Special Education and Teaching Commons^™

The Effects Of The Write Source 2000 Program On Adolescent Students With Learning Disabilities In The Area Of Writing, Debra E. Gray

Theses & Honors Papers

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of the Write Source 2000 Program on adolescent students with learning disabilities in the area of writing. A single-subject was used in this A-B design. In the study the subject was exposed to various writing techniques found in the Write Source 2000 Program. A pre-writing sample was taken before treatment began. This writing sample was assessed with a Rubric Writing Assessment. Mid-way through treatment another writing sample was taken and assessed with the Rubric Writing Assessment. The student was also at this time placed into a regular education classroom where …

Self-Perceptions Of Special Education Students Within The Regular Classroom, Sean Rayner

Theses & Honors Papers

This study was conducted to determine the self-perceptions of special education students within the regular education classroom . The subjects in this study consisted of 25 students from a mid Atlantic school system in Virginia . The subjects were high school students. The data were collected by using a questionnaire. The questionnaire included 18 closed ended or likert questions. The data were then analyzed qualitatively by descriptive statistics. The results showed that students with disabilities perceive their behavior to be the same in both the special education and the regular education classroom.

Teacher Perspectives Of Student Transitioning In Special Education From Correctional Facilities To Public Schools, Elanor B. Mccormack

Theses & Honors Papers

The purpose of this study was to explore correctional special education teachers' and public high school special education teachers ' perspectives of student transitioning from correctional facilities back to public schools. The point of interest was regarding what information these two groups of teachers believe to be important for transitioning to occur more smoothly from correctional education to the public schools.

Surveys were distributed to the two groups of teachers. Respondents indicated the need for collaboration between correctional facilities and public schools. They also indicated the need for transference of information about the student prior to the student's arrival in …

Perceptions Of Regular Education And Special Education Professionals Regarding Involvement In The Iep Process, Donna B. Howland

Theses & Honors Papers

Special education and regular education professionals in public high schools in Virginia were surveyed regarding their perceptions of student, parent, special and regular educator involvement in the IEP conference. The survey aimed to compare the teachers' perceptions on the ideal level of involvement with what actually occurs in the schools. Students and regular education teachers had lower levels of actual involvement in the IEP conference than the teachers believed it should be. Furthermore, both groups of teachers indicated that the primary responsibility for developing the IEP should fall to the special education professional.

Students' Perception Of Involvement In Transition, Linda D. Sadler

Theses & Honors Papers

The purpose of this study was to investigate the exceptional student's perception of his or her involvement in the transition process as well as expectations and desired outcomes for adult life. A sample of twenty-one students classified as learning disabled who were taking a study skills class chose to participate in this study. The results show that over half of this sample were not aware that they were currently in a program designed to assist them with planning their future. Even so, over ninety percent stated that they had a future plan in mind, with over ninety percent planning to …

The Effects Of Direct Instruction On The Decoding Skills Of Learning Disabled Student With An Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Stephanie Sample

Theses & Honors Papers

The purpose of the study was to investigate the effects of direct instruction on the decoding skills of a student identified as learning disabled and with an attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. A procedure called the Corrective Reading Decoding Program was used to test this hypothesis. A single subject sign was used for this study. The subject received a direct instruction decoding program that consisted of sixty-five lessons, that took approximately six weeks to complete. An analysis by descriptive statistics showed that the subject improved his percentages at each grade level on the word lists, and improved at each reading level …

Are The Personnel Of Support Centers Trained To Meet The Needs Of Students With Learning Disabilities In College?, Sheri Barger

Theses & Honors Papers

The purpose of this study was to investigate whether or not the directors of support centers are prepared to meet the needs of students with learning disabilities in college. The subjects in this study were selected from all two and four year public schools from three states. They responded to a questionnaire about their training and the pertinence of their training to their work . The data were analyzed using a Pearson-r to examine the relationship between the variables . All questions were found to be statistically significant. Seventy-five percent of the variables were found to be significant at the …

Factors Related To School Involvement By Parents Of Students With Learning Disabilities, Kristen White

Theses & Honors Papers

The purpose of this study was to determine the factors related to a parent's involvement in their child's education. More specifically it addressed the factors related to the involvement by parents of children with learning disabilities. The subjects (n=52) were all parents of children with learning disabilities. All parents attending a convention sponsored by the Learning Disabilities Association of North Carolina were surveyed. A self-developed questionnaire was used for this research. 37% of the questionnaires were returned. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and a Pearson r. A significant correlation was found between teacher involvement and parental involvement (r= …

Kuwait Special Educators Program, William R. Nelson, Linda Friedman, James L. Narduzzi

School of Professional and Continuing Studies Faculty Publications

The United States has long been recognized as a world leader in responding to the developmental needs of individuals with mental retar­dation (Rowitz, 1989). Particular strengths exist in the educational arena, both in traditional settings as well as in the vocational area (Glidden & Zetlin, 1992; Clark & Kolstoe, 1990; Wehmen, 1990; Schlack, McGaughey, & Kiernan, 1989). Because of these strengths, an increasing number of inter­national groups are seeking training opportunities to study these practices. In July 1992, the Cultural Attache at the Embassy of Kuwait in Washington, D.C. issued a request for proposals directed at special education practices in …

The Effect Of "Project Adventure" On Self-Esteem Of Learning Disabled Students, Nava Shaked

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the relationship of "Project Adventure," a program of physical activity, and self-esteem on learning disabled children and non-disabled children. The hypothesis was that the "Project Adventure" program would have a positive effect on the self-esteem of all the students, with an especially strong effect on the Learning Disabled students.

The subjects, 22 regular education students and 11 Learning Disabled students participated in a 9 week Project Adventure program in Oakcrest High School (Mays Landing, New Jersey). The Coopersmith Self-Esteem Inventory had been used for assessment as a pretest and a posttest. The …

Factors Affecting Parent Perceptions Of Children's Performance In Inclusive Classroom Settings, Amy M. Johnson

Theses & Honors Papers

The subjects of this study included parents of forty - five students with learning disabilities who were integrated in the regular education classroom from rural Virginia. A self developed questionnaire was used to collect the data . Thirteen (28%) of the questionnaires were returned. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics. The results showed that divorced parents, married couples working between 20 to 29 hours per week, married parents who both had finished college, single I divorced parents who had finished High School only, and parents who had one child or all children in the family receiving Special Educational services …

The Effects Of Dialogue Journal Writing On The Writing Apprehension Level Of Middle School Students With Learning Disabilities, Jennifer H. Dooley

Theses & Honors Papers

This study examined what effects writing in dialogue journals has on the writing apprehension level of middle school students identified as having a learning disability related to writing. Twenty eight students participated in the study , eleven of which served as a control group and eleven as an experimental group (other subjects were eliminated randomly ). Each subject completed the Writing Apprehension Measure before and after the treatment. During the six - week study , the control group wrote in journals three times each week. The experimental group wrote in journals three times each week and received a response from …

De-Institutionalized Skills: Utilized Or Useless, Linda Golden

Theses and Dissertations

My thesis was on the topic of de-institutionalized skills. My goal was to discover if my subjects had gained, lost, or maintained skill areas since they have left the institutional setting. These subjects, a total of 11 male adults with mental retardation, now reside in two group living facilities. Their ages range from 31 - 62 years and their Intelligence Quotients range from 63 - 68.

Two test booklets were used to gather raw score means for functioning levels. Four main skill areas were assessed: Communication, Daily Living, Socialization, and Motor. Results exhibited growth for most domain and subdomain skill …

A Study To Determine The Effects Of The Use Of Sign Language With Mildly Mentally Retarded Students On Social Interaction And Communication, Catherine Serafinelli

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this thesis was to determine if the use of sign language with mildly mentally retarded children would increase their social interaction and communication. All the children in the study have been described as having moderate to severe language delays. Pre and post intervention observations were conducted for five consecutive days during free play in the classroom setting. After the completion of data collection, intervention was begun. Intervention consisted of a selection of basic signed vocabulary pertinent to classroom activities which were introduced during a sign circle three afternoons a week for ten minute sessions. After the signs …

Instructional Techniques For Elementary Students With Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Marlene Tiller

Theses & Honors Papers

Instructional techniques used with elementary students diagnosed as having Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) were investigated. Subjects included fifty (n=50 ) special education teachers of elementary level (K-5 ) students with learning disabilities (LD) and/or emotional disabilities (ED). Of the fifty subjects, only twenty-three surveys were returned . Subject s were asked to choose the most effective desk placement, classroom placement , classroom strategy , and teaching method for an elementary level student with ADHD . A t-test, chi- square, and descriptive statistics were used to analyze the data . No significant differences were found between the choices of teachers …

Generalization Of Organizational Skills From One Setting To Another, Kristine J. Jansen

Theses and Dissertations

Learning disabled students have consistently had difficulty generalizing organizational skills from a resource center, where the skills are taught, to a mainstream classroom without support. This study hypothesized that organizational skills taught in a mainstream classroom with resource support (inclusion) would generalize more frequently to a mainstream classroom without resource support than skills taught in the resource center. Ten seventh grade students with learning disabilities were taught strategies for organizing themselves to complete classwork and homework, keep an organized notebook and come prepared to class. Mainstream classroom teachers felt these four skills were necessary for students to become successful in …

General Case Principle Applied To Microwave Cooking: Can Severely Handicapped Students Generalize The Skills They Learn In The Classroom, Victoria Elizabeth Smith

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this paper was to apply an example of general case strategy when training severely handicapped students how to use a microwave. Two types of machines were chosen that represent the range and type available: (push button, turns dial - color: white, brown).

Three students were selected to participate in the study all coming from a special education district. The students were 17 years old and classified multiple handicapped. In addition, their test scores and other data indicated they were severely disabled.

Using a task analysis approach both machines were taught simultaneously. Instruction was given on the relevant/non-relevant …

The Effect Of A Self-Monitoring Program On Perceptually Impaired Students' Compliance To Class Rules, Michael A. Scully

Theses and Dissertations

The objective of this study was to examine the effects of a self-monitoring procedure that was designed to increase compliance to classroom rules in a middle school setting. Four male seventh grade students classified as Perceptually Impaired with histories of discipline and academic difficulties served as subjects for this investigation. After a baseline period in which a rating scale was used to evaluate their behavior, the subjects were taught to use the same scale and were required to rate their compliance to a predetermined set of rules. Points to be used for participation in a reinforcement activity could be earned …

What Is The Prevalence And Effectiveness Of Teacher Versus Student Managed Approaches Of Classroom Management, Marshall Paul Edmonds

Theses and Dissertations

This study looked at two distinct classroom management styles: teacher versus student managed and their effectiveness and prevalence at three southern New Jersey high schools unique to each other via location and student composition. A twelve item questionnaire was given to ten ninth to twelfth grade students and a nine question survey to three teachers from each school. I personally administered the forms to all participants to clarify any questions they had. The majority of the students' questions dealt with their opinion of school and classroom rules and their effectiveness. The teachers' survey elicited input on what are the major …

The Effect Of Brushing On A Tactilely Defensive Child, Christine Graham

Theses and Dissertations

Previous investigations of sensory defensiveness seem to indicate a direct relationship between sensory defensiveness and the "sensory diet" approach as proposed by Wilbargar (1987). This study examined the implementation of the "sensory diet" or brushing technique begun with one mildly tactilely defensive subject. Brushing took place three times a day, every day, for approximately an eight week period. Pre and posttest instruments used to gather data were the Touch Inventory for Elementary School Aged Children (Royeen, 1986) and the Sensory Integration Inventory for Adults with Developmental Disabilities (Reisman, Hanscher, 1990).

The results indicated that there was no difference between pre …

The Effects Of A Career Awareness Program On The Recidivism Rate Of An Inmate Population, Bernardine Rochelle

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this ex post facto research, a two year follow-up, was to determine the effect of a Career Awareness Program on the recidivism rate of an inmate population. The participants in the study were sixteen male inmates, ages nineteen to forty-six, with less than three months before release who had attended the first Career Awareness class.

Using a cross-sectional design survey, a two-paged selected-response questionnaire was mailed to the subjects. The responses of the respondent group were summarized through descriptive statistics, frequencies and percentages.

After two years, eighty-seven percent of the studied population remained out of jail and …

A Study Of The Relationship Between Special Education Emotional Support Behaviorally Disordered Students And Their Moral Reasoning, Frank G. Iacobucci

Theses and Dissertations

Very few studies have examined moral reasoning in students identified as having behavioral disorders and enrolled in a special education setting. Little attention has been paid to the impact of interventional education programs designed for behaviorally disordered youth on moral reasoning development. The research examined the moral reasoning of behaviorally disordered adolescents enrolled in a self-contained high school setting. The results indicate that behaviorally disordered emotional support high school students are significantly lower in moral reasoning compared to their nonbehaviorally disordered peers. The development of moral reasoning has been considered an important component of both social and cognitive growth in …

A Study Of The Effects Of In-Class Support On Math Performance Of Regular Education Students, Classified Special Education Students, And At-Risk Students, Susan Wenger

Theses and Dissertations

In an effort to service special needs students, service delivery models have progressed from self contained classrooms and separate facilities for special needs children to resource center pull-out programs, in-class support, mainstreaming, and full inclusion.

The in-class support model, which provides a special educator or aide in the regular classroom, attempts to enhance the academic success of identified special education students in such placements.

This study focused on the effects of in-class support. The population consisted of 76 7 to 9 year old math students in a New Jersey school district. Curriculum-based pre and posttest math scores achieved by regular …

Special And Vocational Education Teachers' Perceptions Of Responsibility For Implementing Transition Objectives, Cindy Marie Driver

Theses & Honors Papers

Subjects from eight school districts in Central Virginia were surveyed. The sample included 73 secondary- school (grades 9 - 12) vocational education teachers from general academic public schools and 46 secondary {9 - 12 grades) special education teachers from public schools.

T-tests revealed significant differences in attitudes toward transition between the two groups. Special education teachers displayed significantly more awareness of transition goals, involvement in implementing these goals and increased communication about transition goals. Vocational education teachers indicated that they should attend the IEP meeting and have involvement in writing transition goals, but that they generally are not involved in …

Interactions Between Students With Emotional/Behavioral Disorders And Teachers In The Mainstream Setting, Susan Palese Page

Theses & Honors Papers

The author assessed the self reported behaviors of mainstream academic high school teachers who teach students with emotional/behavioral disorders with respect to preferred consequences for inappropriate student behaviors. Teachers were surveyed from four counties and asked to respond to an inappropriate student behavior with 1) positive reinforcement of the appropriate student behavior, 2) punishment of an inappropriate student behavior, 3) consequence which resulted in student escape from the academic task (negative reinforcement) or a free response of the teacher's choice. Results indicated that 49.6% of teacher responses were examples of positive reinforcement, 25.4% negative reinforcement, 6.4% punishment and 18.6% other …

A Social Skills Training Program Emphasizing Roleplay Of Social Problem Solving Strategies For Learning Disabled Adolescent Males With Behavior Problems, Anne S. Garman

Theses and Dissertations

This study was conducted to investigate the effectiveness of a social skills training curriculum for learning disabled adolescent males with behavior problems. The need for such intervention has been established, however, the empirical evidence to support educational programs and strategies which promote effective social skills is just beginning to emerge. Roleplay activities and instruction of social problem solving strategies have been combined in this intervention.

Cooperation, assertion, empathy, and self-control were taught during twelve lessons conducted over a period of six weeks. Five students from a self-contained class at a special services school were used for the study. Pre and …

The Adaptation Of Regular Elementary Classrooms For Children With Moderate And Severe Disabilities: Inclusion Practices From The Principal's Perspective, Jerry R. Herman

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study examined the perceptions of elementary school principals in Tennessee regarding the desirability and feasibility of adapting regular elementary classrooms and programs for the inclusion of children with moderate and severe disabilities. The purpose of the study was to add an administrative dimension to current research on inclusive educational programming for children typically educated in special (CDC) class settings. Data collection for the descriptive design of the study was accomplished by use of a 40 item survey instrument with a 7-point Likert-type scale for each construct (i.e., desirability and feasibility). Four ten item subscales addressed the areas of Staff …

The Adaptation Of Regular Elementary Classrooms For Children With Moderate And Severe Disabilities: Inclusion Practices From The Principal's Perspective, Jerry R. Herman

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study examined the perceptions of elementary school principals in Tennessee regarding the desirability and feasibility of adapting regular elementary classrooms and programs for the inclusion of children with moderate and severe disabilities. The purpose of the study was to add an administrative dimension to current research on inclusive educational programming for children typically educated in special (CDC) class settings. Data collection for the descriptive design of the study was accomplished by use of a 40 item survey instrument with a 7-point Likert-type scale for each construct (i.e., desirability and feasibility). Four ten item subscales addressed the areas of Staff …

A Descriptive Study Of Physical Interventions For Students With Emotional And Behavioral Disorders, Laura Claydon

Theses & Honors Papers

The purpose of this research was to study the perceptions of teachers of students with emotional and behavioral disorders in the Virginia public schools on the topic of physical restraints in the classroom, and to determine training and policies regarding physical restraints that the schools are providing . These areas were studied through a survey of 104 EBD teachers from Virginia school districts. The questionnaire consisted of demographic information and ten likert scale statements reflecting perceptions of physical intervention. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze the data. In addition, a Chi Square and an ANOVA were computed. Concerns that developed …

A Descriptive Study On The Similarities Of Fears Held By Preservice Special Education Teachers And Preservice Elementary Education Teachers Prior To Field-Based Experience, Christina Galloway

Theses & Honors Papers

Although a great deal of attention has been focused on the issue of teacher burnout, very little has been done at the preservice level for both special and elementary education teachers to prevent it. Research shows that burnout is most likely to occur in the first three years of teaching; therefore, steps should be taken during preservice teacher training to help future teachers deal more effectively with the challenges and stress they will undoubtedly encounter. This study investigated whether or not preservice elementary and special education teachers encounter the same fears prior to their field-based experience. Thirty preservice teachers responded …