Disability and Equity in Education Commons^™

A Review Of General Education Teachers' Perceptions Of Classroom And Instructional Accommodations For Students With Disabilities, Jennifer Askue-Collins

Theses & Honors Papers

The primary purpose of this study was to find out whether general education teachers believe that accommodations for students with special needs help those students succeed. Secondarily, this study seeks to find whether general educators find accommodations to be practical (feasible for general classroom use and fair to students without disabilities) in promoting success for all students. This review will discuss special education laws, service models for special education, and how accommodations fit into these parameters. The researcher created an online survey for K-5 general educators in Virginia's Region 8 to complete. From the responses it was found that this …

Reducing The Stereotypic Behavior Of Individuals With Mental Retardation Using Response Cost Within Applied Behavior Analysis, Crystal Holmes

Theses & Honors Papers

The focus of this study is to demonstrate that using response cost through applied behavior analysis is an effective treatment for reducing the stereotypic behaviors of individuals with mental retardation. McEntee and Saunders (1997) conducted a study in which response cost was used as an intervention within applied behavior analysis successfully to reduce the stereotypic behaviors in four male individuals with severe or profound mental retardation. An attempt was made to replicate this study and provide further research on the effects of response cost through applied behavior analysis on the stereotypic behaviors of individuals with mental retardation. There were three …

Institute Brief: Making Experiential Education Accessible For Students With Disabilities, Cynthia Zafft, Sara Sezun, Melanie Jordan

The Institute Brief Series, Institute for Community Inclusion

College students with disabilities enter with less work experience and have a harder time finding jobs than their nondisabled peers. Experiential education-- mentoring, internships, job shadowing, and so on-- can create a bridge to graduation and employment. However, that requires college professionals to consider access issues for all students. A new Institute Brief provides basic disability awareness information, suggests ways to create welcoming career offices, and offers ideas to increase access to experiential education.

Technological Inequality In Education, Matthew Kleiman, Joan Rudel Weinreich

Essays in Education

This paper investigates the technological divide: that gulf that develops between rich and poor school-age children, and how they gain access to and utilize either effectively or not the wealth of information technology promises to provide. Inequality of educational opportunity has existed since the very first schools in the United States, when men like Horace Mann tried to level the information playing field with the common school and common library.

The Dilemmas Of African-American Men From Historically Black Colleges And Universities In Completing Doctoral Degrees From Predominately White Institutions, Jeffrey Shears, Chance Lewis, Rich Furman

Essays in Education

This paper examines the experiences of two African-American men in their pursuit of doctoral degrees from predominantly white institutions. It presents an overview of other studies that discuss the unique challenges experienced by African American students enrolled in undergraduate and graduate programs at these institutions. It also includes a case study that describes the struggles and difficulties of these two men, who completed their undergraduate degrees from two separate Historically Black Colleges and Universities, and completed their Ph.D. programs in separate Predominately White Institutions (PWI’s). The authors share their thoughts on the factors they felt were instrumental to their success, …

The Effects Of The Use Of Dynamic Geometry Software On Student Achievement And Interest, Heidi B. Hansen

Mathematics Graduate Theses

This study examines the current research that exists on the effects that the use of dynamic geometry software has on student achievement and interest level in mathematics. Additional questions examined are whether using dynamic geometry software has a greater impact on high or low achievers, and what current methods of implementation are suggested by the research. A review of the relevant literature indicates that the use of dynamic geometry software does have a positive effect on student achievement, particularly achievement in areas of high-level thinking. Insufficient research has been done on the effect that the use of dynamic geometry software …

Factors Affecting School-Based Speech-Language Pathologists’ Use Of Language Assessment Practices With Bilingual Children, Lena Gloria Caesar

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to identify the assessment procedures and practices of school-based speech-language pathologists (SLPs) employed in the state of Michigan. A survey method was used to gather information from 409 SLPs regarding the assessment procedures used for assessing both their bilingual students, as well as their monolingual English-speaking students. The survey also gathered information regarding perceptions about language proficiency, professional training, and bilingual assessment products. In order to analyze factors related to their use of recommended practices, the study investigated the relationship between selected demographic, caseload, and work-setting variables, and the type of bilingual assessment methods …

Can Professional Development Programs Help Close The Achievement Gap?, C. Jayne Brahler

Health and Sport Science Faculty Publications

This paper explores the question of whether it is possible to design professional development programs for teachers that can significantly improve student test results and reduce the achievement gap for students.

The Dayton (Ohio) Foundation and the Montgomery County (Ohio) Educational Service Center, sponsors of The Miami Valley Teacher/Leadership Academy, answer this question with a resounding yes. Recent results indicate that the academy's two-year program, designed to provide professional development to help improve student test scores, not only succeeded in significantly improving the student proficiency mean score, but also considerably reduced the achievement gap for participating students.

This paper includes …

A Study Of The Relationships Between Oral Comprehension And Silent Reading Comprehension, Christine M. Menold

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to compare the relationship between the comprehension levels of a student's silent reading level to their oral comprehension level when a passage is read to them. It will also address the theory that reading is a visual symbol system superimposed on auditory language. Theorists state that reading is a symbol system twice removed from the realities which they represent. This statement implies a developmental progression as described by Myklebust. That is, the child first integrates nonverbal experience directly. Next he acquires auditory, then later a visual verbal system which represents both the experience and …

An Assessment Of The Effectiveness Of The Pow Plus Tree And Cops Writing Strategies, Deborah A. Mclaughlin

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to examine the effectiveness of using the Self-Regulated Strategy Development (SRSD) approach to teach Plan, Organize your notes, and Write (POW) plus Topic Sentence, Reasons, Explain your reasons, and Ending (TREE) to write a well-written opinion essay. Also, the SRSD approach will be used to teach Capitalization, Organization, Punctuation, and Spelling (COPS), an editing strategy. Harris, Graham, and Mason (2002) note that writing is a highly complex, demanding process. The purpose of writing is to communicate a message. Writers need a strategy or plan to communicate ideas clearly. To be successful and productive …

What Is The Effectiveness Of The Sra Direct Guided Reading In Promoting Phonological Awareness Skills, Linda A. Ewing

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of the SRA Direct Guided Reading program in promoting phonological awareness skills in multiply disabled Kindergarten and first grade students. The effectiveness of this program was measured by a pre-assessment test from the SRA program and Mastery Tests spaced throughout the program.

The subjects for this study consisted of seven students from a diverse social and economic background all placed in the same multiply disabled classroom, because they were so severely disabled that this placement was considered the least restrictive environment. The teacher was experienced in the use of this …

Special Education Students' Perceptions Of Inclusion Versus Pull-Out Placements, Jennifer L. Shaw

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the perceptions of special education students toward their placement in inclusion and/or pull-out resource settings. Inclusion and pull-out special education students were interviewed individually regarding their perceptions of the academic and social ramifications of their respective placements. Fourth and fifth grade students (N = 15) currently enrolled in inclusion or pull-out settings from a suburban middle class elementary school were interviewed. The data collected from this phenomenological study was analyzed in order to create broad statements that may be generalized to a more extensive population. This study demonstrated that the majority of …

A Desperate Grab For Free Rehab: Unilateral Placements Under Idea For Students With Drug And Alcohol Addictions, David S. Doty

Brigham Young University Education and Law Journal

No abstract provided.

High School Exit Exams Meet Idea—An Examination Of The History, Legal Ramifications, And Implications For Local School Administrators And Teachers, Jennifer R. Rowe

Brigham Young University Education and Law Journal

No abstract provided.

Tools For Inclusion: Moving On To High School: A Tip Sheet For Parents Of Children On Individualized Education Plans, Linda Freeman

Tools for Inclusion Series, Institute for Community Inclusion

Time spent in school is probably the single greatest feature of a young person's life. So it only makes sense for parents to make sure their sons and daughters get what they need from school. Even though families don't have much influence over how schools structure courses, there are things they can do to make the most of what schools have to offer. This tip sheet is based on the experiences of students with disabilities in public schools and their families.

Implementation Of Self-Determination Activities And Student Participation In Ieps, Christine Mason, Sharon Field, Shlomo Sawilowsky

Center for Self-Determination and Transition

The Council for Exceptional Children conducted an online Web survey to obtain information on the instructional practices and attitudes of educators as they relate to self-determination and student involvement in the individualized education program (IEP) process. We obtained 523 usable responses from teachers, administrators, and related services professionals. Although respondents highly valued both student involvement in IEPs and self-determination skills, only 8% were satisfied with the approach they were using to teach self-determination. Only 34% were satisfied with the level of student involvement in IEP meetings. Implications include the need for longitudinal research and technical assistance, targeting administrators, general educators, …

Making Inclusion Work In Rural Southeast Texas, Fara M. Goulas Ph.D., Lula J. Henry Ph.D., Kimberly Griffith Ph.D.

Electronic Journal for Inclusive Education

Inclusion is a common term and everyday practice in two rural schools in Southeast Texas. A consortium based on a collaborative endeavor between the regional educational service center, the local university, and two rural school districts was established with a common goal, an effective general education environment, and pedagogical sound instruction for students in inclusive settings. Data was collected to assess the impact of the Inclusion Project. Results indicated an increase in positive attitudes toward the concept of inclusion.

Self-Determination And Student Involvement In Standards-Based Reform, Michael L. Wehmeyer, Sharon Field, Bonnie Doren, Christine Mason

Center for Self-Determination and Transition

Promoting self-determination has become "best practice" in the education of students with disabilities. We synthesize the decade's work in this area as a foundation for considering issues pertaining to promoting self-determination in light of the current educational context. We particularly examine the role of promoting self-determination in light of federal standards-based reform initiatives. We conclude that school reform efforts provide an opportunity to infuse instruction in self-determination into the education programs of all students, including students with disabilities. Many state and local standards include a focus on component elements of self-determined behavior and promoting self-determination enables students to perform more …

The Advantage Of Steep As A Method To Identify Elementary School Children Who Are At-Risk For Learning Disabilities, Chandra Nease

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The purpose of the current study was to determine the relationship between the Screening to Enhance Equitable Placement (STEEP) and the Dyslexia Screening Instrument (DSI) to deem STEEP a valuable tool for identifying children who may be at risk for a learning disability or dyslexia. The following research question was examined: What is the concurrent validity of STEEP, as a screening instrument for identifying at risk students for learning disabilities by comparing it to the Dyslexia Screening Instrument? In this study, students in first through fourth grade classrooms at a rural Southeastern Ohio elementary school who were administered STEEP and …

The Comparative Analysis Of The Dyslexia Screening Instrument And The Dyslexia Screening Tool, Shelley J. Lemasters

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

STEEP is a universal screening instrument that provides effective and efficient identification of students at risk. It is hypothesized that by using the difference between the math STEEP score and the reading STEEP score that STEEP can be used to identify dyslexic children. The present research was conducted by selecting students that scored mastery/instructional in math and frustrational in reading as the sample. The current study examines the correlation between the Dyslexia Screening Instrument and the Dyslexia Screening Tool by administering those instruments to the identified population. The results were analyzed by using the Pearson correlation coefficient (r) and the …

Welcome, Patricia R. Renick Ph.D.

Electronic Journal for Inclusive Education

Welcome to the 7th edition of the Electronic Journal for Inclusive Education. This particular edition is devoted to the papers presented at the Oxford Roundtable: Addressing the Special Education Needs of Children, convened in March 2003 at Oxford University in Oxford, England. The Oxford Roundtable is a think tank gathering of administrators, college professors, and teachers who come together by invitation to present research and conduct conversations about issues and trends in the field of Special Education. This international assembly provokes thought, shares ideas, and engages in, sometimes spirited, discourse concerning the needs of children with special needs. The following …

If It Takes A Village, Then We'd Better Educate The Villagers: Preservice Teachers' Attitudes And Beliefs About The Inclusion Of Students With Severe Disabilities, Pamela Pruitt Garriott Ph.D., Lynne Snyder Ph.D., Lilly Tennant Ph.D., Ravic Ringlaben Ph.D.

Electronic Journal for Inclusive Education

The purpose of this study was to examine the attitudes and beliefs of preservice teachers concerning inclusive education for students with severe disabilities. Individual interviews were conducted with 35 preservice teachers to determine their attitudes and beliefs concerning inclusion of students with severe disabilities and to examine the factors that influenced these attitudes and beliefs. Following qualitative data analysis procedures, findings indicated that the preservice teachers were relatively evenly divided on their opinions about where students with severe disabilities should receive educational services. The most significant finding of this study was that the preservice teachers attributed the underlying basis of …

Poems By David Keiser, David Keiser

Electronic Journal for Inclusive Education

A collection of six poems by David Keiser: The Possibilities of Eggs, American Disability, Energetic Elizabeth, No Notebook, Ugly Blues, and Principal Poem.

Attention Deficit Disorder: Are Schools And Physicians Working Together?, Paul Koulouris

Electronic Journal for Inclusive Education

Over the past twenty years, the existence of Attention Deficit Disorder has been documented through hundreds of scientific studies. Schools play a vital role in the early in the early identification of children which ADHD and, in many cases; school personnel coordinate efforts among teachers, parents, physicians, and community resources in the assessment and treatment of children and adolescents with ADHD (Sloan, Jensen & Hoagwood, 1999). In their research, (Satterfield and Cantwell 1981) viewed the classroom teacher as the major determining factor in whether a student with ADHD succeeds or fails in the classroom.

Despite the documented importance of close …

Welcome, Patricia R. Renick Ph.D.

Electronic Journal for Inclusive Education

Welcome to the 8th edition of The Electronic Journal for Inclusive Education. This edition has an international flavor because we welcome two articles written by authors in New South Wales Australia and Japan. This edition ends with a book review and some wonderful poetry concerning individuals with disabilities. The issues concerning inclusive education continue to challenge professionals and excite interest and efforts in a growing body of literature concerning these efforts.

Dr. Fara M. Goulas, Dr. Lula J. Henry and Dr. Kimberly Griffith collaborated to produce a research piece concerning Making inclusion work in rural school system. Their writing addresses …

Inclusion Versus Institutionalization: Japan’S Educational Challenge, Leonardo P. Jimenez, Toshiro Ochiai Ph.D.

Electronic Journal for Inclusive Education

Japan has been undergoing educational reforms as social changes continually spur especially with the advent of globalization. With special needs children in its populace, the country lays down its own educational paradigm. This aims to discuss the two scenarios in the Japanese educational system, the inclusion and the institutionalization, which serve as answers to the schooling dilemma of children with disabilities. Inclusion is a confusing issue since it is not explicitly stated in the nation’s public education rulings but in practice, there is inclusion. On the other hand, institutionalization is aptly considered concrete as it is seen in segregated environment …

Illusion Or Reality? Policy And Process In South African Education, Loshini Naidoo Ph.D.

Electronic Journal for Inclusive Education

This paper examines the current African National Congress education policy in South Africa using a methodological tool derived from critical theory (Jay, 1973; Wellmer, 1971; O’Neill, 1977; Held, 1980; Guess, 1981; Roderick, 1986; Kellner, 1989; McCarthy, 1978, 1991) since it has an emancipatory rather than a manipulative interest in critical inquiry. While much has been written on South African educational policy after the African National Congress victory in 1994, (African National Congress, 1994a; African National Congress, 1994b; Asmal and James, 2001; Carrim, 1998; Chisholm and Fine, 1994; Council on Higher Education, 2000a, 2000b; Department of Education, 1997; Maharaj, 1999; National …

Signs And Symptoms Of A Stressed System: How To Recognize And Address Child Maltreatment In The Home, Andrea L. Rotzien Ph.D.

Electronic Journal for Inclusive Education

The fact that the disabled are at high risk for maltreatment is well documented (Goldson, 1998; Sullivan & Knutson, 2000; Zeanah & Hamilton, 1998). Reynolds (2001) reported that 39-68% of girls and 16-30% of boys with developmental disabilities would be abused by the age of 18. Westcott and Jones (1999) note that identification, assessment, and prevention is complicated by the communication deficits of this population, their dependency on others, and a tendency for professionals to not report abuse. Thus, it is imperative that professionals understand the risks for abuse and maltreatment in this population. The risks factors and signs of …

Exploration Of Vr Acceptance And Ethnicity: A National Investigation, Keith B. Wilson Ph.D.

Electronic Journal for Inclusive Education

The reported study examined whether African Americans, European Americans, Native Americans/Alaskan Natives, and Asians/Pacific Islanders with disabilities would differ in their rates of vocational rehabilitation (VR) acceptance in the United States. The test statistic revealed that a significant difference existed regarding ethnicity and VR acceptance. Moreover, a small but significant association emerged between ethnicity and VR acceptance (Cramer’s V = .023). The results revealed that in the United States, European Americans are more likely to be accepted for VR services than are African Americans. The author discusses possible barriers to VR acceptance for underserved and underrepresented groups in the United …

Do Maternal/Paternal Child Relationships Have A Similar Pattern When The Child Has Tourette's Syndrome? A Case Study, Judy Olson Ph.D.

Electronic Journal for Inclusive Education

Although I did not realize it at the time, my first experiences in parenting evolved around a child who was diagnosed with onset pervasive developmental disorder by age five. Due to his hyperactivity, he was prescribed Ritalin. Within two weeks after being given this medication, he developed motor and vocal tics and was diagnosed with Tourette’s syndrome (TS) by the time he reached nine years of age. Subsequently, I began a teaching career in special education. During this time, I had guidance by a psychologist and two physicians who taught me a great deal about Tourette’s syndrome (TS). In the …