Special Education and Teaching Commons^™

Lived Experiences Of Novice Public School Adapted Physical Education Teachers: A Phenomenological Study, Joyce M. Sakai

CUP Ed.D. Dissertations

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to investigate the lived experiences of novice public school adapted physical education (APE) teachers and how their experiences affected their self-efficacy and job satisfaction. This dissertation is an original independent research project that contributes to the field of educational practice and knowledge. Five male and five female APE teachers who have taught in public schools for three years or less within California represented the population of this study. Bandura’s (1986) theory of self-efficacy and Knowles’s (1984) theory of andragogy was the foundation for the conceptual framework of this study because they represent factors …

How New York City Is Failing Students With Special Needs—And Why Minority Kids Have It The Worst, Pamela Subizar

Capstones

Under federal law, children are guaranteed free, appropriate education, but reports have found failures at every level of the New York City special education system. Despite some improvements by the city in recent years, initial evaluations are still delayed, and mandated services go unprovided. Complaints filed against the city have multiplied. Thousands of parents have to sacrifice savings and time fighting for better services. This report describes the particular challenges faced by minority families using data analysis, interviews with experts, and stories.

Latino students depend on these public services the most—they represent half of NYC students in special education programs. …

Welcoming Deaf Or Hard Of Hearing English Language Learners: A Guidebook For English Educators, Sarah Chang

Master's Projects and Capstones

Research in the Deaf or Hard of Hearing (DHH) English Language (EL) Education has shown that there is a significant lack of published research and resources within the past ten years.

The purpose of this project is to fill the gap between what is available and what is needed to give EL educators in public universities in the United States a resource and a guide to help them when working with DHH English Language Learners (ELL). Useful information, suggestions, and practices are provided within this guidebook and separated into three different chapters. The goal is to help DHH ELLs feel …

Distributed Leadership: Theorizing A Mindful Engagement Component, Arij Rached, Simone Elias

Journal of Research Initiatives

The distributive leader cannot influence organizational performance without taking into consideration the capabilities of team members to achieve a common goal (McIntyre, 2003; Harris, 2003). To leverage the capabilities of teams, distributive leaders need to be mindfully attentive in establishing a collective interpretation of the current organizational situation. However, establishing a collective interpretation may not be effective if distributive leaders do not initially consider the importance of creating group learning environments to engage diverse group members (Ashford & DeRue, 2012). The purpose of this integrative literature review is to explore theoretical and empirical research examining the potential of mindful engagement …

Meditation: A Balance Of Human And Social Growth In Education, Edward Cromarty

Journal of Research Initiatives

This best practice article explores meditation as a holistic method of nurturing the balanced integration of human and social development in educational environments. It inquiries into the meaning of meditation and considers a dilemma that exists between the holistic meditation practices of its traditional religious and yogic practitioners, and recent academic studies of meditation in educational contexts which often seek scientific explanations focusing on quantitative studies for utilitarian and institutional purposes. In performing the research, this article examines the writings and Dharma talks of two world-renowned Buddhist monks and meditation experts about the practice and purpose of meditation. The article …

Technical Adequacy Of Curriculum-Based Measures In Writing In Grades 1–3, Abigail A. Allen, Pyung-Gang Jung, Apryl L. Poch, Dana Brandes, Jaehyun Shin, Erica S. Lembke, Kristen L. Mcmaster

Special Education and Communication Disorders Faculty Publications

The purpose of this study was to investigate evidence of reliability, criterion validity, and grade-level differences of curriculum-based measures of writing (CBM-W) with 612 students in grades 1–3. Four scoring procedures (words written, words spelled correctly, correct word sequences, and correct minus incorrect word sequences) were used with two CBM-W tasks (picture–word and story prompt) during fall, winter, and spring of one academic year. A subsample of participants (n = 244) were given a criterion measure in spring of the academic year. Pearson’s r coefficients were calculated to determine evidence of alternate form reliability and criterion validity, and a …

You And Me, Suzanne J. Gikas

Ought: The Journal of Autistic Culture

Poem

Seeing In Color: How Are Teachers Perceiving Our Diverse Autistic Students?, Merida Lang

Ought: The Journal of Autistic Culture

Although the discipline gap between Black and White students is well documented and the discipline gap between students with disabilities and those without has also been researched, the discipline gap between autistic students of color and White students has received very little attention. This essay asks educators to consider the ways in which autistic students of color exist in a specific cross section of double-discrimination and considers what can be done to reduce unconscious bias, including developing a broader and more diverse understanding of autistic culture.

The Moon Is Especially Full: Notes On Poetry, Teaching, Tests, And [Autistic] Intelligence, Chris Martin

Ought: The Journal of Autistic Culture

This essay explores the ways in which poetry can help autistic students utilize creative expression and develop tools for self-advocacy.

Autism Spectrum Disorders And Positive Familial Effects, Genevieve Weaver

Senior Honors Theses

Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) have been found to significantly impact familial structures and outcomes in various studies. The majority of the impact, however, has been primarily negative; effects like increased stress, marital discontentment, and stigmatization are commonly expressed by families. In this study data from a questionnaire, interview, and picture presentations were analyzed and triangulated to identify the positive familial effects of having a child or sibling with ASD. Parents and siblings shared that having a child or sibling with ASD has bettered their life through learning to enjoy the identity of the individual with ASD, through personal growth, and …

Teachers’ Perceptions Of The Home-School Collaboration: Enhancing Learning For Children With Autism, Chana S. Josilowski

The Qualitative Report

This study aimed to explore the relationship between teachers and students’ families and address the deficiencies in the body of research regarding the performance gap between children with autism and their age-equivalent peers. The research question was: How do teachers of children with autism perceive the home-school collaboration and its impact on learning? Ten state-certified special educators with at least 3 years’ experience teaching children with autism, and experience collaborating with their students’ families participated in face-to-face interviews, answering 8 open-ended questions in this generic qualitative study. Inductive thematic analysis yielded 6 themes: (a) collaboration improves learning, (b) communication is …

Assisting School Level Teams To Identify And Address The Needs Of Struggling Learners Through A Tiered Intervention And Aligned Professional Development Model, Tammy Dionne Person

Theses and Dissertations

The adoption of the IDEA charged schools with the responsibility of identifying students who have disabilities and special needs and then providing them with appropriate educational services so that they progress academically. Schools have adopted, implemented, and revised a variety of screening processes to identify these students. The process of trying to help students who are experiencing difficulties is often referred to as RTI. The RTI framework is comprised of a multi-tiered educational system that outlines instructional practices based on student needs. Many schools have formed teams and devised policies to explore options for student assistance. This study involved designing …

Behind The Scenes Of Noninvasive Brain– Computer Interfaces: A Review Of Electroencephalography Signals, How They Are Recorded, And Why They Matter, Kevin M. Pitt, Jonathan S. Brumberg, Jeremy D. Burnison, Jyutika Mehta, Juhi Kidwai

Department of Special Education and Communication Disorders: Faculty Publications

Purpose: Brain–computer interface (BCI) techniques may provide computer access for individuals with severe physical impairments. However, the relatively hidden nature of BCI control obscures how BCI systems work behind the scenes, making it difficult to understand “how” electroencephalography (EEG) records the BCIrelated brain signals, “what” brain signals are recorded by EEG, and “why” these signals are targeted for BCI control. Furthermore, in the field of speech-languagehearing, signals targeted for BCI application have been of primary interest to clinicians and researchers in the area of augmentative and alternative communication (AAC). However, signals utilized for BCI control reflect sensory, cognitive, and motor …

Variance And Reliability In Special Educator Observation Rubrics, Angela R. Crawford, Evelyn S. Johnson, Laura A. Moylan, Yuzhu Zheng

Early and Special Education Faculty Publications and Presentations

This study describes the development and initial psychometric evaluation of the Recognizing Effective Special Education Teachers (RESET) observation instrument. The study uses generalizability theory to compare two versions of a rubric, one with general descriptors of performance levels and one with item-specific descriptors of performance levels, for evaluating special education teacher implementation of explicit instruction. Eight raters (four for each version of the rubric) viewed and scored videos of explicit instruction in intervention settings. The data from each rubric were analyzed with a four facet, crossed, mixed-model design to estimate the variance components and reliability indices. Results show lower unwanted …

Transition Portfolio, Sarah Atkinson

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

Teaching self-determination skills has been shown to be successful among those who are from Anglo-Saxon decent. However, not much has been done to study the effects of teaching culturally responsive self-determination skills to those who are from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds. The literature review in this transition portfolio addresses how teaching culturally and linguistically responsive self-determination skills can be useful to help individuals who receive special education services to more fully succeed in a post-high school setting.

The Effects Of A Multi-Component Social Skills Self-Monitoring Program On Two Females Diagnosed With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Mckenzie Bacon

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

Individuals diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) often struggle to engage in the skills necessary to engage in a back-and-forth conversation, or reciprocal social conversations (American Psychiatric Association, 2013; Koegel, Park, & Koegel, 2014; Landa et al., 1992; Paul et al., 2004). An ABAB withdrawal design was employed to assess the use of a social skills program which consisted of 2 main components: (1) ASD on the Go module training with embedded video modeling, and (2) social skills self-monitoring with goal setting. Two participants were selected, both 13-year-old females with high-functioning ASD. During both treatment phases, participants were taught verbal …

Socio-Dramatic Work Systems For Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Jorey Prange

Theses/Capstones/Creative Projects

This capstone project assessed the integration of socio-dramatic work systems for two children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) in an inclusive preschool classroom. It provides details about Teaching Strategies GOLD assessment tool and Structured Treatment and Education of Autistic and Communication related handicapped Children (TEACCH) Work Systems. My experience working with two children with ASD shows that creating and implementing dramatic play work systems helped these two students improve their dramatic play skill progression as rated with the Teaching Strategies GOLD assessment tool.

Exploring Self-Determination And Recreational Sports Participation For Adolescents With Disabilities, Samantha K. Papp

Honors Theses

Self-determination is a vital skill for individuals with disabilities and provides significant benefits, such as more positive adult outcomes and greater quality of life. Recreational sports participation is another fundamental aspect of life for individuals with disabilities, as it leads to increased physical activity, enhanced self-esteem, and improved peer acceptance. Despite the well-researched benefits of both self-determination skills and recreational sports participation, a literature review revealed few studies that examined the relationship between self-determination and recreational sports participation for individuals, particularly adolescents, with disabilities. This mixed methods study was designed to fill this void, using questionnaires, interviews, and observations to …

Nothing Down About It: Decreasing The Fear Of The Unknown For Mothers’ Expecting A Child With Down Syndrome, Alexandra E. Greenburg

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

Down Syndrome is a chromosomal abnormality that is associated with an intellectual and developmental delay. This is because there is an extra full or partial copy of the 21st chromosome called Trisomy 21, which is diagnosed prenatally or at birth. Parents of children with Down syndrome felt that health professionals displayed a lack of understanding and ignorance when delivering their child’s Down syndrome diagnosis (Mengoni & Redman, 2018). This may lead to concerns on the child’s quality of life and hinder timely appropriate intervention services for a child with Down syndrome. This is why I conducted a workshop in Claremont, …

Writing Interventions For Students With Specific Learning Disabilities, Phillip Rose

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Only 27% of U.S. eighth graders are at or above grade level proficiency in writing (National Center for Education Statistics, 2012). Students with specific learning disabilities frequently exhibit skill deficits in planning, organizing, and writing conventions, and show inadequate awareness to write strategically (Troia, 2006). The purpose of this study is to examine evidence-based writing interventions aimed at enhancing the writing skills of students with specific learning disabilities and then to indicate which interventions were proven to be effective. The results of a variety of studies of writing intervention strategies have been reviewed. Specific instructional strategies that were successful in …