Journal of Special Education

This literature review addresses issues and trends pertaining to choice making for individuals with significant disabilities. The benefits and development of choice making will be addressed, followed by a summary of several barriers to choice making. The review concludes with a synthesis of strategies and interventions for increasing effective choice-making opportunities, including choice-making formats, teaching choice making, and building choice making into daily contexts.

Communicative Competence And Self-Determination, Sonya Spolsky, Gina Debarthe

LC Journal of Special Education

Self-determination describes people acting as the primary causal agents in their lives through their own volition (Wehmeyer, 1998; Wehmeyer, 2005). Volition means making choices with intention and consciousness. Self-determination consists of four essential characteristics related to volition: Autonomy, self-regulation, psychological empowerment, and self realization (Wehmeyer et al., 2007). Acting autonomously, in a manner to achieve specified goals, problem solving to meet those goals and being aware of the possible outcomes describe some of the activities related to volition and the characteristic of self determination (Light & Gullens, 2000; Wehmeyer et al., 2007). Self-determined people influence their own lives. People with …

Parent Autonomy Support For Children With Low Achievement And Disabilities, Caya Chiu, Shana Haines

LC Journal of Special Education

Only a limited amount of research focuses on building skills leading to enhanced self- determination for children with disabilities within the home environment (Abery & Stancliffe, 1996; Shogren & Turnbull, 2006), even though families play a critical role in developing the self-determination of their children (Abery & Zajac, 1996; Palmer et al., 2012). According to Shogren and Turnbull (2006), this lack of attention on developing the self-determination of children with disabilities at home, within families, “may detrimentally limit the field’s ability to support children, and families, in developing the capacity for, or for promoting, self- determination” (p. 341). Some research, …

Introduction To Special Topic Issue On Self-Determination, Michael L. Wehmeyer

LC Journal of Special Education

Over the past two decades, promoting the self-determination of students with disabilities has become a best practice in secondary education and transition services (Wehmeyer, Abery, Mithaug, & Stancliffe, 2003; Wehmeyer, Agran, Hughes, Martin, Mithaug, & Palmer, 2007). Self-determination refers to self- (vs. other-) caused action—to people acting volitionally, based on their own will. Volition is the capability of conscious choice, decision, and intention. Self- determined behavior is volitional, self-caused or self-initiated action.

Self-Injury And Behavior Supports For People With Intellectual Disability, Lihua Yang

LC Journal of Special Education

The purpose of this paper is to seek strategies that can be effective to support behaviors of individuals with ID. The major topics will be addressed include the characteristics of people with ID, concerns and causes of SIB, and interventions used to address this behavior. The paper then concludes with a discussion of choosing different strategies for individuals with ID to accommodate individuals’ needs.

Effective Reading Comprehension Strategies For Individuals With Learning Disabilities: A Research Synthesis, Gordon B. Worcester Ii

LC Journal of Special Education

This paper will explore and synthesize the body of current research on effective reading comprehension instruction and strategies. Beginning with a survey of several variables that affect working memory and executive processes, this paper will discuss how the mind’s ability to interpret text and derive meaning is a critical component for reading comprehension. The article will also explore how the elements of the working memory affect student with learning disabilities (LD). Furthermore, the working memory’s executive process is essential for the “simultaneous process of extracting and construction meaning” from text (Garcia-Madruga et al., 2013, p. 155). In addition, this paper …