Education Commons^™

Parent Pathways: Recognition And Responses To Developmental Delays In Young Children, Jennifer Marshall

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The importance of early recognition and intervention for developmental delays is increasingly acknowledged, yet high rates of under-enrollment and 1-3 year delays in entry to the public early intervention system continue. Much research has examined developmental screening in health and child care settings, but less well understood is what prompts parents to identify problems and seek help for their children. This mixed methods study rooted in the Health Belief Model and Social Support Theory examined child, parent, family, and community level factors related to parent recognition (awareness and concern) and response (help-seeking and enrollment in services), including formal and informal …

Reading Assessment Practices Of Elementary General Education Teachers: A Descriptive Study, Sarah Mirlenbrink Bombly

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In this descriptive study, I researched five elementary general education teachers' reading assessment practices as they worked within the context of IDEA (2004), NCLB (2002) and Response to Intervention (RTI). My own connection to the classroom and reading assessment practices brought me to this research. I presented my personal and professional connection through vignettes about my own classroom assessment practices. Relevant literature on both the context and culture of assessment were pertinent to this research.

I used a qualitative design, specifically, Colaizzi's (1978) method of phenomenological analysis. Data were three in-depth phenomenological interviews, relevant documents and artifacts, and use of …

Making A Difference In The Lives Of Students: Successful Teachers Of Students Of Color With Disabilities Or Who Are At-Risk Of Identification Of Disabilities At A High-Performing High-Poverty School, Tristan L. Glenn

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Urban settings are described in scholarly literature as areas beset with high concentrations of poverty, high incidences of crime and violence, and are typically occupied by high percentages of people of color (McKinney, Flenner, Frazier, & Abrams, 2006; Mitcham, Portman, & Dean, 2009; Vera, 2011). For many children who live in low-income urban school districts, our educational system is failing them (McKinney, Flenner, Frazier, & Abrams, 2006). Swanson-Gehrke (2005) reported that at least two-thirds of these children fail to reach basic levels of achievement in reading. Such dismal achievement results may be attributed to a myriad of issues faced by …

The Perspectives Of Graduate Students With Visual Disabilities: A Heuristic Case Study, Luis Perez

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The concept of liminality describes the experiences of individuals who live "between and betwixt" as a result of their indeterminate status in society. This concept seems appropriate to describe the experiences of people who live with vision loss, because we simultaneously belong to two social or cultural groups. On the one hand we must navigate the mainstream society in which we live day to day, which we are often able to do with the vision we have left. On the other hand, our disability sets us apart from that mainstream society. This idea of living in "between and betwixt" the …

Examining School Capacity For Inclusion Using A Multi-Dimensional Framework: A Case Study, Amy Lenee-Monnier Toson

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

With the passage of the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB, 2002) and the reauthorization of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA, 2004), the inclusion of students with disabilities (SWDs) in general education classrooms has become more prevalent within our public schools (DuFour & Eaker, 1998; Mcleskey et al., 2010). Current research on inclusion focuses on student outcomes and procedural changes and not the contexts and capabilities of education leaders who are implementing it. Empirical research that examines how schools have built the capacity for sustaining these models, especially through the perspectives of those who implement it, is limited …

Becoming A Teacher In Multiple Voices: An Exploration Of Teacher Identity Formation Among Teachers Of Students With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Mary E. Wilt

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to explore the formation of teacher identity among four teachers of students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and my own by examining our perspectives, influences, and experiences at different points in our careers and determining the similarities and differences that exist in our professional and educational experiences. This study focused on how teacher identity is defined within the field of education, the current literature on teacher identity formation, and the importance of understanding the formation of teacher identity among teachers of children with autism, as well as how my own teacher identity has been …

Teacher Perspectives On The Instructional Impact Of The Florida Alternate Assessment, Katherine Hawley

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study examined special education teachers' perspectives of the instructional impact of the Florida Alternate Assessment (FAA) for students with significant cognitive disabilities. Through purposeful sampling, six special education teachers who serve students with significant cognitive disabilities and had experience administering the FAA were identified. Interviews posed questions about how they used the FAA to impact their instructional decision-making, how the FAA has influenced how the development of Individualized Education Program (IEP) goals, and how the FAA impacted how they defined access to the general education curriculum. The interviews, along with IEP artifacts, and a research journal formed the research …

Connective Capacity: The Importance And Influence Of Dispositions In Special Education Teacher Education, Scot Mcgregor Rademaker

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Dispositions are a difficult construct to define and assess within teacher education. The problem lies in the relative ambiguity of the term and the subjective manner in which it is applied to the assessment of the performance of preprofessional teachers. Additionally, because certain accreditation institutes including the National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) require that dispositions be measured as part of a teacher's professional development, the issues of how dispositions are constructed and gauged becomes an essential part of the foundation related to understanding the effectiveness of teacher education programs. The fact that much of the research …

Blending Worlds, Reforming Practice?: An Instrumental Case Study Of Collaborative Early Childhood Teacher Education, Ann Marie Mickelson

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Collaborative models of teacher education have grown from the belief that through such models we can improve the quality and availability of truly inclusive opportunities for children with diverse abilities and their families. Little is known however as to the extent collaborative models are capable of influencing inclusive service delivery or in terms of their efficacy to impact the relative inclusive practice of their graduates as compared to other models of teacher education. As an important first step toward examining the relative worth and efficacy of collaborative models of early childhood teacher education, this case study applied a conceptual framework …

An Examination Of Education Services For Children With Autism Spectrum Disorders In Rural Areas, Melissa A. Murphy

Theses and Dissertations--Educational, School, and Counseling Psychology

Much research and media attention in recent years has focused on Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD), a pervasive developmental disorder that impacts children in multiple areas of their lives. Early identification and intervention, as well as access to mental health, behavioral, and pediatric services for this population are crucial to their later outcomes and quality of life (American Academy of Pediatrics, 2001; Blane & Borden, 2008; Jacobson & Mulick, 2000; Rogers & Vismara, 2008). Unfortunately, research suggests that access to educational services may be complicated for individuals living in rural areas (Applequist, 2009; Collins et al., 2005, Ludlow, Conner, & Schechter …

Evaluation Of Using An Interrupted Behavior Chain Procedure To Teach Mands To Children With Autism, Blair Nichole Jacobsen

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Abstract

Interrupted behavior chain procedures have been shown to be an effective way to teach individuals with intellectual disabilities and autism to mand for missing objects and information concerning missing objects. Research has shown that an interrupted behavior chain procedure is more effective than traditional mand teach trials, which occur at the onset of a behavior chain or in a massed trial format. However, there is a lack of research evaluating the use of interrupted behavior chain procedures to teach vocal mands for missing items and the possible generalization effects thereof. This study evaluated the acquisition of vocal mands for …

The Mathematical Development In Number And Operation Of Struggling First Graders, John Lannin, Delinda Van Garderen, Matthew J. Switzer, Kelley E. Buchheister, Tiffany Hill, Christa Jackson

Department of Child, Youth, and Family Studies: Faculty Publications

Number and operations serve as the “cornerstone” of the K-12 mathematics curriculum in many countries. Solving problems in the mathematical domains of algebra, geometry, measurement, and statistics is often closely connected to student knowledge of number and operation (Griffin, 2005). Although considerable knowledge exists regarding the development of number and operation for typically developing children, less is known about the development of children who struggle in mathematics. Moreover, children enter school with considerable differences in their understanding of number and operation. While most children, through exposure to various informal and formal tasks, develop a deeper understanding of number and operation, …

What Was That Again, Congenital Disorder Of Glycosylation?, Janelle Roberts

Undergraduate Review

New technology and research are continuously changing our understanding of the human body, and newly emerging diseases are continuously being discovered, such as Congenital Disorder of Glycosylation (CDG). This disease creates challenges for Special Education teachers and others who work with children affected by CDG. The purpose of this project was to increase Special Education teachers’ understanding of the rare congenital disease CDG. Specifically, this project examined the augmentative communication strategies used with persons with CDG who are nonspeaking. There are approximately 1,000 diagnosed cases of CDG worldwide, and these figures are low estimates given that CDG presents like many …

Examining The Effect Of The Universal Design For Learning Expression Principle On Students With Learning Disabilities In Science, Lisa Finnegan

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The significance of students being able to express and demonstrate their knowledge and understanding in all content areas has always been important especially in the sciences. Students under the Next Generation Science Standards will be required to participate in science discourse through a variety of approaches. This study examined student engagement and student demonstration of content knowledge in inclusive science classrooms through a quasiexperimental research design which included four case study participants with a learning disability. The researcher also evaluated student content knowledge through the implementation of Universal Design for Learning-Expression (UDL-E) through a non-replicated control group design. Data were …

An Examination Of Inclusive Education In Schools Operated By The Jordan Field Of The United Nations Relief And Works Agency For Palestine Refugees In The Near East, Jacqueline Rodriguez

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

For refugee children with disabilities, international agencies largely provide humanitarian assistance, including education. However, the obstacles associated with refugee existence can impede progress in the movement towards educating children with disabilities in inclusive settings. Perceptions of inclusive education in schools operated by the Jordan field of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East were explored through multiple embedded case studies. Each of the three schools examined included a student with a special educational need. The researcher also investigated strategies and supports provided by education stakeholders to students with special educational needs in inclusive …

Video Self-Modeling On An Ipad To Teach Functional Math Skills To Adolescents With Autism And Intellectual Disability, Cami Elizabeth Burton, Darlene Anderson, Mary Anne Prater, Tina Taylor

Faculty Publications

Research suggests that video-based interventions can provide increased opportunity for students with disabilities to acquire important academic and functional skills; however, little research exists regarding video-based interventions on the academic skills of students with autism and intellectual disabilities. The current study used a multiple baseline design across participants to investigate the effects of video self-modeling (VSM) on the mathematics skill acquisition of adolescents with autism. Four adolescent male students viewed videos of themselves on an iPad solving mathematical problems to estimate the amount of money used to pay for a given item and the amount to receive in change. Findings …

2nd Global Report On Adult Learning And Education:Rethinking Literacy, Unesco Institute Of Lifelong Learning, 58 Felbrunnenstr., 20148 Hamburg, Germany

IACE Hall of Fame Repository

Drawing on data gathered from 141 countries, the second Global Report on Adult

Learning and Education reviews progress in implementing the Belém Framework for Action, the set of recommendations made by governments at the Sixth

International Conference on Adult Education (CONFINTEA VI) in Belém in December

2009. The report adopts a global perspective, describing the commonalities and differences of Member States as they work to improve their adult education

sectors.

This second Global Report has as its special theme ‘Rethinking Literacy’. UNESCO

hopes that this will help to position literacy as the foundation for lifelong learning. The report …

Are Young Professionals Engaging In Self-Planned Learning Projects? Twenty-First Century Implications For Self-Directed Learning Among Post-Four-Year Undergraduate Students, Dr. Roger Hiemstra, Meredith Charles

IACE Hall of Fame Repository

The combination of 21st century technological advancements and globalization has dramatically increased the rate at which information is available to the individual adult learner. Furthermore, the “knowledge society” in which we currently live demands that adults participate in lifelong learning in order to survive professionally, personally, and socially. Recent research has identified self-directed learning as a feasible vehicle for navigating 21st century complexities; however, there is limited data on the specific population that includes the post-four-year undergraduate student. The purpose of this study is to determine if young professionals are taking a self-directed approach towards identifying their learning needs, planning …

Andragogy Around The World In K-20 Education: It Is All About Trust, John A. Henschke Edd

IACE Hall of Fame Repository

The author's research in andragogy started in the late 1960s. More serious in-depth attempts were launched in 1997, just after Malcolm S. Knowles died - the author wanted to honor his legacy since he and his work in andragogy were influential in the author's life. The author's research yielded an instrument with the strongest factor being 'teacher trust of learners' - a belief that applies all the way through k-20 Education. This is found to be so in doctoral dissertations, overarching trust behaviors, and threaded through the literature surrounding trust. Trust is found to be congruent between the author's scholarship …

Basic Fba To Bsp Trainer’S Manual, Sheldon Loman, M. Kathleen Strickland-Cohen, Christopher Borgmeier, Robert Horner

Special Education Faculty Publications and Presentations

This manual presents procedures to train school-based personnel to conduct "basic" functional behavioral assessments (FBA) and design function-based behavior support plans (BSP). "Basic FBA/BSP" training methods, as they are presented in this manual, are designed to train school based personnel with flexible roles in a school (i.e. personnel not directly responsible for providing regular instruction for students; e.g., classroom teachers). The Basic FBA/BSP training methods are specifically designed for use with students that exhibit consistent problems that are NOT dangerous and have not been adequately addressed through previous assessment and intervention. For example, Basic FBA methods would be appropriate for …

Descriptive Statistical Attributes Of Special Education Datasets, Valerie Felder

Wayne State University Dissertations

ABSTRACT

Descriptive Statistical Attributes of Special Education Data Sets

by

VALERIE FELDER

December 2013

Advisor: Dr. Shlomo Sawilowsky

Major: Educational Evaluation and Research

Degree: Doctor of Philosophy

Micceri (1989) examined the distributional characteristics of 440 large-sample achievement and psychometric measures. All the distributions were found to be nonnormal at alpha = .01. Micceri indicated three factors that might contribute to a non-Gaussian error distribution in the population. The first factor is subpopulations within a target population. The second factor is ceiling effects and the third factor is treatment effects that may change the location parameter, variability, or shape of the …

Exploring The Utilization Of Applications As A Form Of Augmentative And Alternative Communication By Speech-Language Pathologists, Joselyn Rae Gilbert

Online Theses and Dissertations

This pilot study consisted of two main purposes: 1) to examine whether SLPs who are already using augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) in therapy are using apps as a form of AAC, and within what parameters, and 2) to explore possible reasons SLPs are using apps as AAC, and possible sources for their clinical decision making using AAC apps. A nationwide survey was sent out to speech-language pathologists who were members of four ASHA Special Interest Groups. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze data gathered from the survey. Results from this study suggested some SLPs use apps as a form …

Faculty Attitudes Toward Students With Intellectual Disabilities In Postsecondary Educational Settings, Diane F. Fekete

Wayne State University Dissertations

Research has indicated that participation in some aspect of postsecondary education, either for credit or audit, could improve a disabled individual's changes for success in adult life. Research also has shown that faculty attitudes toward, and perceptions of students with disabilities play an important role in student success. The purpose of this study was to examine faculty attitudes toward the inclusion of students with intellectual disabilities in college classes and willingness by faculty to accommodate the course content to meet individual student needs. An internet survey instrument was developed to gather information concerning students with intellectual disabilities and faculty attitude …

Stillness In The Composition Classroom: Insight, Incubation, Improvisation, Flow, And Meditation, Ryan Crawford, Andreas Willhoff

The Journal of the Assembly for Expanded Perspectives on Learning

Studies of brain images provide scientific justification for encouraging meditation among young writers.

A Critical Study Of Black Parents' Participation In Special Education Decision-Making, Tamara Lynn Freeman-Nichols

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

No abstract provided.

Juvenile Probation Officers' Perspectives Of The Special Education Process, Lauren Trainer

Theses and Graduate Projects

This qualitative research study examined juvenile probation officers' perspectives of special education. Juvenile probation officers who work with youth who receive special education services agreed to participate in this study to help the researcher learn more about how they view special education. Since the two professional groups (juvenile probation officers and special education teachers) often work with the same demographic, learning more about their perspectives can help improve their working relationships. However, even more importantly, the services youth receive may also be improved through gaining a better understanding of others' perspectives. A combination of formal interview questions and observations were …

Family Portraits: Past And Present Representations Of Parents In Special Education Text Books, Dianne L. Ferguson, Philip M. Ferguson, Joanne Kim, Corrine Li

Education Faculty Articles and Research

This paper analyses the descriptions of families of children with disabilities as contained in introductory special education texts over the last 50 years. These text books are typically used in pre-service teacher education courses as surveys of the education of ‘exceptional children’. The textbooks reflect the mainstream professional assumptions of the era about topics such as disability, special education, inclusion, and family/school linkages. However, they also shape the assumptions of the next generation of educators about these same topics. The paper summarises the results of a qualitative document analysis of a sample of these textbooks from two different eras. The …

Using Careless Speech For Careful, Well-Crafted Writing— Whatever Its Style, Peter Elbow

The Journal of the Assembly for Expanded Perspectives on Learning

Bringing the resources of speech to writing enables writers to understand and attain written eloquence.

The Journey Metaphor’S Entailments For Framing Learning, Bradley Smith

The Journal of the Assembly for Expanded Perspectives on Learning

Analysis of differing frames for learning to write shows that the journey metaphor best serves our efforts to convey how writing and learning are linked.

Book Reviews, Judy Halden-Sullivan, Karen Walker, Timothy Shea, Julie Nichols, Edward Sullivan

The Journal of the Assembly for Expanded Perspectives on Learning

Book Reviews

Judy Halden-Sullivan - Making the Familiar Unfamiliar

Karen Walker - Ritchhart, Ron, Mark Church, and Karin Morrison. Making Thinking Visible. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass, 2011.

Timothy Shea - Jobrack, Beverlee. Tyranny of the Textbook. New York: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc., 2012.

Julie Nichols - FitzGerald, William. Spiritual Modalities: Prayer as Rhetoric and Performance. University Park, PA: Penn State Press, 2012.

Edward Sullivan - Quesada, Donna. The Buddha in the Classroom: Zen Wisdom to Inspire Teachers. NY: Skyhorse Publishing, 2011.