Special Education and Teaching Commons^™

Student Support Teams In Title I Schools, Jennifer Michael

Murray State Theses and Dissertations

Student Support Teams (SST) are designed to be an innovative practice that supports the diverse needs of learners to help learners grow and be successful. This study will look at the impact that SSTs have on students in the Intermediate grades (3^rd-6^th Grade) at a Title I at-risk school. The research will analyze this question, does an SST positively impact student growth in reading and math in a highly diversified Title I School? The goal of the study is to analyze the impact of SST on the academic growth of students in specific focus groups. The study …

The Effect Of Asynchronous Pre-Service Training On Aac Strategy Use, Cheri Dodge Chin

Murray State Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation investigates the impact of a one-time online, asynchronous training program on graduate students' use of communication partner strategies for Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) users. The study examines the training effect on the overall correct usage of naturalistic communication partner strategies, the implementation immediacy, the influence of feedback, and the training's benefits and drawbacks. Using an A-B single case research design with qualitative feedback, the study included pre-service university students studying speech pathology or education. Participants engaged in storybook reading activities with communication devices at a university clinic to establish baseline measures. Following this, they completed a one-hour …

Using Touchmath® As An Intervention For Students With Disabilities At A Public Montessori School, Anne M. Cox

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Students with high-incidence disabilities enrolled in public Montessori elementary schools do not always make adequate growth in mathematics using traditional Montessori materials and instruction. While direct instruction methods are not typically used in a Montessori setting, such teaching practices have been proven to be successful when teaching students with disabilities.

This study analyzed the effects of an evidence-based math intervention, TouchMath^®, on the addition fact fluency and acquisition of double-digit addition skills of elementary students with disabilities who receive small-group special education instruction in a public Montessori school. The students’ confidence levels before and after receiving the intervention …

The Effect Of Learning Environment And Student Groupings On Math Skill Mastery, Erin Marr

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

This study was designed to evaluate the impact of instructional group size and composition on student progress within a classwide math intervention. In terms of group size, groupings of greater than and less than 10 students were compared. In terms of group composition, homogeneous and heterogeneous groups were compared, defined by grouping the classes with standard deviations of student performance within the upper quartile (heterogeneous) and lower quartile (homogeneous) on a pre-intervention measure. The outcome measure used to evaluate student progress was the number of trials required for students to reach mastery on a specific skill within the 16-skill intervention …

An Examination Of Students Perceptions And Achievement Results In Co-Taught High School Math Courses, Joy Bacino

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation examined student perceptions about the impact of their math class on their learning and compared these perceptions across co-taught and single taught classrooms and IEP status of students. Student perceptions across groups indicated some differences. Of significance is students with IEPs in co-taught environments shared less favorable comments regarding their learning and reported learning more previously in their single-taught classrooms. End of course exam scores and PSAT scores were also compared and a significant difference between the ends of course assessment scores for non-IEP students within the single taught classroom and IEP students within the co-taught classroom was …

Exploring Physical Activity Promotion And Implementation Within Inclusive Post-Secondary Education Programs: A Mixed-Methods Design, Shannon P. Zimmerman

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) exhibit lower physical activity levels compared to their non-disabled counterparts, with only 23% of U.S. adults with IDD engaging in the recommended 60 minutes per day of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity. Inclusive Post-Secondary Education (IPSE) programs in the U.S. offer an opportunity to promote physical activity and address the critically low physical activity levels. Few IPSE programs have formalized physical activity courses, warranting an evaluation and development of the national curriculum in this area. This study expands on previous work by examining current physical activity promotion strategies at both the program and course levels. …

A Digital Qualitative Ethnographic Study Of Preservice Teachers’ Perspectives And Experiences Of Teaching From To-Be Teachers, Mohamed Abdullahi Ali

Journal of Research Initiatives

This digital ethnographic study aimed to understand how and why college students decide to be teachers while many trained teachers leave the profession every year in the United States. A purposive sampling technique enabled 30 prospective teachers in a college of education to participate in this study. The research questions that guided the study were: 1) How and why did preservice teachers choose teaching as a career? 2) How did preservice teachers' perception of the drawbacks of teaching and the opportunities to support them in becoming teachers influence their decisions? The conceptual framework to understand the phenomena came from educational …

The Impact Of Teacher Preparedness And Professional Development On Fourth-Grade Students' Science Achievement, Craig L. Mayo, Faye Bradley

Journal of Research Initiatives

Science scores among US fourth-grade students have declined compared to their international counterparts in recent years. Recent results show that teachers are the most impactful influence on student success and accountability. Teacher preparedness and professional development are two key areas that serve as indicators of providing relevant and essential information for students' success. A correlational quantitative study was conducted to assess the relationship between teacher preparedness and professional development on fourth-grade students’ science achievement. The TIMSS 2019 data were secured from the Boston College, TIMSS, and PIRLS International websites. The data was evaluated using the SPSS 27 Hierarchical Linear Regression. …

An Inquiry On The Efficacy Of Choice And Preference As Catalysts For The Social And Community Inclusion Of Individuals With Intellectual Disabilities: A Transformative Mixed-Methods Study, Mbuh Godwill Payne

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation investigates the efficacy of choice and preference as drivers for social and community inclusion among individuals with intellectual disabilities living in supervised apartments. The study unfolds through three distinct stages: Phase 1 - Quantitative, Phase 2 - Qualitative, and Phase 3 - Focus Group Discussions. In the Quantitative Phase, data collection is conducted to lay the foundation for the subsequent Qualitative interviews in Phase 2, which further inform the Focus Group Discussions in Phase 3. The research findings underscore the significance of environmental opportunities and support in facilitating increased social and community inclusion activities among individuals with intellectual …

Investigating Teachers’ Sensemaking Process And Experiences Of Working With Students With Labels Of Autism In Saudi Arabian Public Schools: A Qualitative Collective Case Study, Hind Alharbi

Theses and Dissertations

In this dissertation, I conducted a collective qualitative case study to understand the personal experiences and sensemaking processes that teachers developed to educate students with labels of autism in inclusion settings in Riyadh public schools. Specifically, I aimed to understand how teachers’ attitudes, beliefs, and knowledge regarding the inclusion of autistic students explained why teachers did what they did in their school context. In three rounds of semistructured interviews with eight teachers, participants explained their experiences and process of teaching students with autism. Participants also shared documents and artifacts to provide a deeper understanding of the nature of inclusion offered …

Best Practices For English Learners With Disabilities In Us Schools – A Systematic Review, Samiratu Bashiru, Jennifer E. Smith

Journal of English Learner Education

This systematic review investigated best practices for enhancing academic achievement among English Learners with Disabilities (ELDs) in US schools. By examining 17 peer-reviewed articles and comparing them to the CEC 2014 Quality Indicators, the study identifies significant practices, including culturally responsive methods, technology integration, evidence-based strategies, addressing service delivery challenges, and improving assessment tools. This review has limitations related to inconsistent terminology and highlights the need for standardized language and continued research. It recommends integrating culturally responsive practices, leveraging technology, and refining inclusive assessment tools. This review provides educators, policymakers, and researchers insights, emphasizing ongoing teacher development and policy alignment …

One Step Forward For Inclusion: Integrating Assistive Technology Across Teacher Preparation Program, Jiyeon Park, Marie L. Manning Dr.

Kentucky Teacher Education Journal: The Journal of the Teacher Education Division of the Kentucky Council for Exceptional Children

Assistive Technology (AT) is recognized as a valuable tool for supporting their access to the curriculum. However, many educators lack experience and competence in AT implementation. This study examines the effects of a modified technology course on preservice teachers' preparedness for and perceptions of AT in inclusive classrooms. We modified Instructional Technology Course, which is mandatory for pre-service teachers across programs. After receiving the modified technology course, pre-service teachers show a significant improvement in their AT competence and a positive shift regarding inclusion.

6 Strategies To Increase Your Classroom And School’S Culture And Climate, Stacey Keown-Murray, Rob Carroll, Kristi Livingston

Kentucky Teacher Education Journal: The Journal of the Teacher Education Division of the Kentucky Council for Exceptional Children

Creating a positive culture and climate in the classroom and school environment is crucial for fostering student engagement, well-being, and academic success. This article presents six effective strategies that educators can implement to enhance the culture and climate within their classrooms and schools. The strategies focus on promoting a sense of belonging, establishing clear expectations, fostering positive relationships, celebrating diversity, empowering student voice, and encouraging collaboration and teamwork. By implementing these strategies, educators can cultivate a supportive and inclusive environment that nurtures the holistic development of students and promotes a positive learning experience. The abstract provides a concise overview of …

Triumph Through Tragedy, One Student At At Time, Chanel M. Schwenck

Kentucky Teacher Education Journal: The Journal of the Teacher Education Division of the Kentucky Council for Exceptional Children

The EF-4 tornado that struck Mayfield, Kentucky on the evening of December 10, 2021 caused tremendous destruction to the entire community of Mayfield. Two education professors at a neighboring university sought to help students in the Mayfield Independent School District and were able to do so via funding from a KEEP mini-grant. 81 of their college students were trained in Response to Intervention (RtI) practices and provided individual and small group instruction to students in Mayfield for 2 hours a week for 17 weeks during the 2022-2023 school year. Altogether, struggling students in Mayfield received 1,377 hours of RtI instruction …

Klondike Elementary School: Serving Purdue And The Local Community And Empowering Students From Around The Globe Through High-Quality Learning Experiences Accenting Diversity And Inclusion, Jingyuan Zhang, Yan Ping Xin

Purdue Journal of Service-Learning and International Engagement

Disabilities Awareness Program (DAP) aims to cultivate an understanding of disability and inclusion among young children through accessible instructions, age-appropriate activities, and engaging discussions. We want to take this opportunity to introduce one of our school partners - Klondike Elementary School (KES), to recognize its contributions to DAP in providing service-learning opportunities and showcase KES as one of the community partners.

Telling Stories: Teaching Children With Down Syndrome Story Grammar Using Augmentative And Alternative Communication, Seana Evelyn

Special Education ETDs

The prevalence of Down syndrome (DS) has increased over the past three decades, becoming one of the leading causes of intellectual disability (CDC, 2021; Chapman, 2003). Several studies have found that children with DS have difficulty with expressive syntax (Chapman, 2003; Fidler, 2005; Grieco et al., 2015), which impacts essential activities such as storytelling. However, no study was found that looked at the effectiveness of Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) in improving narrative skills in children with DS. This study assesses the impact of explicit story grammar teaching using the Story Grammar Marker (SGM) and an AAC approach on three …

Changing The Face Of Reading Instruction: Do Culturally Relevant Passages Increase The Effects Of The Repeated Reading Intervention For Middle School Black Girls With Reading Difficulties (Bgrds)?, Olajumoke Edith Oshokoya

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Research has shown that fewer studies have focused on improving the reading abilities of middle school Black girls (Morris, 2007). As BGRDs progress through K – 12 grades, they increasingly rely on basic and advanced reading skills (i.e., oral reading fluency [ORF] and comprehension) to learn. Providing BGRDs with engaging reading passages that are relevant to their prior knowledge, background, interests, and experiences, is more likely to motivate them to read, and eventually improve their reading skills (Cartledge et al., 2015). While there is a growing body of literature focused on Black students’ experiences, currently no study has explored the …

Inclusive Education For All: Identifying Teacher Beliefs About Working With Students With Disabilities, Chelsea Sharek

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate the beliefs K-12 teachers have when working with students with disabilities in a rural Pennsylvania school district. This study aimed to identify if teachers’ personal beliefs created biases about their students and school systems; thus, forming barriers and preventing an inclusive education when working with disabled students. Instrumentation for this quantitative study is the Multidimensional Attitudes Towards Inclusive Education Scale (MATIES) survey. Findings suggest that some teachers at Sunnyside School District (pseudonym) hold personal beliefs that could create biases about their students and school system that may form barriers when working with …

How Will Having A W.I.N Room For Our Emotional And Behavioral Disorder Students To Access When They Are Needing A Break Affects The Number Of Room-Clearing Behaviors In A Week?, Samantha Streed

Dissertations, Theses, and Projects

Having the power to create the behavior program from the ground up, starting a “What I Need” (W.I.N) room at the elementary school where the researcher works. This is a sensory type of room with different tools and strategies that the students can use to calm their bodies or as we say have a safe and calm body. This room will be run by the researcher along with a paraprofessional that will be in the room all day to help support the students. This paraprofessional will also supervise the W.I.N Room if the researcher needs to leave to handle a …

Avoiding Burnout: Newsletters That Promote Special Education Teachers Well-Being, Kayler Knott

Dissertations, Theses, and Projects

With the alarming rate of teachers leaving the educational field, there is a definitive shortage of people entering the field of special education. Educators need access to different tools and resources that will allow them to know about other things that can help limit or reduce the strain of things causing teacher burnout. By sending out these resources to educators and informing them of different tools they can use, we can help alleviate teacher burnout, keep more educators in the fields, and stop losing our young teachers just entering before they have even completed student teaching experiences. Each of these …