Disability and Equity in Education Commons^™

Jaepl, Vol. 7, Winter 2001-2002, Linda T. Calendrillo, Editor, Kristie S. Fleckenstein, Editor

The Journal of the Assembly for Expanded Perspectives on Learning

Morris Berman tells the story of his maternal grandfather, who, when he was five years old in 1883 or 1884, was sent to a Jewish elementary school in Belorussia. On the first day of class, the teacher startled the young boy by taking each child's slate and smearing the first two letters of the Hebrew alphabet—aleph and beys—on it in honey. His grandfather's first lesson consisted of eating the letters off the slate. The symbolism of this act is complex, Berman muses, but central to the ritual is the belief that what is real must be taken into oneself, ingested: …

An Evaluation Of Families And Service Providers Participating In Participatory Action Research Related To Self-Determination In Young Children With Disabilities, Kristen L. Kozlowski

Dissertations and Theses

The concept of self-determination or "acting as the primary casual agent in one's life and making choices and decisions regarding one's quality of life free from undue external influence or interference" (Wehmeyer, 1996, p.24) has long been a focus of educating adults with disabilities. Recently, researchers and educators have begun to examine teaching foundational skills of self-determination to young children with disabilities. It is important to evaluate programs and methodologies that are said to enhance self-determination in order to ensure their efficacy. Research has examined self-determination programs involving adults and older children, however to date there have been few studies …

Diagnostic System And Method For Phonological Awareness, Phonological Processing, And Reading Skill Testing, Janet Marie Wasowicz,, Arthur C. Maerlender

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

A diagnostic system and method for evaluating one or more phonological awareness, phonological processing and reading skills of an individual to detect phonological awareness, phonological processing and reading skill deficiencies in the individual so that the risk of developing a reading deficiency is reduced and existing reading deficiencies are remediated. The system may use graphical games to test the individual’s ability in a plurality of different phonological awareness, phonological processing and reading skills. The system may use speech recognition technology to interact with the tests.

Brief 9: Practices And Policies For Dealing With Students With Mental Health Issues, New England Resource Center For Higher Education, University Of Massachusetts Boston

New England Resource Center for Higher Education Publications

One of higher education’s crowning achievements is that colleges and universities are currently educating many groups of people who have been denied access to this resource in the past. A growing percentage of the new population of students arrives on campus with unique mental health needs, which until now campuses have been largely unprepared to accommodate. This new student profile may be more familiar to Student Affairs’ offices, but the educational implications extend to the whole campus. Members of NERCHE’s Student Affairs Think Tank discussed this topic at one of their meetings and offer the following insights.

Dual Differentiation: An Approach For Meeting The Curricular Needs Of Gifted Students With Learning Disabilities, Susan M. Baum, Carolyn R. Cooper, Terry W. Neu

Education Faculty Publications

Gifted students who experience difficulty with reading, mathematics, spelling, handwriting, and organization frequently become frustrated at an early age. Well-intentioned teachers attempt to remediate their weaknesses; yet, these youngsters still feel alone in the classroom. Moreover, their academic limitations often mask enormous talent, which seldom has an opportunity to surface. Thus, gifted learning-disabled students require curriculum that develops their special talents and provides them strategies to compensate for problematic weaknesses. This article discusses the dual characteristics of gifted learning-disabled students and suggests a unique curriculum that integrates both through talent development. Developed through Project HIGH HOPES, funded federally by the …

Perceptions And Experiences Of Middle School General Education Social Studies And Science Teachers With Respect To The Inclusion Of Low Reading Level Students In Their Classrooms, David Walls

Theses and Dissertations

P.L. 94-142, and subsequent laws, require that all students receive a free and appropriate public education provided in the least restrictive environment (LRE). When a child study team has determined that a child is eligible for special education services they decide which program will most benefit this child's academic progress. Numerous variables determine placement in the most appropriate and least restrictive environment, so that when a child is placed in the general education setting for content area classes it is in the best interest of that child.

This study provided documentation of the attitudes, perceptions, and concerns of general education …

The Relationship Of The Language-Based Characteristics Of A Selected Group Of Post-Secondary Esl Students To Pass Rates On The New Jersey Basic Skills Reading Test, Tina Previtera

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between selected language-based predictors of reading competence and the reading performance of a group of college-level ESL students receiving Basic Skills instruction. It appeared that a language barrier was preventing this group of students from passing their Basic Skills Reading requirement. It was hypothesized that this resulted in a lack of necessary skills for comprehending standard English. Based on theoretical perspectives obtained from a review of the literature, the language-based characteristics needed to obtain a passing score on the Basic Skills Reading are vocabulary, short-term verbal memory, and broad linguistic …

A Study Of The Effectiveness Of An After-School Peer Tutoring/Homework Help Program, Karen S. Symanski

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine if the students in the after-school peer tutoring/homework help club made greater academic gains when compared to students who did not participate in the after-school program as measured by their grade point average.

The subjects of this study were 30 fifth, sixth, and seventh grade students from a one school district in a rural southern New Jersey town. Fifteen students were enrolled in the after-school program. Fifteen students did not attend the after-school program. Grade point averages were calculated for both groups at the end of marking periods one and two. A …

The Effectiveness Of Increased Support By Special Education Teachers On The Academic Achievement Of Learning Disabled Students In Main Subject Area Inclusionary Classes At The Secondary Education Level When Compared To No In-Class Support, Kelly A. Fitzhenry

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of increased support by special education teachers on the academic achievement of learning disabled students in main subject area inclusionary classes at the secondary level when compared to no in class support. This information can help analyze the effectiveness of an inclusion program, validate successful inclusive educational policies that should be continued, and pinpoint the need for revision. Grade point average data of included learning disabled students in Core English II, Core B Math, and Introduction to Earth Science during the 94-95 academic year when no in class support was …

An Evaluation Of First Grade Children's Progress In Reading Using The Success For All Program, Alphefia L. Blount

Theses and Dissertations

This study measured the gains made by students in the Success for All program in the areas of word recognition and reading comprehension. Also, the study examined whether the variables of attendance, student behavior, homework completion and family support affected the results of those gains. The students participated in the Success for All reading program for sixteen weeks. Every eight weeks they were given an assessment to measure progress or regression in word recognition and reading comprehension. The students' reading groups were adjusted accordingly. At the end of the sixteen weeks they were administered the Jerry John's Basic Reading Inventory …

Implementing Best Practices When Modifying An Early Childhood Curriculum To Facilitate Inclusion Of Children With Disabilities, Cordalia D. Sullivan

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to identify current best practices when modifying an early childhood curriculum to facilitate inclusion of children with disabilities. A questionnaire consisting of twenty items pertaining to the benefits and barriers to an inclusive preschool program was distributed to thirty-four educators who service preschoolers with disabilities directly or indirectly. Those surveyed strongly agreed that including young children with disabilities in typical preschool program is a viable model of service delivery. They stated that benefits outnumber the barriers in an inclusive program, that such programs can benefit children with and without disabilities, and staff training is …

A Case Study In Augmentative And Alternative Communication: Usage By An Eight Year Old Male With Developmental Apraxia Of Speech, Marie E. Maine

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of using a sophisticated electronic voice output augmentative communication device with an eight-year-old male who has been diagnosed with Developmental Apraxia of Speech. The design of this research was a case study. Data collection measured the subject's academic, language, and social status before and after implementation of the augmentative communication device. Measures included standardized and criterion-referenced tests, adaptive behavior rating scales, structured observations, anecdotal data, interviews, and review of school records. Findings indicated the subject was able to participate in several assessments during the post-treatment condition that could not be …

Effective Strategies For Managing Adhd Students In The Classroom, Merri Owen

Theses and Dissertations

With so many school-age children being identified ADHD or ADD, many teachers as well as administrators feel ill-prepared to handle these students in their classrooms. The purpose of this study was to determine procedures teachers use effectively to manage ADHD students' behavior in their classrooms. It was also used to determine if a differential relationship exists between the willingness of upper elementary teachers and lower elementary teachers to accommodate ADHD students in their classrooms.

Forty-five teachers completed a survey to determine how frequently specific strategies were used and their perception of the effectiveness of these strategies. The teachers identified how …

A Study Of The Amount Of Training That Pre-Service And In-Service Special Education Teachers Receive In The Teaching Of Reading, Virginia Egbert

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine if special education teachers at the pre-service and in-service levels have received and are receiving enough training to proficiently teach reading to their students, This study attempted to reveal the level of knowledge and training that special education personnel possess in the area of teaching reading. Data was gathered through a questionnaire, and then the responses for all of the participants were analyzed and presented in graphs. The responses were classified as those from in-service teachers or pre-service teachers in order to compare the data between the two groups.

The findings for …

Impact Of Mainstreaming On Identity Development In Deaf Students, Max Henry Ryser

Undergraduate University Honors Capstones

This study involved 32 deaf college students enrolled at Gallaudet University in Washington, D.C. All were given a survey that asked questions about their mainstream experience and evaluated their acculturation style. Results indicated that mainstream experience and acculturation style were found to be related to one another. Individuals who were deaf-identified tended to show more negative mainstream experiences than those who were bicultural. Suggestions for more research were discussed.

The Effectiveness Of Using Brain Based Strategies In Classroom Instruction To Enhance Student Learning, Stacey Agin

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of using Brain-Based strategies to teach science content. Data was gathered over a ten-week period, which encompassed the entire third marking period. The results were found using primarily the students' test scores. The scores were presented in two categories: whole class averages as well as the special education students' averages.

The subjects of this study include forty-six fifth grade students, ranging in ages from 10-11. Twenty-one are enrolled in the researcher's homeroom class, and twenty-one in a comparable fifth grade class in the same school. The researcher is the science …

A Study Of The Effects Of First Year Implementation Of The Everyday Mathematics Program In A Second Grade Classroom, Johanna Vicchairelli

Theses and Dissertations

The effects of the first year of the Everyday Mathematics Program for a group of 21 second graders was evaluated through a pre and post-test study during the 2000-2001 school year. The students in the study had not experienced the program in kindergarten and grade one. Math achievement was evaluated using the individually administered KeyMath Diagnostic Inventory of Essential Math Skills. Scores reflected progress in the areas of Basic Concepts, Operations and Applications. Student perceptions about math were measured using an Interest Inventory fall/spring. In addition, teacher perceptions and parent reflections were gathered to assess adaptability reactions. Standard scores, scaled …

Transitioning And Adapting To College: A Case-Study Analysis Of The Experience Of University Students With Psychiatric Disabilities, Kenneth M. Werner

Dissertations

The psychiatric rehabilitation literature (Unger, 1987) indicates that few studies have been conducted about the adaptational demands associated with the transition to college for young adults with psychiatric disabilities who negotiate the university experience without the benefit o f a supported education program .

The purpose of this study was to describe how individual, social, and institutional factors contributed to the successful transition and adaptation to college life for students with psychiatric disabilities. The study sought to identify how students with psychiatric disabilities disclosed their illness in order to request support services and accommodations, and which services were essential or …

Dissing Disabilities: A Student's Duty To Mitigate Maladies, J. J. Knauff

Brigham Young University Education and Law Journal

No abstract provided.

Relationships Between Learning Disabilities And The Original Seven Multiple Intelligences And Strategies To Incorporate The Two Domains, Michael P. Callahan

Graduate Student Dissertations, Theses, Capstones, and Portfolios

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Tools For Inclusion: Stories Of Success: Using Networking And Mentoring Relationships In Career Planning For Students With Disabilities And Their Families, Jaimie Ciulla Timmons, Jennifer Schuster, Mairead Moloney

Tools for Inclusion Series, Institute for Community Inclusion

This brief gives examples of how students and families have successfully used networking and mentoring to learn about jobs and find employment, and gives students tools to build and use their personal networks throughout the career planning process.

Issues Of Racial, Ethnic, And Gender Diversity In Preparing School Administrators, Carolyn Ridenour, Patricia F. First, Angela Lydon, Michelle C. Partlow

Educational Leadership Faculty Publications

The four authors teach in the Department of Educational Leadership at the University of Dayton. Each taught a new course that addressed issues of diversity in schools, focusing on race, ethnicity, and gender. Each developed the course in a unique way and in distinct settings, though each involved:

1. Reflecting holistically on the experience of teaching the course in order to generate common themes explaining what the experience meant to the faculty as individuals and as women (Blackmore & Kenway, 1993).

2. Examining students' work, behaviors, communication, and attitudes in order to infer level of, as well as changes in, …

Comparative Study Of The Effectiveness Of Cross-Age Peers And Community Volunteers As Tutors For At-Risk First And Second Grade Students, Tyler B. Collins

Theses & Honors Papers

An experimental study was conducted in a rural, public elementary school in order to compare the effectiveness of tutoring by adult community volunteers and ninth grade cross age peers for at-risk first and second grade students. All first and second grade students took pretests for overall phonological awareness, reading fluency, and sight word recognition. After eight weeks in an intensive, Direct Instruction, one-on-one reading program, students received posttests. Data were analyzed to determine statistically significant differences between those tutored by an adult community volunteer and those tutored by a ninth grade cross-age peer. Considerations and recommendations for further research are …

Lessons Learned From Special Education Leadership Development Knowledge Diffusion And Schools As Organization, Jason Earle Ph.D., Susan G. Clark Ph.D.

Electronic Journal for Inclusive Education

Foundations and Leadership, recognized that to facilitate the successful implementation of IDEA provisions in local schools, educators need a sound conceptual understanding of congressional intent and best practice and opportunities to collaborate in new ways with school organization colleagues. To this end, the State Superintendent's Task Force for the Preparation of Special Education Personnel awarded UA a $25,000 grant to provide school teams, rather than individuals, with the needed skills to implement the IDEA in their organization. Six area school/districts were invited to send a four-person team to attend a series of four weekend workshops centered on the law and …

Inclusion: What Are Teachers Doing To Accommodate For Special Needs Students In The Classroom, Brenda Stevens Ph.D., Caroline Everington Ph.D.

Electronic Journal for Inclusive Education

Elementary teachers (N=42) from a district implementing inclusive practice were surveyed to determine: a) if the frequency of curricular modifications made differ by type of student disability, b) if there is a difference in the frequency of curricular modifications made for special and typical students, and c) if a relationship exists between modifications made for special needs students and for typical students. Results indicate the frequency of teachers’ curricular modifications does not differ by type of disability; that they make significantly more frequent modifications for special needs students; and that there is a significant relationship between the frequency of modifications …

Preclusion: The Solution To The Inclusion Confusion, Terry L. Shepherd Ed.D., Randel D. Brown Ph.D.

Electronic Journal for Inclusive Education

Many public schools in the United States are implementing inclusion programs; however, some research has shown that students with disabilities are not benefiting from inclusion. Part of the difficulty with inclusion lies with the implementation practices of the schools. Stigmatizing by labeling a child is another concern; even through inclusion, ownership of the child is questionable. It is also illogical to take children from the general education classroom, label them as having a disability, and then return them to the same classroom with modifications and support. Modification and support could easily be provided without referring children for special education services. …

Stages Of Preservice Development In A Professional Development School For Teachers Of Students With Emotional Disturbance, Suzanne Tochterman

Electronic Journal for Inclusive Education

This study was designed to identify and describe the stages of preservice development in a Professional Development School (PDS) for teachers of students with emotional disturbance. This study investigated two questions: (a) How does a preservice teacher for students with serious emotional disturbance in a one year full time PDS progress through a series of developmental stages, and (b) what are the opportunities that contribute to the learning of the preservice teacher in a PDS?

This was a qualitative study in which seven data sources from preservice teachers were collected over a nine-month period. These included videotaped teaching episodes, informal …

Reframing Educational Psychology For The New Millennium, Jill Lindsey North Ph.D.

Electronic Journal for Inclusive Education

The role of education psychology in the 21st century must be to provide a research-based pedagogical foundation upon which preservice and practicing teachers can draw to develop the habits of mind necessary to ensure all students learn. Historically, the field of educational psychology is the study of how people learn (Crowel, Podell, & Kaminsky, 1997). However, the work most associated with the field of educational psychology during the 20th century has been the development of tests and measurements to identify learners' capacities and abilities. Much of the work by educational psychologists has been focused on identifying extremes of performance in …

Including A Student With An Attention Problem: Strategies For Including A Student With An Attention Problem In The General Education Classroom, Mark S. Brown Ed.D., Patricia Ilderton

Electronic Journal for Inclusive Education

A student with an attention problem may meet with academic problems when she is placed in the general education classroom. The general education teacher with assistance from the special education intervention specialist should collaboratively develop curriculum and environmental adaptations that will allow the included student to meet with greater academic and social success. This observational study offers strategies for working with a child with an attention problem for both the general education teacher and the special education intervention specialist. Academic and curriculum strategies are presented to proactively address the social and academic strengths of a student with attention problems who …

Life And Times Of Individuals With Mental Retardation: 40 Years Of History, Rhonda S. Black Ph.D., Beverly A. Salas

Electronic Journal for Inclusive Education

If we look to the not so distant past, we see a history of lost opportunities for employment and the chance to meaningfully contribute to society for individuals with mental retardation (Murphy & Rogan, 1995). Many issues surround why these individuals have not been more included within our society, particularly in the employment sector. Fears, questions, and concerns abound when looking at these issues. Such questions are: Why would I want to hire an individual with mental retardation? How much cost is associated with various accommodations that may be required? What unknowns are involved in hiring a person with mental …