Education Commons^™

Calculators In Special Education Mathematics Classes In A Junior High School, Celia M. Hurley

Theses and Dissertations

Very little has been written about the use of calculators by children with exceptional needs, although calculators are already being used by most adults who seldom do any but the simplest calculations by hand (Thorpe, 1988). They use calculators for everything from balancing checkbooks to computing sales tax.

Yet there are teachers and many parents who believe, says Wheatley (1984), that using calculators will lessen the opportunity for students to master basics. They believe that calculators should not be used until children become proficient with paper-and-pencil calculations. Some say that students should become facile in the use of calculators. Still …

Psychosocial Developmental Levels Of Freshman Urban University Students With Learning Disabilities, Nancy Ann Wolthuis Olthoff

Theses and Dissertations in Urban Services - Urban Education

This research study addressed the question, "Is there a difference in psychosocial developmental levels, as defined by Arthur Chickering, between male and female traditional-aged urban university freshmen with and without learning disabilities?" Twenty students with learning disabilities, as diagnosed by independent practitioners who exhibited spelling disabilities on a writing sample placement test, were compared to two comparable groups of twenty students. One comparison group did not exhibit spelling disability. The second group while demonstrating spelling problems, did not have documentation of learning disabilities. The Student Developmental Task and Lifestyle Inventory, a measure of Arthur Chickering's theory of psychosocial development, was …

Lesson 4: Academic Self-Management, Nancy K. Glomb

Special Education and Rehabilitation Counseling Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

The Effectiveness Of One On One Tutoring And Reading Group Intervention In First And Second Grade Within Chapter One Reading Program, Kim L. Howrey

Masters Theses

No abstract provided.

Paraprofessional Training Project, Robert L. Morgan, G. W. Gassman, S. Rule, Charles L. Salzberg

Special Education and Rehabilitation Counseling Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Effective Secondary Special Education Programs: Administrative And Instructional Practices In Identified Iowa Schools, Robyn Lynn Moen Kramer

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

This descriptive study with exclusive focus on identified secondary special education programs in Iowa, investigated the interactions of administrators, general classroom and special education teachers to determine common administrative and instructional practices and behaviors within three characteristics -- Facilities Leadership, General Classroom Teaching Behavior, and Special Education Teaching Behavior. Directors of Special Education from six Iowa Area Education Agencies (AEAs) were asked to select five schools form their respective AEAs with exemplary secondary special education programs. From that initial population of 30 schools, 11 schools were selected to participate in this study.

A survey was administered to 354 secondary school …

The Effects Of Simulation Activities On The Attitudes Of Preschoolers Without Handicaps Toward Their Peers With Handicaps, Roxann M. Dittmer Hull

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

This study examined the relationship between simulation activities and the attitudes of preschoolers without handicaps toward their peers with handicaps. Data were collected on a pre and post measure with a control and experimental group. Results comparing the two groups were conducted and gender differences investigated. Fourteen youngsters in the control group and 13 youngsters in the experimental group at a public school in a midwestern urban area served as the subjects in this investigation. Once a week for 45 minutes for 7 weeks a simulation activity was conducted by the investigator with youngsters in the experimental group. The activities …

A Comparison Of A Topography-Based Language System And A Selection-Based Language System, Carl Sundberg

Masters Theses

This study examined whether it was easier for developmentally disabled individuals to acquire a topography-based or a selection-based language system. Four moderately and mildly mentally retarded adults served as subjects. Each of the subjects was taught to tact an object by either pointing to its corresponding symbol (with the selection-based paradigm) or making the corresponding sign (with the topography-based system). They were then taught an intraverbal relation by either selecting the symbol, or making the sign which corresponded to an auditory stimulus. Finally, the subjects were tested for the emergence of stimulus equivalence classes. Each subject was trained and tested …

Extension Of The Audio-Visual Combination Discrimination Test, Valerie R. Davine

Masters Theses

The Audio-Visual Combination (AVC) scale (Kerr, Meyerson, & Flora, 1977) was developed to assess basic discrimination skills in the developmentally disabled population. Acquisition of such skills has been demonstrated to follow a progressive pattern. The existing AVC test assesses discrimination skills in the following hierarchy: Imitation, Position, Visual, Match-To-Sample, Auditory, and Auditory- Visual Combination. This investigation attempted to discover transitional skills between the Match-To-Sample and the Auditory levels. Twenty-four developmentally disabled adults were tested using the original AVC tool with the addition of four new discrimination tasks that were added to the existing scale to ascertain a finer gradation of …

A Comparison Of Outcome Reinforcement Contingencies And Process Reinforcement Contingencies Using Concurrent Training With The Severely Mentally Impaired, Nancy Lonsberry

Masters Theses

This study compared the effectiveness of Outcome and Process reinforcement contingencies using concurrent training to teach severely mentally impaired students to perform component tasks. Each student was trained to assemble a four-piece apparatus using either the Outcome contingency or the Process contingency. The Outcome method was defined as a contingency where the final outcome of a component task has been achieved and a reinforcer is delivered contingent upon that outcome. The Process method was defined as a contingency where reinforcement occurs after the performance of each step in the sequence and when the final outcome of the task has been …

Evaluation Of Utah's Prereferral Intervention Mandate, J. Ron Nelson

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The primary purpose of the present study was to evaluate the impact of Utah's prereferral intervention policy on the numbers of mildly handicapped students receiving special education services. Associated with this purpose, the study was also designed to identify the (a) types of prereferral intervention procedures available in school districts, (b) extent to which the procedures were implemented by schools, (c) effectiveness of the prereferral intervention procedures for maintaining students with handicaps in regular education, and (d) degree of prereferral intervention inservice training. In addition, LEA officials' perceptions regarding the prereferral intervention process were also examined.

It was expected, in …

Enabling Special Needs Students To Succeed Through Whole Language Strategies, Patricia E. Moran

Theses Digitization Project

No abstract provided.

Achievement Gains And Losses Of Integrated 5th Grade Resource Room Students: Martin Luther King, Jr. Elementary School, Yakima School District, 1989-1990, Patricia F. Kincheloe

All Graduate Projects

The achievement gains and losses of integrated 5th grade resource room students at Martin Luther King, Jr. Elementary School in the Yakima School District were studied. Nine resource room students were pre and post tested for achievement in reading, spelling, and mathematics. Teaching methods included cooperative learning, small and large group instruction, and peer tutoring. The results showed support for the integration of learning disabled students into a whole language, cooperative learning, regular education environment.

Early Childhood Special Education Philosophy And Procedures Manual For Walla Walla School District, Sandra Kay Lee

All Graduate Projects

The purpose of this project was to develop a philosophy and procedures manual for the Walla Walla School District's center-based special education preschool program. Twenty-five school districts were asked if they possessed a philosophy and procedures manual. Six of those school districts possessed a parent manual. None of the districts possessed a procedures manual.

A manual was developed through interview of staff members and adaptation of Head-Start procedures. The manual contains procedures for abuse and neglect reporting, emergency/health, referral, child-find, extended school year, transition, teacher planning, and a parent orientation manual.

Principals' Perceptions About Regular Education Teachers' Attitudes Toward Integration Of Students With Handicaps, Susan Kay Posekany Sherwood

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

As the movement to integrate students with handicaps into regular education classrooms continues, regular education teachers are a critical component of the successful implementation of the integration process. Because building principals must assume responsibility for selecting the teachers who will be assigned integrated classrooms, this investigation determined the degree to which principals were able to predict the attitudes of regular education teachers toward the integration of students with handicaps.

From public school districts in a Midwestern state, 85 pairs of teachers and principals were randomly selected from three educational levels: (a) elementary, (b) middle, and (c) secondary. The data were …

The Effects Of Incidental Teaching On The Generalized Use Of Social Amenities At School By A Mildly Handicapped Adolescent, L. K. Oswald, Benjamin Lignugaris / Kraft, R. West

Special Education and Rehabilitation Counseling Faculty Publications

Recently, researchers have begun exploring the effects of incidental teaching on the acquisition of socially appropriate behavior by handicapped children and adults. The results of these investigations suggest that incidental teaching may facilitate the generalization of newly trained social skills. This study used incidental teaching procedures to teach a 16-year-old mildly handicapped student to use social amenities in a resource classroom. In addition, generalization was assessed to another resource classroom and to an art classroom. The results of the study indicated that the student increased his use of social amenities in the training setting. Moreover, directions to use thank you …

Effective Practices Currently Used By Classroom Teachers To Facilitate Mainstreaming, Nicole M. Elsie

Masters Theses

No abstract provided.

Survey Of Microcomputer Access By Students With Mild Handicaps In East Central Illinois, William O. Searby

Masters Theses

This descriptive research was conducted to collect data concerning the accessibility of school microcomputers to students who have been labeled as having a mild (high prevalence) handicapping condition. One hundred thirty nine randomly selected school administrators in East Central Illinois were surveyed to determine the number of microcomputers in their schools and the types of programs that were offered to students with special needs. The schools were divided into seven categories depending on the type and size. Total school enrollment figures were divided by the total number of microcomputers available at the school to determine a student to microcomputer ratio …

Teaching Behaviorally Disordered Adolescents To Use Self-Management Skills For Improving The Completeness, Accuracy, And Neatness Of Creative Writing Assignments, Nancy K. Glomb, R. P. West

Special Education and Rehabilitation Counseling Faculty Publications

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of a self-management procedure known as WATCH that was designed to teach adolescents with learning and behavior problems to improve the completeness, accuracy, and neatness of their creative writing homework assignments. The procedure was based on four strategies: teaching students the fundamentals of behavior change, teaching students to use self-instruction, teaching students to set goals and implement plans to achieve those goals, and teaching students to accurately evaluate their work. Two high school students who were classified as behaviorally disordered were taught to develop plans for completing their creative writing …

Parent And Teacher Reactions To The Referral Question Consultative Decision Making (Rqc) Model For Triennial Re-Evaluations In A School Serving Students With Mental Retardation, Marilyn Lindholm Kinne

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The present study was designed to investigate parent and teacher reactions to the use of the Referral Question Consultative Decision Making (RQC) Model in conducting triennial re-evaluations in an educational facility serving students with mental retardation. The survey population included 30 parents and 15 teachers who were involved in triennial re-evaluations during the 1989-90 school year.

A questionnaire was mailed to the survey population which addressed the areas of referral questions and the written report, participation, and interventions. The survey included questions rated on a five point Likert Scale and open ended questions. Data were analyzed by reporting percentages of …

Post-Hoc Longitudinal Study Of The Stability And Validity Of Standardized Test Scores Of Handicapped Children, Randal Dennis Brown

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

In the delivery of special education services to handicapped children, a requirement to certify the nature and severity of each child's handicap was built into PL 94-142, The Education of All Handicapped Children Act (Reynolds, Gutkin, Elliott, & Witt, 1984). In the aftermath of that legislation has arisen a serious question as to whether or not the process of providing such services on a categorical (by nature of the handicapped) basis has led to an unanticipated social harm (stigma) of such a magnitude that the assessment process needs to be re-evaluated (Guskin, Bartel, & MacMillan, 1975). Part of the social …

A Study To Identify Stress Factors Of Early Childhood Special Education Teachers, Brenda Marie Hanken-Crawford

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Stress, an everyday fact of life, can be either positive or negative (Bradfield & Fones, 1985a; Truch, 1980). When faced with too little stress, a lack of productivity may occur, however, when faced with too much stress, anxiety and unhappiness may result (Johnson & Harkins, 1984).

A growing interest has developed concerning factors contributing to the stress of special education teachers (Fimian & Santoro, 1983). While the literature on stress has grown, research is very limited in the area of stress and early childhood special education teachers.

The purpose of this study was to identify (a) the stress producing variables …

The Effects Of Added Purpose On Fine Motor Performance In Learning Disabled Children, Sarah Lynn Austin

Masters Theses

The idea that occupations which offer added levels of purpose elicit a high quality of performance is widely accepted within occupational therapy. In this experiment involving fine motor performance, fifty-three learning disabled children were randomly assigned to two groups. It was hypothesized that children cutting out a circle, presented as a wheel which would complete a paper truck, would cut more accurately than those who cut out the same circle without the suggestion of it being used as a wheel. Accuracy was assessed by measuring the area of the children's cutting errors. The experimental design included the use of a …

A Workshop For Parents Of Children With Learning Disabilities, Kathy Taylor

Theses

The purpose of this paper was to justify the need of a workshop for parents of learning disabled children . The need determined by the result of a questionnaire filled out by the parents of LD children.

Once the need of the workshop was established a review of the literature in the field of learning disabilities was completed . This was done to give the presenter the necessary background to conduct a factual and effective workshop . Research was included on historical background of the LD field, definitions, characteristics, and social issues.

Methods of an effective presenter were also researched …

The Effect Of Study Skills Training On The Academic Performance Of Learning Disabled Students In Mainstream Classes, Kathleen M. Allen

Masters Theses

No abstract provided.

The Effectiveness Of Language Intervention With Preschool Handicapped Children: An Integrative Review, Beverly Marie Poirier

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Controversies surrounding language intervention for preschool children have primarily focused on specific issues about which approach is better than another. However, most researchers consider language intervention to be effective--even though many studies yield conflicting findings. Previous reviews on language intervention added little to resolving the controversies because of inadequate sampling procedures and insufficiently addressing methodological issues. A more systematic review of prior research was needed to clarify the status of the language intervention literature. The purpose of this study was to conduct a comprehensive integrative review of the primary research on language using a meta-analysis approach to determine the relative …

Revision Strategies Of Deaf Student Writers, Sue Livingston

Publications and Research

Deaf high school students at different schools shared second drafts of their own narratives via an electronic bulletin board after conferencing with their respective teachers. This article characterizes the kinds of questions teachers asked during the conferences and the kinds of revisions the students made between first and second drafts. Results indicate that teachers most often ask questions that require student to provide more information; yet these questions do not affect revision as much as questions which require students to rephrase specific language. Students typically either added or substituted words or phrases that showed both similarities to and differences from …

Supported Employment: A Manual For Community Industries, Daniel R. Achatz

Theses Digitization Project

No abstract provided.

Variations In Attitude Between Children In Different Years Towards Peers With Special Physical Needs In A Western Australian Primary School, Natalie C. Robins

Theses : Honours

This study examined the attitudes of regular school students towards their peers with special needs within a Western Australian primary school. Comparisons were made between the children In Years 1, 4 and 7 of a specific school to identify whether any significant variations in attitude were present between the different years. Attitudinal data was collected by presenting an oral questionnaire to one, randomly selected, class of students from each of the three year groups

Social Status And The Play Interactions Of Students Labelled Learning Disabled And Their Peers, Tammy S. Bryant

Masters Theses

The relationship between social status and play interactions of students labelled learning disabled and their peers is an area which has received much attention. However, most of the research has focused on students in resource settings. The current study focused on students labelled learning disabled in self-contained settings. The study involved administering the Play With Rating Scale to 41 second and third graders in regular classrooms and to 11 same-aged peers who were learning disabled in self-contained settings. The results were divided into popular/average and unpopular status groups. Thirty-three children were observed at play utilizing an observation tool developed by …