Special Education Administration Commons^™

Training And Supervision Of Paraprofessionals In Special Education: A Qualitative Case Study, Catherine D. Stieg

All Theses And Dissertations

Researchers have identified educator concerns about inadequate paraprofessional training and supervision in PK-12 schools. Studies also show special educators are not adequately prepared to train and supervise the paraprofessionals. Additionally, the voices of special educators and paraprofessionals are narrowly represented in the literature. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to document the most effective methods of training and supervision, as perceived by special educators and paraprofessionals in the case study school district. This qualitative case study included two surveys which incorporated the Paraeducator Common Core Guidelines (PCCG) (CEC, 2015) and the concepts of adult learning by Drago-Severson (2015). The …

A Phenomenological Study Of High School Assistant Principals Who Supervise Special Education, Erin Vacchio

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This phenomenological study examined the lived experiences of high school assistant principals who lead the Exceptional Student Education (ESE) departments at their respective schools. The role of the school leader is critical and complex. Second to only the classroom teachers, school leaders have the ability to shape the school wide attitude and vision for students with disabilities. Knowing that in the past 30 years, the number of students with disabilities has nearly doubled in size, the expertise of school leaders in special education must also increase. Research on the experiences of high school administrators who serve students with intellectual disabilities …

The Effects Of Social Media In The Overall Job Satisfaction Of School Administrators, Tiffany R. Maher

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

Literature suggests school administrator shortages worldwide. A number of factors are blamed for this trend, one of which is overall job dissatisfaction. This case study examines the effects of social media on the overall job satisfaction of five school administrators in small town America. Through semi-structured interviews, this research indicates that school administrators in the study avoid reading the comments section of online news media forums. Research participants share their strategies of working proactively with the press, and they reveal how social media has changed their job. Social media has altered the landscape of what it means to be a …

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Journal of Science Education for Students with Disabilities

No abstract provided.

Copyright And Open Access

Journal of Science Education for Students with Disabilities

No abstract provided.

Science Instruction For Secondary Students With Emotional Or Behavioral Disorders: A Guide For Curriculum Development, Tal Slemrod, Leah Wood, Shelley Hart, William Coleman

Journal of Science Education for Students with Disabilities

This article provides a step-by-step guide for the organization and development of science lessons and units, to support the academic and behavioral performance of secondary students with challenges with related disabilities. This clinical practice guide provides a process for curriculum development for students with emotional or behavior disorders (EBD) in the science classroom. Steps include recommendations, goals, and examples for administrators and educators to discover appropriate plans and interventions to promote engagement and learning, including supporting success on State mandated High Stakes Assessments.

Implications Of 3-D Printing For Teaching Geoscience Concepts To Students With Visual Impairments, Karen E. Koehler, Tiffany A. Wild, Sean Tikkun

Journal of Science Education for Students with Disabilities

This article presents the results of a study on the use of 3-D printed models in a science classroom for students with visual impairments and examines whether the use of these models impacts student conceptual understanding and misconceptions related to geosciences concepts, specifically plate tectonics.

Data were collected one week prior to instruction, one week after instruction and throughout the 3-week instructional period. Results showed that students with visual impairments held many of the same misconceptions about plate tectonics as students who are typically sighted. All students in this study had fewer misconceptions after the instructional period than they held …

A Qualitative Study On Teachers' Perceptions Of Co-Teaching In Inclusion Classrooms, Cheryl M. Banks

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

The purpose of this research study was to examine teachers’ perceptions toward co- teaching in inclusion classrooms and provide valuable information on relevant content, activities and assignments that focus on collaboration between school professionals. A second purpose of this study was to add knowledge to the existing literature describing factors for developing effective co-teaching programs in schools that serve large populations of students with disabilities in urban schools. This included examining their perspectives about the co-teaching model, their relationships formed with their co-teacher, and the support given by administration. The study was a descriptive study that used qualitative research methods …

Patterns Of Failure In Texas Urban Improvement Required Schools: An Equity Audit Expansion, John A. Branch, Melissa M. Leigh

School Leadership Review

The achievement gap is a concept that has long been explored in education; students of color, low socioeconomic status, those who speak languages other than English, and students labeled as special education perform lower on student achievement tests and often receive less in terms of funding and resources (Harris & Hopson, 2008). Brown (2010) stated, "As a result, these students, without realizing it, often fall into a predetermined mold designed for school failure and social inequity" (p. 2).

Book Review: Towards Inclusion Of All Learners Through Science Teacher Education, Greg Stefanich

Journal of Science Education for Students with Disabilities

It is a pleasure to receive an invitation to submit a review for the book titled Towards Inclusion of All Learners through Science Teacher Education. The contributors include four wellknown leaders in inclusive science education complemented by a spectrum of authors American and international, in pre-service and graduate science education, pre-service and graduate special education, science research, special education practitioners, classroom teachers, graduate students, and students through case studies and interviews.

The book presents an excellent overview of current practices in schools, descriptions of individual and team efforts to improve practice, and emerging innovations such as the application of Universal …

Communication Between Home And School For Parents Of Children With Chronic Illness, Keri Edwards

Theses and Dissertations

A child with chronic illness has a physical or behavioral condition that affects the child’s daily functioning, lasts longer than three months, and requires medical intervention such as medication, hospitalizations, and/or home care (Newacheck, McManus, & Fox, 2001). Chronic illness interferes with all areas of development, including physical, social, emotional, and cognitive development, and a growing number of children with chronic illnesses are attending school. Effective communication between parents and educators is essential so that accurate information about the nature and extent of the impact of chronic illness on children’s learning experiences and schooling can be shared and appropriate supports …

School Climate: A Comparison Of Teachers, Students, And Parents, James A. Jacobs

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study was designed to examine the benefits of positive school climate and to measure the perceptions of school climate for intermediate grades in a Northeast Tennessee School district. An online school climate survey was used to collect responses from participants in intermediate grades and focused on the 3 major components of school climate: school engagement, school environment, and school safety. Data were collected for 2 consecutive years in 2016-2017 and 2017-2018. Response totals included 1,955 student responses, 116 teacher responses, and 210 parent responses that were analyzed and used for this study. Of the student totals, some students that …

Transforming Inclusive Education: Nine Tips To Enhance School Leaders’ Ability To Effectively Lead Inclusive Special Education Programs, Cammy Romanuck Murphy

Journal of Educational Research and Practice

Principals and assistant principals, collectively referred to as school leaders, play instrumental roles in ensuring the success of inclusive special education in the schools they oversee. However, school leaders continually report they lack the knowledge and skills to effectively oversee quality inclusive special education programs. There are very few training programs available to school leaders that focus on leading inclusive special education programs. Therefore, the purpose of this article is to provide school leaders with nine tips, along with 11 immediately implementable practical strategies, to improve upon the inclusive special education programs in their schools. Topics include pertinent definitions, …

Deaf / Hard Of Hearing Preschool Students’ Acquisition Of Language Through Dyadic And Triadic Communication Contexts, Molly S. Herman

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effectiveness and efficiency of using dyadic communication with a teacher of the deaf (ToD) and a Deaf/Hard of Hearing (D/HH) student compared to a triadic communication with a general education teacher, sign language interpreter, and D/HH student. Four participants in a self-contained D/HH early childhood classroom participated in both comparison groups using dyadic and triadic communication to acquire vocabulary language skills for communication while playing a preschool game. An adapted alternating treatment design (AATD) for single case research was used to rapidly alternate comparison groups using equivalent games and counterbalanced across …

Factors Influencing Special Education Teachers' Mathematics Teaching Efficacy, Owen Martin

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This research examined the relationship between secondary special education teachers’ mathematics teaching efficacy and the number of years of teaching experience, years of co-teaching experience, and number of math content coursework taken at the undergraduate level. Students with special needs continue to score significantly lower than their general education peers on Virginia’s standards of learning mathematics tests. A quantitative, non-experimental correlational research design was used in this study. The targeted sample consisted of approximately 120 collaborating special education teachers in two school districts in southeastern Virginia. The Mathematics Teaching Efficacy Belief Instrument (MTEBI) was measure mathematics teaching efficacy and teacher …

The Academic And Social-Emotional Effects Of Classroom Service Dogs/Specialized Therapy Dogs With Handlers On Student Learning And Behavior In K-12 Special Education Students In Emotional/Behavioral Disordered Placements As Perceived By Their Teachers, Sharon Kalkoske

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this phenomenological study is to determine and describe the academic and social-emotional effects of classroom service dogs/specialized therapy dogs with handlers on student learning and behavior in K-12 special education students in Emotionally/Behaviorally Disturbed (EBD) placements as perceived by their teachers.

Methodology: This study utilized qualitative data from semistructured, open-ended interview questions to analyze the research questions regarding the perceptions of teachers and educators on service dogs/specialized therapy dogs with handlers on student learning and behavior in K-12 special education students in EBD placements. The population for this study included educators working in special education classrooms …

The Predictors Of Juvenile Recidivism: Testimonies Of Adult Students 18 Years And Older Exiting From Alternative Education, La Toshia Palmer

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this descriptive, qualitative study was to identify and describe the importance of the predictors of juvenile recidivism and the effectiveness of efforts to prevent/avoid juvenile recidivism as perceived by previously detained, arrested, convicted, and/or incarcerated adult students 18 years of age and older exiting from alternative education in Northern California. A second purpose was to explore the types of support provided by alternative schools and the perceived importance of the support to avoid recidivism according to adult students 18 years of age and older exiting from alternative education.

Methodology: This qualitative, descriptive research design identified …

The Unsung Heroes And Silent Partners Of The Educational World, Gillian Schneider

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this mixed method study was to identify and describe what paraeducators perceive as factors that lead to effective and sustainable engagement in special education special day classes, and identify what strategies are effective for encouraging discretionary effort as perceived by paraeducators.

Methodology: The participants in the study were 69 paraeducators employed by a Southern California County Office of Education. Participants partook in two research instruments: (a) a 37-question survey and (b) a semi-structured interview.

Findings: Data based on the mixed method analysis revealed that paraeducators are highly committed employees who want to know that they are …

Ua10/1 Cec Newsletter, Wku Suzanne Vitale Clinical Education Complex

WKU Administration Documents

Newsletter created by and about the WKU Suzanne Vitale Clinical Education Complex.

Evaluating The Effectiveness Of A Character Education Program In A Single-Sex, Urban Charter High School: Learning From Teacher And Student Perceptions Of Its Implementation., Kizawanda A. Olowe

Dissertations

Students who are taught the Illinois State Board of Education’s social and emotional learning standards are granted skills that help them make positive contributions to society. Well-rounded individuals have acquired abilities that allow them to make sound decisions, interact with others, and develop self-awareness skills. Adept individuals who have the skills to teach students strategies that help them to develop an emotional intelligence should implement character education programs using evidence-based strategies. Students who attended a single-sex charter school in an urban area participated in a program evaluation to determine if it was being implemented with fidelity. Students and program implementers …