Disability and Equity in Education Commons^™

Teachers' Perceptions Of The Availability And Need Of A Support Program For Students With Learning Difficulties Attending Elementary Schools In The Atlantic Union Conference, Lileth Althea Coke

Dissertations

Purpose of the Study. Support programs have been known to be very effective in helping students succeed academically, socially, behaviorally, and emotionally. The purpose of this study was to investigate teachers' perceptions of the availability and need of a support program for students with learning difficulties who attend elementary schools operated by the Atlantic Union (AU) Conference. The study also identified elements of a support program that teachers perceived as both available and necessary for the academic growth and development of these students.

Method. This study employed a survey research methodology in which survey questionnaires were used to gather information …

High School Teachers' Perceptions Of Inclusion, Carmen Wiggins

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

With the reauthorization of No Child Left Behind, school systems must ensure students with disabilities receive instruction in general education classrooms. Implementing the inclusion model has been challenging for many school systems as the systems try to find ways to meet the needs of their diverse student populations. The purpose of this quantitative casual-comparative and correlational study is to identify high school teachers' perceptions of inclusion. One hundred seventy-three high school teachers from six school districts located in a southeastern metropolitan area completed a survey to allow the researcher to examine if a relationship existed between teachers' perceptions of inclusion …

The Effects Of Increased Accountability Standards On Graduation Rates For Students With Disabilities, Mitzie Lee Moore

Dissertations

This research sought to determine if unintended effects of increased accountability standards on graduation rates for students with disabilities existed. Data from one southeastern state were utilized in order to determine if graduation rates were impacted as a result of higher accountability standards. In addition, administrator attitudes on views of NCLB, high-stakes testing of students with disabilities, strategies initiated to exclude students with disabilities from high-stakes tests, and inclusion of all students with disabilities in the growth model. Archival data from 2001 and 2010 were used to compare pre and post graduation rates for significant differences. Survey results were collected …

Faculty Teaching Behaviors At Three State-Funded Universities, Christa Michelle Bryant

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine if faculty teaching behaviors differed as a function of demographic variables including academic discipline, years of experience making accommodations, academic rank, and/or gender. College faculty from three universities completed and submitted the Faculty Inventory, a questionnaire containing seven subscales with ten statements per subscale. Faculty members rated the level at which they participate in the teaching behaviors represented by the statements. Results of the data analysis indicated that academic discipline and years of experience making accommodations for students with disabilities significantly influenced teaching behaviors. Academic rank and gender were examined only by …

Teacher Attitudes Toward The Use Of Accommodations In The Classroom And On Standardized Tests, Michele Penny Meadows

Dissertations

Educating students with disabilities in the least restrictive environment necessitates the use of accommodations and modifications to help these students have better access to the general education curriculum. As a result of inclusion, general education teachers are required to teach students with disabilities in their general education classrooms. Even though regular education teachers have assistance from special education teachers, not all general education teachers (and some special education teachers) believe they have the education, experience, or support to teach these students effectively. This study measured general education teacher and special education teacher attitudes toward the use accommodations for special education …

Opt4college: An Online Educational Transition Curriculum For Youth With Disabilities And Special Health Care Needs, Nerlie Ogilus, Miriam Heyman, Myra Rosen-Reynoso, Susan Foley, Judy Palfrey, Institute For Community Inclusion, University Of Massachusetts Boston

Office of Community Partnerships Posters

Through this project, we have identified the following: 1. Students with disabilities and/or special health care needs are disproportionally under-represented secondary institutions; 2. Making the transition from secondary to post secondary institutions requires self determination and advocacy; 3. Although there are other programs with this transition, few focus on both educational and medical transitions for students with disabilities and ore special health care needs.

A Meta-Analysis Of Testing Accommodations For Students With Disabilities: Implications For High-Stakes Testing, Michelle Vanchu-Orosco

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Test accommodations are designed to ensure the comparability of test scores between students and their typically developing counterparts by eliminating as much construct-irrelevant variance and construct-irrelevant difficulty as possible. Although those involved in test creation endeavor to create tests with suitable accommodations for students with disabilities, there is lack of consensus regarding accommodation efficacy. Using meta-analysis and meta-regression to summarize previous research, this study examined whether test accommodations differentially boost test scores of students with disabilities, and whether accommodated conditions provided a more effective and valid assessment of students with disabilities. Results from the meta-analysis of 34 studies (119 effect …

Data-Based Decisions Guidelines For Teachers Of Students With Severe Intellectual And Developmental Disabilities, Bree A. Jimenez, Pamela J. Mims, Diane M. Browder

ETSU Faculty Works

Effective practices in student data collection and implementation of data-based instructional decisions are needed for all educators, but are especially important when students have severe intellectual and develop- mental disabilities. Although research in the area of data-based instructional decisions for students with severe disabilities shows benefits for using data, there is limited research to demonstrate teachers in applied settings can acquire the decision-making skills required. The purpose of this research was to demonstrate how teachers from five states acquired a set of data-based decisions implementation guidelines through online professional development. Recommendations for practice and future research are included.

Effects Of A Treatment Package To Facilitate English/Language Arts Learning For Middle School Students With Moderate To Severe Disabilities, Pamela J. Mims, Angel Lee, Diane M. Browder, Tracie-Lynn Zakas, Susan Flynn

ETSU Faculty Works

This pilot study sought to develop and evaluate the use of a treatment package that included systematic and direct instruction on acquisition of literacy skills aligned with middle school English/Language Arts standards for students with moderate to severe disabilities, including autism. Participants included five teachers and 15 middle school students with moderate to severe disabilities who were primarily served in a self-contained setting. A one-group, nonrandomized, pre-posttest design was implemented to measure vocabulary, comprehen- sion of familiar text and unfamiliar text, poetry, research, and writing skills. Results indicated significant gains in vocabulary and comprehension of familiar text. Limitations, implications, and …

Development And Design Of A Merged Secondary And Special Education Teacher Preparation Program, Ann Fullerton, Barbara Ruben, Stephanie Mcbride, Susan Bert

Curriculum and Instruction Faculty Publications and Presentations

As middle and secondary classrooms become increasingly inclusive, some special educators may not be prepared to teach content, and some general educators may not be prepared to address diverse learning needs. This mismatch between the reality of today's schools and traditional teacher preparation has led to the development of new models for teacher education that integrate or merge special education and general education. Integrated and merged models are two approaches to combining special and general education pedagogy for teacher education. In merged programs, faculty in general and special education collaborate to develop one program in which all candidates receive licensure …

Postsecondary Education Of Students With Disabilities: Review Of Faculty And Of Students With Disabilities Perceptions For Training, Jerry René Alliston

Dissertations

The percentage of students with disabilities who are pursuing post-secondary education has consistently increased over the past few decades. To meet all legal requirements, postsecondary institutions have established disability support services for students with disabilities. One notable responsibility given to postsecondary disability support service staff was the training of faculty on various issues related to disability in general. The focus of this study was to determine the perceived issues of faculty to students and students to faculty, in a two-campus university system in the southeastern United States, in working with students with disabilities in postsecondary education on the six theme …

Preparing A Student With A Disability And Their Family For Transition Into Adulthood, Katherine Matwiczak-Weber

All Graduate Projects

As a student with a disability makes the transition from high school to adult life, together the student and the family are faced with decisions and challenges outside the support of the school system. There are certain time lines and criteria that need to be fulfilled in order to make the change successful as well guarantee the student's rights and entitlements both financially and vocationally from the federal government and other community based systems. Transition-focused educators have long advocated for a vision of post-school life for the young adult with a disability that includes community and social interactions in addition …

Towards Inclusive Standards, Michelle Pearce

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

The context of this study is the inclusion of students with dillabilities in secondary schools. The introduction of legislation in the United States and Australia has resulted in large numbers of students with disabilities being included in regular classes by subject teachers. Inclusion in secondary schools has proved especially challenging to teachers. Reviews and research highlight the need for teacher training. but do not specify the knowledge and skills that teachers need to become inclusive. It has been proposed that professional teaching standards have the potential to guide preservice and inservice training. Before standards could be assessed for their inclusivity, …

Appropriate Physical Education Service For All Students, Ron French, Lisa Silliman-French, Deborah Buswell

Faculty Publications

All students, including those with disabilities, deserve appropriate, safe, and meaningful physical education instructional programs as identified by Texas Education Agency (2006) and that are reflected in the National Association for Sport and Physical Education (NASPE, 2005) standards.

An Historical Descriptive Analysis Of The Federal Education Policies That Influenced The Education Of Students With Disabilities, 1950-2005, Catherine Quinn

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

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A Motivational Strategy That Accommodates Middle School Special Education Students: Achieving Academic Success, Susan J. Koempel

All Graduate Projects

The project provides middle school teachers with a handbook for clarifying academic targets in the general education U. S. history classroom. This strategy clearly defines, in a pictorial manner, the interconnectedness that exists between report cards, progress reports, and quarterly curriculum assignments. The intervention of this organizational strategy will assist students in decisions, regarding the timely completion and turn in of assignments, by creating an overall awareness of the progress of time and assignment due dates during the quarter. Originally, the production of the intervention was done by the special education staff so that there would be minimal time energy …

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.

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.

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 …

Research To Practice: Self-Determination And Struggle In The Lives Of Adolescents, Mairead Moloney, Jean Whitney-Thomas, Danielle Dreilinger

Research to Practice Series, Institute for Community Inclusion

As students of all ability levels move into adulthood, they seek to define themselves and develop goals for the future. This study identifies four categories of students and offering targeted suggestions for support.

Research To Practice: Building A Future: Working With The Post-High School Expectations Of Students & Parents, Jennifer Schuster, Steven Graham, Mairead Moloney

Research to Practice Series, Institute for Community Inclusion

This brief examined the circumstances that accompany high expectations for the future for Massachusetts high school students who receive special education services and their parents. Includes recommendations on how to build and fulfill students' goals for adulthood.

Computer Access For Students With Disabilities: An Adaptive Technology Laboratory, Frances Grodzinsky

School of Computer Science & Engineering Faculty Publications

Adaptive technology, which permits equity of access, has helped to reassure people with disabilities that they can attempt a university education with minimal accommodation.

Report On The Evaluation Of The 1994 Western Australian Transition Support Program For Students With Disabilities, Errol Cocks, Judy Cockram, Trish Formentin, Hannah Cocks

Research outputs pre 2011

The "Transition Support Program" described in this report is the Western Australian Transition Support Program for students with disabilities, a pilot program funded by the Department of Employment, Education and Training (DEET) under the Transition Support Component of the National Equity Program for Schools.

1.1 BACKGROUND

Major changes are evident in the expectations for and aspirations of students with disabilities, particularly as they move from school attendance to community options. This has resulted in an increasing focus on the need for policy and program development to support students as they make the transition from school into adult life...

Inclusion: Educating Students With And Without Disabilities, Bill Henderson

New England Journal of Public Policy

This article presents an overview of inclusion, a practice that is being utilized increasingly in schools across the country. In inclusive schools, students who have disabilities learn together with their nondisabled peers. Teachers and support staff collaborate to serve all students in integrated classes. After reviewing the social and legal background of inclusion, Henderson describes specific strategies for designing and implementing successful programs. He outlines organizational change, curriculum and instruction modification, and school culture transformation.

Evaluation Of Balga Special School: First Report: Pupil Progress In Selected Programs, Mount Lawley College

Research outputs pre 2011

In February, 1978, Mount Lawley College agreed to undertake an evaluation of the Balga Special School for the Education Department of Western Australia. Preliminary discussions were held with the Superintendent of the Research Branch and the Principal of Balga Special School. The purpose was to determine the parameters of the evaluation.

It was agreed that the College was to be responsible for the conceptual framework of the program. It was also agreed that this framework was to be approved by the Superintendent of the Research Branch and the Principal of the Balga Special School.

A second consideration was the length …