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Educational Leadership Commons

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Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

Special Education and Teaching

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Full-Text Articles in Educational Leadership

A Descriptive Case Study Of Appreciative Inquiry As An Approach To Strategic Planning For Special Education In A Public School, Paul L. Ruhlman Jr. Jan 2014

A Descriptive Case Study Of Appreciative Inquiry As An Approach To Strategic Planning For Special Education In A Public School, Paul L. Ruhlman Jr.

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

This study's purpose was to describe appreciative inquiry (AI) as an approach to strategic planning for special education in a public school. The study investigated four research questions. How do plans for special education emerge as participants engage in the four phases of AI during strategic planning for the future of special education in a public school district? What were participants' experiences and perceptions of AI as a method to develop strategic plans for the future of special education? to what extent did participants' experiences using AI mirror the philosophical principles of AI? to what extent did using AI to …


A Critical Study Of Black Parents' Participation In Special Education Decision-Making, Tamara Lynn Freeman-Nichols Jan 2013

A Critical Study Of Black Parents' Participation In Special Education Decision-Making, Tamara Lynn Freeman-Nichols

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

No abstract provided.


How Institutional Theory Informs State Education Policy Regarding Exit Outcomes For Students With Disabilities, Michele Myers Hopkins Jan 2012

How Institutional Theory Informs State Education Policy Regarding Exit Outcomes For Students With Disabilities, Michele Myers Hopkins

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

As school districts negotiate accountability requirements imposed by federal and state policies regarding exit outcomes for students with disabilities, one strategic response has been to provide students with mild disabilities such as SLD, ED, and Gil with alternative routes to graduation (Goertz & Duffy, 2003; Guy, Shin & Lee, 1999; Johnson & Thurlow, 2003; Johnson, Thurlow, & Stout, 2007; Pankaskie & Webb, 1999). These alternatives made available by state policy may assist school districts to maintain legitimacy by meeting accountability targets and obtaining resources; however, unintended negative consequences may arise.;The purpose of this study was to examine the responses of …


Literacy Self-Efficacy And Achievement Of Secondary Students With Disabilities, Mary Mau Runnells Jan 2012

Literacy Self-Efficacy And Achievement Of Secondary Students With Disabilities, Mary Mau Runnells

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

Adolescent literacy, or adolescents' ability to read, write, and communicate about the variety of texts they encounter in and out of school, has remained inordinately, and consistently, low for the past 20 years (NCES, 2010). Self-efficacy is a widely-used construct for measuring and predicting student achievement (Pajares, Johnson, & Usher, 2007; Phan, 2011; Schunk& Zimmerman, 2007). A differential level of literacy achievement is noted between certain student subgroups including students with and without disabilities (NCES, 2010).Students with disabilities are also included within other student subgroups that persistently underperform on literacy assessments (NCES, 2010) compounding school districts efforts to achieve Adequate …


Continuous Improvement Monitoring: An Analysis Of State Special Education Compliance Procedures, Barbara Richmond Blake Jan 2012

Continuous Improvement Monitoring: An Analysis Of State Special Education Compliance Procedures, Barbara Richmond Blake

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

The purpose of this policy analysis was to examine the responses of selected states to the special education monitoring requirements of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act of 2004 (IDEA) with particular attention paid to the years after this most recent reauthorization. This study examined the legislative and litigative history of students with disabilities including the gradually increasing role of the federal government in both general and special education.;The various approaches used by the selected states to monitor special education procedures and student outcomes were identified as well as the procedures used by these states in order to remediate non-compliance …


Program Evaluation Of A School District's Multisensory Reading Initiative, Michael Patrick Asip Jan 2012

Program Evaluation Of A School District's Multisensory Reading Initiative, Michael Patrick Asip

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

The purpose of this study was to conduct a formative program evaluation of a school district's multisensory reading initiative. The mixed methods study involved semi-structured interviews, online survey, focus groups, document review, and analysis of extant special education student reading achievement data. Participants included elementary special education teachers of high incidence students with disabilities, elementary assistant principals, central office special education leaders, and contracted training partners. Facilitating conditions that supported multisensory reading instruction included supportive school administrators, professional learning communities, intensive initial professional development, plentiful instructional materials, and supportive central office personnel. Constraints included school master schedules, limited time for …