Special Education and Teaching Commons^™

Willingness Of College Faculty To Make Accommodations For Students With Learning Disabilities, Christine Ritter

Theses & Honors Papers

A survey questionnaire was sent to forty-nine full time faculty members in the fall of 1996. Thirty-nine {80%) faculty members at a small four year, predominantly liberal arts college in central Virginia, responded to the questionnaire. The questionnaire was concerned with providing instructional accommodations, assignment accommodations, examination accommodations, and academic policy accommodations for students who have learning disabilities. Data were analyzed using t-tests and a one way analysis of variance. The variables included were gender, professional position, interaction with students who have learning disabilities, total years teaching at the college level, and whether or not the faculty member has taken …

The Use Of Interactive Focus Groups To Aid In The Identification Of Perceived Service And Support Delivery Needs Of Persons With Developmental Disabilities And Their Families, John J. Wheeler

John J. Wheeler

Suggested Practices For Teaching Developmental Writing To Postsecondary Students Who Are Deaf, Sue Livingston

Publications and Research

A LaGuardia Community College course in developmental writing for deaf students features small class size and teachers fluent in American Sign Language. Teaching practices include reading of model essays on topics of interest to deaf students, peer feedback on the first two drafts of writing assignments, and student "reading aloud" of essays in English-like sign language.

A Comparison Of The Spontaneous Utterances Of Students With Autism Across Two Educational Settings, Mary E. Peterson

Dissertations

Students with autism are being mainstreamed into general education classes in increasing numbers. This practice is based on the largely theoretical assumptions that normal peers will provide models of appropriate communication skills as well as increased opportunities for social interaction. However, there are few empirical studies available to corroborate these beliefs.

The purpose of this study was to compare the functional communication of the same group of students with autism across two settings, their general education classrooms and their self-contained, special education classrooms. Each of the students spent time in both settings during each school day. Their spontaneous language was …

Wisc-Iii Profile Patterns Of Learning Disabled Children, Russell Goetting

Student Work

The present study examined the performance of a heterogeneous population of learning disabled children (N=171) and children with learning disabilities in reading (LD-R), math (LD-M), and reading and math (LD-R+M) on the WISC-III ACID and SCAD subtests (Arithmetic, Coding, Information, Digit Span, and Symbol Search). Archival WISC-III scores of children that have been verified as having a learning disability in fourteen Midwestern school systems were used to answer the research questions in this study. Two different methods of examining performance on the ACID and SCAD subtests were used in this study, the index score method and the profile method. The …

The Effect Of Rewards And Motivation On Student Achievement, Lori Kay Baranek

Masters Theses

A review of research is conducted to examine the effect of rewards on intrinsic motivation and learning for children in general education and special education. Intrinsically motivated students experience school success because they display behaviors such as choosing challenging activities and spending more time on task. The use of rewards undermines intrinsic motivation and results in the slower acquisition of skills and more errors in the learning process. The implications of the research are discussed and a collection of strategies designed to promote intrinsic motivation is presented. One part of the collection presents strategies for all students, and the other …

Social Acceptance Of Classified Versus Non-Classified Students, Sandi Kresch Bregler

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the social acceptance status of classified students versus non-classified students. Another purpose was to identify reasons why students perceive someone as having lower social status. A total of 95 students completed a rating scale and were surveyed for a nomination scale. Out of the 95 students, 27 were classified as learning disabled (21 boys, 11 girls). The scales and surveys allowed all the students to rate one another on peer ratings of liking and disliking and social acceptance. Students who were classified rated within the top 50%, of overall students, as being …

Effects Of Active Or Passive Error Correction Procedures On The Learning, Generalization And Maintenance Of Math Facts By Students With Multiple Handicaps, Barbara J. Trzaska

Theses and Dissertations

This study examined the effects of active or passive error correction procedures on the learning, generalization and maintenance of math facts by students with multiple handicaps. The hypothesis stated that students actively involved will exhibit greater success in learning their facts. Using an alternative treatment design, six students from Midway School, Lumberton, New Jersey, were introduced, taught and tested on ten flashcards each week for four weeks. Students received the correct answer from an instructor when an error was made. They in turn, either repeated the problem and answer or listened attentively to the instructor's corrected answer. Active Student Responses …

The Effect Of Cognitive Learning Style On Organizational Skills Of Students With Learning Disabilities In A Ninth Grade Inclusion Science Classroom, Louise Mont-Tucker

Theses & Honors Papers

The effect of cognitive learning style on improving the organizational skills of students with learning disabilities was investigated using subjects of a ninth grade inclusion science class in a rural school division. The intervention consisted of identifying the learning styles of two subjects, and adapting instruction to reflect the modalities of the subjects. The results of a multiple baseline across subjects design showed an improvement in the subjects' organizational skills which was measurable in the subjects ' academic achievement. Future research implications were discussed and recommended.

The Effects Of Self-Monitoring Of Task Completion Time On Assignment Completion And Accuracy, Kathryn B. Wright

Theses & Honors Papers

The purpose of this study was to determine if productivity and accuracy would increase if subjects recorded the amount of time it took to complete assignments. Two students with learning disabilities were taught to record the times assignments were started and finished and to calculate the difference. Data were collected on the time spent on assignments, the percentage of the assignment completed, and the percentage of the assignment completed correctly. The results showed that productivity and the amount of time spent on assignments improved slightly. The accuracy of the work, however, decreased. Implications for future research are discussed.

A Study To Determine The Effects Of Word Recognition Scores On Total Grade Level Scores For Adolescents With Reading Disabilities, Wesley L. Myers Jr.

Theses and Dissertations

A large majority of classified students have reading problems. Many of these classified students fall behind in reading because their decoding skills are deficient in first and second grades when most children begin to read. This study was an attempt to find out if students who are at least three grade levels behind their same age peers in reading could benefit from a direct instruction flash card procedure to see if an increase in word recognition scores would result in increased scores on total reading scores. The study used a pretest posttest data gathering technique with an experimental versus control …

A Study Of The Effectiveness Of A Pupil Assistance Committee's Interventions In A Secondary High School In New Jersey, John P. Taima

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this research project was to determine if Pupil Assistance Committee interventions reduce student classification and entry into special education. Also as part of the research project was the statement that the Pupil Assistance Committee intervention process enables students to succeed in the secondary school systems of the state of New Jersey. Success, for the purpose of the research project, was defined as a reduction of behavioral referrals, academic improvement and achievement, and resolution of crisis situations. The school that the Pupil Assistance Committee served was a secondary school in a suburban section of southern New Jersey. Observations, …

Facilitating Socialization And Problem-Solving Skills Of The Multiply Handicapped Child Through Play, Irene Ann Digilio

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to study the implementation of a program for the multiply handicapped child to improve their social skills and problem-solving ability. The subjects in this study were three females, fourteen, twelve and eleven years old, and one thirteen year old male. The program began with all the subjects being pretested for five days on their ability to socialize and problem-solve. The study ran for ten weeks. The subjects were part of a one hour daily intervention with the teacher modeling the desired behavior. Each of the subjects was familiar with the table/board games. Data on …

Increasing The Involvement Of Parents Of Special Needs Children By Establishing A Parent Resource Center, Anne S. O'Donald

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of a parent resource center, with related activities, on the parental participation of special needs children. Surveys consisting of seven questions were used as the initial data collecting instrument. Thirty-five parents received these surveys. Twenty-one parent surveys were returned. Information gathered here yielded percentages of parental participation during the last school year (1994-95).

Personal interviews were accomplished at school, at homes or by telephone at the discretion of the parents. These percentages gave numbers for the present school year (1995-1996).

When results from the survey and the interviews were compiled …

A Study Of The Attitudes Of Nondisabled Students Toward Their Severely Disabled Peers Before And After Inclusive Intervention, Regina Jane Johns

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine if the attitudes of nondisabled students toward their severely disabled peers could be positively affected following their involvement within a public school inclusion activity. The hypothesis was that the inclusion activity would result in positive attitude changes.

Two separate groups of nondisabled students were used for this study. The fifty-two students in Group One were 9th through 12th grade members of a high school band class. Group Two was made up of seventeen 7th graders of an instrumental music class. Both groups were located in suburban type school districts with a variety …

Middle School Ld Math Teachers: Are They Following Regular Educational Programming Or Instituting Specialized Programs?, Sandra A. Meyer

Theses & Honors Papers

A review of the literature indicated that students with learning disabilities graduate from high school without a solid background in mathematics. It is the responsibility of the special education teacher to find and implement methods to reverse this trend. Regular education middle school math teachers and learning disabilities middle school teachers were surveyed to determine whether or not these teachers currently use similar instructional methods. Questions included what types of methods each group were using in their math classes. Respondents were asked to indicate if they often used a discovery method, peer tutoring, drill and practice, small group activities, or …

Regular And Special Educators' Attitudes Towards Dual Certification, Beth Anne Deluca

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine the attitudes of regular and special education teachers towards dual certification. In this study the attitudes of elementary, special and dual certified teachers are compared.

An attitude survey designed by the researcher was administered to 62 subjects. From this population, approximately 31 of the subjects were certified as regular education teachers, 17 were certified as special education teachers and 14 were certified in both special and regular education.

Tests of significance and percentages of subjects responses were conducted to analyze the data. Also, a Scheffe F-test was conducted to determine precisely which …

The Integration Of Students With Specific Learning Disabilities In A Rural School System, Catharine B. Kerr

Theses & Honors Papers

This study analyzed data collected from a small, rural school division to determine how the integration of students with SLD into general education classrooms was being implemented. Specifically, a survey was conducted to determine if appropriate accommodations were being made for these students and how student outcomes were being evaluated. Respondents included all personnel who were involved in the evaluation and eligibility processes for students with SLD (N=140). Results indicated that, although some active efforts are occurring to integrate students with SLD into general education classrooms, no formal plan for implementation exists in the school division surveyed. General education teachers …

A Conceptual Analysis Of The Appropriate Role Of Assistive Technology In The Education Of Students With Disabilities, Martell Menlove

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Assistive technology allows students with disabilities opportunities for greater independence, improved productivity, and increased functional capabilities. It removes obstacles, helps students overcome disabilities, and holds great promise for enriching educational outcomes and affecting the lives of students. However, for over 90% of special education students, assistive technology is not part of their education. One reason for not applying assistive technology to help students is the lack of a clear vision of what assistive technology is, what it can help students accomplish, and how to appropriately access it through individualized education programs (IEPs).

In this study a comprehensive concept analysis clarified …

Implementing Dansereau's Murder Technique To Teach Learning Disabled Students, Susan Fuller Pope

Graduate Student Dissertations, Theses, Capstones, and Portfolios

High School learning disabled students were taught prefix and suffix meanings from an adaption of Donald Dansereau's MURDER strategy in cooperative learning groups. Two groups participated in a two week long study, with only one group using the MURDER strategy. The results were measured with post-test scores in a Pearson product moment correlation matrix and indicated that there was no correlation between using the MURDER strategy and being taught with standardized worksheets. However, students who were engaged in the MURDER technique, scored higher on their post-tests than those who did not. In addition, the students scored higher between pretests and …

Learning Style Adaptations And The Effect On Sight Word Recognition Achievement Of Students With Learning Disabilities, Andrea Elizabeth Wollett

Theses & Honors Papers

The purpose of the study was to investigate the sight word recognition of two students with learning disabilities from a private school in Virginia, after adaptations to their learning styles had been made. The experimental design used to assess the effects of learning style adaptations on sight word recognition was a multiple probe across word groups. A combination of the Dolch and Fry Sight Word Lists determined the unmastered sight words for both subjects. The Dunn and Dunn Learning Style Inventory was used to identify the subjects' preferred learning style. The results of the study indicated that when adaptations were …

Effects Of A Parent's Intervention To Decrease Stereotypic Behavior And Increase Interactions Using Self-Management Treatment For Students With Autism In Korea, Jeongil Kim

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The present investigation examined the effects of a parent's intervention to teach students with autism self-management to decrease their stereotypic behaviors. A time-lagged ABA (A represents the first baseline, B does intervention, and A does the second baseline) design was used. Three mothers of children with autism were trained to reduce their children's stereotypic behaviors using a self-monitoring strategy. The training for the parent was conducted in two settings after the first baseline condition. A classroom was used for the first training session and the home was used for the second training session. The intervention by the parent was conducted …

A Retrospective Study Of Preschool Handicapped Children, Tracey Lynn Miller

Theses and Dissertations

The hypothesis of this study is that preschool handicapped programs are indicative of what type of educational setting a child will be placed in during his future years of education. The data for this study was collected from three different school districts of varying size and socio-economic backgrounds. Children who were classified preschool handicapped during the 1989-90 school year were followed during their kindergarten and fourth grade years of school. It was found that it is difficult to predict where a child will be placed throughout his educational career by looking at his reasons for classification during preschool. Data from …

The Effects Of Positive Action And The Sexual Abuse Prevention Program On Sexually Abused Students' Behavior, Social Skills, And Self-Esteem, Paul W. Houser

Theses and Dissertations

This study was designed to examine the effects of the Positive Action Program and the Sexual Abuse Prevention Program on sexually abused students' behavior, social skills, and self-esteem. Four classrooms of multiple handicapped elementary aged students in Burlington County Special Services District were selected, giving a sample of forty-four. Each week pupils received four lessons, for twenty minutes each, of instruction in the two programs. Prior to program implementation in the Fall and again in the Spring students rated their social skills development, behavior problems, and self-esteem.

Results indicated that the programs in the course of only a six month …

Homework, An Educational Instructional Technique Used In The Middle School Special Education Classroom, Charles R. Murphy

Theses & Honors Papers

The assignment patterns, frequency, and perceptions of homework as an educational instructional device was investigated in middle school special education classroom teachers. A general topic questionnaire was generated and administered to each of the middle school special education teachers who volunteered for this study. A population sample was used in the survey to represent, determine, and investigate the application of homework as an instructional technique. The survey also referenced specific questions on teachers' attitudes and perspectives on whether homework should be employed as a device to improve learning, comprehension, and retention of materials being presented in the classroom. The results …

Relationship Between General Education Teachers' Sense Of Efficacy And Use Of Accommodations For Students With Learning Disabilities In General Education Classrooms, Lori Andrews Jones

Theses & Honors Papers

One hundred and five middle school general education teachers of English, math, social studies, and science in Virginia were surveyed to determine if their reported levels of teaching efficacy and personal teaching efficacy were related to their use of accommodations for mainstreamed students with learning disabilities. A 32-item self-efficacy scale was used to assess subjects' levels of teaching efficacy and personal teaching efficacy. A 41-item survey was constructed to assess the extent to which subjects used accommodations for students with learning disabilities. Results showed a significant positive correlation between subjects' sense of personalteaching efficacy and their use of accommodations for …

The Perspectives Of Students With Learning Disabilities, Elizabeth A. Pasto

Theses & Honors Papers

One hundred and fifteen middle and high school students with learning disabilities selected from the Learning Disabilities Association of Virginia were surveyed on their perceptions on homework. An adapted questionnaire was used to collect data for this study with an 18.22% return rate.

Descriptive statistics and Chi square were used to analyze data for this study. Results obtained from the Chi square analysis show that middle school students daydreamed or played with objects and needed reminders to start homework more often than high school students. Several inconsistencies regarding completion rates of homework and amount of complaining about homework were revealed …

Can The Use Of Self-Management Techniques Be Effective In Reducing The Off-Task Behaviors Of Multiply Handicapped Students?, Lori M. Rosenthal

Theses and Dissertations

Can the use of self-management techniques be effective in reducing the off-task behaviors of multiply handicapped students? For the purposes of this study, multiply handicapped students were defined as mentally retarded and the method of self-management used was self-recording. Three students out of a class of ten were chosen based on a teacher rating scale. The lowest averaged scores determined which students were off-task the most. In addition, a multiple baseline design measured the occurrence and non-occurrence of nine target behaviors, three per student.

The results showed self-recording to be an effective intervention in eight out of the nine targeted …

Regular Education Teachers' Perceptions About Having A Student With Emotional Behavioral Disorders In Their Classrooms, Kimberly Mason

Theses & Honors Papers

This study investigated the perceptions of 60 regular education teachers (30 elementary school and 30 high school) about having a student with emotional/behavioral disorders in their classroom. The teachers responded to 19 questions concerning the student's academic and behavioral performance using a 4-point Likert scale. The results of the study were analyzed by calculating a mean and standard deviation for each of the 19 questions. In addition, t-tests were used to determine if significant differences existed between the two groups of teachers and their responses to each of the questions. Correlation coefficients were computed between the 19 questions and the …

A Comparative Study Of The Effectiveness Of Two Approaches To Reading Instruction, Whole Language And Direct Instruction With Perceptually Impaired Students, Malika A. Byrd

Theses and Dissertations

This study was designed to investigate the reading achievement of two groups of special education students classified as perceptually impaired. The two groups of children were provided with two different types of reading instruction in two different settings. One group received whole language reading instruction in the regular classroom as mainstreamed students. The other group received direct reading instruction in a self contained classroom.

At the conclusion of the study, it was found that both groups of students made some progress. All students improved their scores of reading achievement as measured by the CAT V inventory test. Pre-test results showed …