Disability and Equity in Education Commons^™

Academic Support Experiences And Perceptions Of Postsecondary Students With Disabilities: A Public And Private University Comparision, Heather T. Wizikowski

CGU Theses & Dissertations

Legislation, social awareness, and advancements in medicine and assistive technology have created meaningful postsecondary opportunities for students with disabilities over the past 30 years. Mainstreaming, inclusion, and transition planning in elementary and secondary schools also greatly contributed to the increased achievement of students with disabilities. Today, 15% of students with disabilities attend four-year colleges. Current federal data show 88% of private and 99% of public universities report students with disabilities enrolled at their institutions. Much of the current research focuses on institutional practice and need. There is a gap in the research when looking at student needs and experiences.

This …

Integration Of Social, Behavioral, And Academic Initiatives: Part Ii, Hank Bohanon, Meng-Jia Wu

Education: School of Education Faculty Publications and Other Works

In part one of this series we discussed the connections among Social and Emotional Learning (SEL), Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS), and Response to Intervention (RtI). Specifically, we compared the processes and fidelity components of these approaches. We attempted to highlight the similarities in systems, practices, and data for each approach, with the understanding that nuances could found within the practices of each. The following section provides specific examples of the overlap in these approaches; the integration of systems, practices, and data; and factors related to core instruction.

Integration Of Social, Behavioral, And Academic Initiatives: Part I, Hank Bohanon, Meng-Jia Wu

Education: School of Education Faculty Publications and Other Works

Many schools are working towards improving their overall social and behavioral climate. This endeavor is undertaken for its own sake, and in the anticipation it will improve academic performance for students. School climate has been related to a lack of connection and commitment on the part of students towards the school, discipline problems, and dropping out (Zins & Elias, 2007). There appear to be at least three predominant schoolwide initiatives to frame improving school climate: Positive Behavior Interventions and Support (PBIS), Response to Intervention (RtI), and Social and Emotional Learning (SEL).

The Co-Teaching Journey: A Systematic Grounded Theory Study Investigating How Secondary School Teachers Resolve Challenges In Co-Teaching, Sharon Gerst

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this systematic grounded theory study was to explain how problems inherent in co-teaching relationships are resolved by secondary school special education and general education teachers at an urban school district in Eastern Iowa. The participants were general and special education secondary school teachers involved in effective co-teaching partnerships. Data was collected from five partnerships, utilizing focus groups, interpersonal behavior theory questionnaires, classroom observations, and individual interviews. The researcher analyzed the data using systematic grounded theory procedures of open coding, axial coding, and selective coding to develop a theory grounded in the data collected about the process by …

Perceived Efficacy Of Beginning Teachers To Differentiate Instruction, Michelle K. Casey, Robert K. Gable

Teacher Education

A two-phase, sequential mixed-methods design was used to assess perceptions of teacher efficacy (10 item survey, alpha = .90) to differentiate instruction for N = 36 graduates from one MAT teacher preparation program. Research questions addressed levels of self-efficacy, perceptions of preparedness, teaching tenure, and number of certifications held. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, one-way ANOVA and t-test procedures. A focus group with N = 10 purposively selected 2010 graduates and interviews with N = 2 graduates each from the 2008 and 2009 classes, and N = 2 faculty were conducted. No significant relationships were found for tenure and …

Transforming Selves For Inclusive Practice: Experiences Of Early Childhood Preservice Teachers, Joseph S. Agbenyega, Sunanta Klibthong

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

In this paper we discussed the impact of ‘spaces of difference’ on teachers’ professional learning to embrace and celebrate diversity, as perceived by early childhood preservice teachers who share their opinions through online group discussions. Spaces of difference is a first year undergraduate course unit designed to support preservice teachers’ professional education to embrace and implement inclusive practice in early childhood education. Informed by Critical theoretical ideas of Bourdieu (Capital, Field, Habitus), we investigated early childhood preservice teachers’ concept of spaces of difference and their personal transformations. Results of this qualitative study suggested that teachers’ understanding of space extended and …

Teaching Students With Disabilities: A Web-Based Examination Of Preparation Of Preservice Primary School Teachers, Jennifer Stephenson, Sue O'Neill, Mark Carter

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

With increasing expectations that preservice teachers will be prepared to teach students with special needs in regular classrooms, it is timely to review relevant units in teacher education courses. Units relevant to special education/inclusion in primary undergraduate teacher preparation courses in Australian tertiary institutions, delivered in 2009, were examined. Information was gathered through a series of Google searches, and available information was very limited for some units. Sixty-one units in 34 courses met criteria for inclusion. Units typically ran for one semester with 30-40 hours of instruction. Just under half the instructors for whom relevant information was available had an …

Mathematics Classrooms At The Middle School Level: Does Grouping Make A Difference In Achievement, Adam Smieja

Mathematics Graduate Theses

This paper reviewed related research on student achievement based on how students were grouped, homogeneously or heterogeneously. Questions examined were whether students performed better in heterogeneous or homogenous groupings and to what extent did high-, average-, and low-ability students perform better in a particular group. Results showed that high-ability students in homogeneous groupings had higher gains in achievement when compared to their counterparts in heterogeneous groupings. However, gains for these high-ability students were not statistically significant. On the contrary, average-, and low-ability students did show statistically significant gains in achievement in the heterogeneous groupings. Yet, despite their effectiveness, implementation of …

Interpreter Roles And Transition For Public School Students Who Are Deaf: A Multiple Case Study, John Hinz

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This qualitative multiple case study research project examines interpreter use for students who are Deaf in the public school system and juxtaposes it with interpreter use found in the work sector after the school-to-work (STW) transition. Semi-structured interviews with 16 Deafness professionals and 6 study participants who are Deaf, as well as workplace observations yield bits of data which are coded and themed for review. Results confirm that interpreter use is abundant in public schools and scant in the work sector. Further results determine that STW placements for students who are Deaf can be haphazard, while employers are largely unaware …

How To Reach All Types Of Learners Through The Use Of Manupulatives In Grades Three, Four, And Five, Cadie Fairchild

Mathematics Graduate Theses

This paper is an examination of research concerning the use of manipulatives with third, fourth, and fifth grade mathematics instruction. The research discusses the power of child discovery, stages of representation, using manipulatives to support learning, eliminating manipulatives prematurely, and eliminating negative stereotypes linked to manipulative use. A major concern of teaching with manipulatives is the knowledge of the teacher. An educator’s role is to provide the best learning opportunities for students. Research reviewed for this paper indicates frequent hands on activities using manipulatives. They need to be aware of the many learning stages and how to address each individual …

Service-Learning: A Valuable Component Of Pre-Service Teacher Education, Dianne J. Chambers, Shane Lavery

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

There is recognition that involvement in service-learning can impact positively on the development of pre-service teachers professionally, culturally and academically (Billig & Freeman, 2010; Anderson, 1998). This article explores and describes the experiences of pre-service teachers in the School of Education at the University of Notre Dame Australia (UNDA) who are undertaking two service learning units as part of their teacher education. This research is based on qualitative data collected from pre-service teachers on completion of their service learning units. Initially, service-learning as a concept is explored with particular reference to four basic elements identified in the literature (Jacoby, 1996; …

Moving Beyond Seeing With Our Eyes Wide Shut. A Response To “There Is No Culturally Responsive Teaching Spoken Here”, Kenneth J. Fasching-Varner, Vanessa Dodo Seriki

Democracy & Education

A struggle exists to engage in culturally relevant pedagogy (CRP) that authentically represents the voices and interests of all across the K–20 spectrum, from higher education institutions, to teacher preparation programs, and into U.S. classrooms. This article responds to Hayes and Juárez's piece “There Is No Culturally Responsive Teaching Spoken Here” by extending the conversation with the suggestion that one of the major problems in speaking CRP has to do with a disconnect between articulated commitments and actual practices. This response article takes a critical look at the landscape in which educators work to reveal the nature of overrepresentation of …

A Study Of West Virginia Elementary Special Education Teachers' Roles, Responsibilities, And Practices Within A Multitiered Instructional Support System: Implications For Policy And Practice, Linda M. Palenchar

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The purpose of the study was to provide a data-based description of West Virginia special education teachers’ roles, responsibilities, and practices relevant to their participation in selected components of the Response to Intervention (RTI) process. Special educators’ practices related to assessment, tiered instruction, decision making, and collaboration comprise the main components of study and were based on a conceptual framework developed by Hoover and Patton (2008). A researcher-developed survey, the Special Educator Response to Intervention Inventory (SERTII), was used to explore the extent and characteristics of special educators’ participation in RTI. The study population included all elementary special education teachers …

Writing Yogis: Breathing Our Way To Mindfulness And Balance In Embodied Writing Pedagogy, Christy I. Wenger

The Journal of the Assembly for Expanded Perspectives on Learning

Breathing exercises constitute a method for helping students to attain a state of mindfulness in their writing—and their lives.

Connecting, Helen Walker, Carl Vandermeulen, Louise Morgan, Jill Moyer Sunday, Tony Mayo

The Journal of the Assembly for Expanded Perspectives on Learning

Connecting

Helen Walker - Trust, and Gaps

Carl Vandermeulen - Proverbs for Poetry Class

Louise Morgan - TJ, Whom I Like Very Much

Jill Moyer Sunday - History Lesson 101

Tony Mayo - Shawn

Outside The Box And Onto A Dusty Trail, Richard Leo Enos

The Journal of the Assembly for Expanded Perspectives on Learning

Archeological exploration has redefined research since this scholar became the Indiana Jones of rhetorical studies.

Book Reviews, Judy Halden-Sullivan, Lauren Dipaula, William Archibald, Noam Scheindlin, Martin Cockroft

The Journal of the Assembly for Expanded Perspectives on Learning

Book Reviews

Judy Halden-Sullivan - Paradigm Shifts

Lauren DiPaula - Price, Margaret. Mad At School: Rhetorics of Mental Disability and Academic Life. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press, 2011.

William Archibald - Thomas, Douglas and John Seely Brown. A New Culture of Learning: Cultivating the Imagination for a World of Constant Change. Charleston, SC: CreateSpace, 2011.

Noam Scheindlin - Vandermeulen, Carl. Negotiating the Personal in Creative Writing. Bristol: Multilingual Matters, 2011.

Martin Cockroft - Wilhelm, Jeffrey D. and Bruce Novak. Teaching Literacy for Love and Wisdom: Being the Book and Being the Change. NY: Teachers College Press, 2011.

Reflections On Accidental Testimonies And Spectacular Witnesses, Lavinia Hirsu

The Journal of the Assembly for Expanded Perspectives on Learning

When unplanned-for testimonies occur in class, how do instructors turn a disruptive moment into a teachable one?

Gatekept: Inviting Creative Community Literacy, Shelly Sanders, B. Cole Bennett

The Journal of the Assembly for Expanded Perspectives on Learning

Creative writing becomes a vehicle for community outreach in a Writing Center setting, bringing together town and gown.

The Communally Focused Writing Center, Tom Truesdell

The Journal of the Assembly for Expanded Perspectives on Learning

Can writing center administrators prepare student tutors to help transform faculty-student relations? Should they?

Renovating My Academic Administration, Elizabeth Vander Lei

The Journal of the Assembly for Expanded Perspectives on Learning

A department chair dons a hard hat and begins to see her position through the lens of spiritual rebirth and figured worlds—as a portrait of Calvin looks on.

The Rainbow Connection: Theorizing The Efficacy Of Private Texts, Liz Rohan

The Journal of the Assembly for Expanded Perspectives on Learning

Texts written privately often find new contexts, new uses, if writers become mindful of Bakhtin’s notion of “great time.”

Jaepl, Vol. 18, Winter 2012-2013, Joonna Smitherman Trapp, Brad Peters

The Journal of the Assembly for Expanded Perspectives on Learning

Essays

Douglas Hesse - Writing and Time, Time and the Essay

Liz Rohan - The Rainbow Connection: Theorizing the Efficacy of Private Texts

Christy I. Wenger - Writing Yogis: Breathing Our Way to Mindfulness and Balance in Embodied Writing Pedagogy

Lavinia Hirsu - Reflections on Accidental Testimonies and Spectacular Witnesses

Heather Trahan - Queers, Cupid's Arrow, and Contradictions in the Classroom: An Activity Theory Analysis

Shelly Sanders & B. Cole Bennett - Gatekept: Inviting Creative Community Literacy

Out of the Box

Richard Leo Enos - Outside the Box and onto a Dusty Trail

SPECIAL SECTION: Administration, Ethics, and Spirituality

Paul …

Queers, Cupid’S Arrow, And Contradictions In The Classroom: An Activity Theory Analysis, Heather Trahan

The Journal of the Assembly for Expanded Perspectives on Learning

“Third generation” activity theory can help instructors support and also deal with gay romance in the classroom.

Even Administrators Have Souls, Paul Puccio

The Journal of the Assembly for Expanded Perspectives on Learning

Faculty have a critical role to play if they want administrators to be more than unilateral decision-makers.

Academic Libraries Supporting The Research Needs Of Student Veterans: A Bibliography, Rebecca Arzola

Publications and Research

The number of Student Veterans entering higher education is growing especially after the passing of the new Post-9/11 GI Bill in 2008. Veterans are using their educational benefits and transitioning from a military to civilian environment. In order to meet the needs of student veterans, administrators, faculty and staff are trying to make available support services for veterans. There is a range of services that can be provided and the library is one that can provide both a physical and virtual environment to support veterans. Although not always mentioned in articles on student veteran transition, it is important that libraries …

Telling The Truth As Wpa, Beth Daniell

The Journal of the Assembly for Expanded Perspectives on Learning

After reflecting upon students, a writing program administrator looks hard at two other challenging situations and questions the truthfulness of her approaches to each.

Back Matter

The Journal of the Assembly for Expanded Perspectives on Learning

No abstract provided.

Investigation Of Rti Effectiveness, Patricia L. Murphy

Morehead State Theses and Dissertations

An applied project submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Education Specialist at Morehead State University by Patricia Murphy on December 11, 2011

The Status Of Students With Special Needs In The Instrumental Musical Ensemble And The Effect Of Selected Educator And Institutional Variables On Rates Of Inclusion, Edward C. Hoffman Iii

Glenn Korff School of Music: Dissertations, Theses, Student Creative Work, and Performances

The purpose of this study was to describe the current status of students with special needs in the instrumental musical ensemble and to examine the effect of selected educator and institutional variables on rates of inclusion. An online survey was designed by the researcher and distributed electronically to 600 practicing K-12 instrumental music educators in the states of Idaho, Mississippi, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, and Rhode Island. While 13.6% of the total school-aged population nationwide received special education services, demographic data provided by respondents revealed that students with special needs accounted for 6.8% of all students participating in bands, orchestras, …