Special Education Administration Commons^™

Physical And Verbal Strategies Peers Use To Facilitate The Social Inclusion Of Friends With Autism Spectrum Disorders, Kathleen Winterman Ed.D., Victoria Zascavage Ph.D.

Electronic Journal for Inclusive Education

The purpose of the this study was to examine the impact that Responsive Classroom methodology had on the social inclusion of two elementary students with ASD in a public school setting. Varieties of educational programs to support students with ASD are in vogue; however, few investigate the influence the peers have on students’ motivation and desire to interact within an inclusive environment. This study, conducted over the course of a school year within two public elementary schools in the Midwest, explored how peer supports shaped by Responsive Classroom methodology provide the scaffolding students with ASD required to become part of …

Effective Reading Instruction Strategies For Students With Significant Cognitive Disabilities, April Scruggs

Electronic Journal for Inclusive Education

Reading is the cornerstone of instruction for all students regardless of their ability level because it sets the foundation for future progress and success in virtually all other facets of life (Kliewer & Landis, 1999). Recent legislation and research has suggested that we should be more successful in teaching every student to read (Brower, Wakeman, Spooner, Ahlgrim-Delzell, & Algozzine, 2006).

There are various strategies that educators use to teach reading in a typical classroom setting. However, these strategies are not always the same in special education classrooms, especially in terms of teaching students with significant cognitive disabilities. Browder et al. …

Intrinsic Motivation Of Students With Disabilities In The General Education Setting: What Teachers Should Know And Be Able To Do, Beverly Stinson Faircloth

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA) requires that students with disabilities (SWD) be educated in the least restrictive environment, while the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) requires that these students meet minimum criteria on statewide testing by 2014. This sequential explanatory mixed methods action research study, situated in Bandura's self-efficacy and Atkinson's drive theories, examined the effects of teacher training and subsequent implementation of strategies on the intrinsic motivation of SWD. Intrinsic motivation was measured using the Children's Academic Intrinsic Motivation Inventory (CAIMI) before and after the training. A repeated measures t-test analyzed the mean difference in the students' …

Evaluation Of An Adult Education Technology Program, Iwasan D. Kejawa

Department of Teaching, Learning, and Teacher Education: Theses and Other Student Research

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the adult education technology program at a chartered alternative adult education center in Florida. The adult education center had a low rate of students passing the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test (FCAT). This study examined the impact of the use of computer technology in an effort to improve student learning in mathematics, reading, and science. Computers at the institution were used by all students for tutorials to prepare them for the FCAT and to obtain a high school diploma. The research questions for this study were as follows: 1. Is the education technology …

Restoration Vs. New Construction: How To Make The Right Decision, Timothy J. Ilg, David Alan Dolph

Educational Leadership Faculty Publications

Restoration or new construction? That is a dilemma that educational leaders, particularly superintendents and school business officials, have had to wrestle with for years. In the past, state regulations often dictated whether school buildings should be renovated or torn down to make way for new construction. State reimbursement guidelines favored new construction over restoration for public school development by either withholding funds or denying the full state support for restoration projects. In fact, some states established complex formulas that mandated new construction if the cost of restoration exceeded approximately two-thirds of the new construction costs.

Reversing the mindset among many …

Playing It Safe In Secondary School Athletic Programs, David Alan Dolph

Educational Leadership Faculty Publications

School business officials play a critical role in ensuring that district assets are protected and that students and staff have a safe environment in which to learn and work. In their role as risk managers, school business officials work closely with the board of education and fellow administrators to identify and track potential risks, develop plans to mitigate those risks, and perform regular risk assessments to determine how risks have changed.

Some risks are inherent in all school systems. For example, students on the playground, buses on the roads, chemicals in the science labs, even food in the cafeteria pose …

Teacher Perceptions Of Bullying Prevention: A Comparative Analysis Of Teacher Perceptions Of Bullying Prevention Programs, Diana Howell

Undergraduate Theses and Capstone Projects

School bullying has often been tacitly minimalized as a rite of passage—an unfortunate but common experience among children. In the past few years there has been an increasing awareness of school bullying as a catalyst of school violence. Parents, school boards, and administrators are understanding and taking more seriously the negative impact that bullying has on victimized students and are actively looking for ways to reduce incidents of such violence. This research provides a discussion of bullying behavior and an examination of teachers’ perceptions of the effectiveness of bullying prevention programs in their schools. If teachers do not feel that …

Physical Inclusion Yet Curriculum Exclusion? School Staff Perceptions Of The Curriculum For Students With Learning Disabilities In Mainstream Secondary Schools In Tel Aviv, Israel, Tsafi Timor Ph.D., Neil Burton Ph.D.

Electronic Journal for Inclusive Education

The Israeli education system has, over the past decade, moved towards the adoption of a more inclusive approach to meet the needs of students with identified learning disabilities. As a consequence many more students in the secondary sector (12-18) are now more willing to acknowledge that they require additional support. The main focus of this research was to assess the extent to which school staff perceives that the curriculum in secondary schools is being reasonably adjusted to meet these learning needs. The study examines the views of head teachers, counselors and teachers in five secondary schools in Tel-Aviv area, Israel. …

The Role Of Personal Characteristics And Job Support In Retaining Teachers Of Students With Emotional And Behavioral Disorders, Bianca P. Prather-Jones Ph.D.

Electronic Journal for Inclusive Education

This study was a qualitative investigation of the reasons that experienced teachers of students with emotional and/or behavioral disorders give for remaining in that field. The findings of this study indicate that these teachers’ decisions to remain in the profession of teaching students with emotional and/or behavioral disorders were most strongly influenced by both having a sufficient level of support and having certain personal characteristics which they felt made them a good fit for this field. Implications of these findings suggest that changes in recruitment and advising, teacher preparation and professional development opportunities, and processes for providing support to new …

The Star Protocol Process: Facilitating Collaboration Between Families And School District Personnel, Joan Nicoll-Senft Ph.D., Kathleen Whitbread

Electronic Journal for Inclusive Education

This paper describes a process that was developed to facilitate communication and collaboration between school district personnel and families of children with significant disabilities. The Star Protocol was designed to engage families and educators in a structured conversation in order to first collectively define the presenting issue(s) and then co-create an action plan. The Star Protocol draws from elements contained in both person-centered planning processes from the disability field and reflective protocols that have been developed to assist educators to improve their teaching. Each step of the protocol is detailed and an example of the use of the protocol is …

Inclusive Education In India, Kumar Sanjeev Ph.D., Khagendra Kumar Ph.D.

Electronic Journal for Inclusive Education

India is one of the few countries world over where the education of children with special needs doesn’t fall within the purview of human resource development ministry. It is generally the burden of the omnibus ministry of social justice and empowerment, the prime focus of which is rehabilitation, not education. In fact, till today it does not have education as part of its agenda and the issue of education of children with disabilities remains imperceptible, hidden from the public domain, a private problem for families and NGOs to deal with. It’s time that governmental agencies as well as mainstream institutions …

Welcome, Patricia R. Renick Ph.D.

Electronic Journal for Inclusive Education

Welcome to the Summer/Fall Edition, volume 2 edition 8, of The Electronic Journal for Inclusive Education. This edition continues the conversation concerning inclusive education, with an international voice.

Polly Haselden begins this issue with research into the use of co-teaching and inclusive classrooms. The results of co-teaching are positive except with African-American students. She addresses the issue of accountability and proposes further study.

Gyagenda Khamis follows with a study concerning the efforts for inclusive practice in developing nations. This study focuses on the interplay of theories of education and teacher change. He discusses the need for support from society in …

Welcome, Patricia R. Renick Ph.D.

Electronic Journal for Inclusive Education

This edition continues the international conversation concerning the inclusion of students with articles from an author with close geographic ties to the Journal and ends with an author on the far side of the world.

This continued international research reveals the struggles and concerns to include all students in a free appropriate education that is now global in its efforts. Students with disabilities and from different ethnic backgrounds are now being included and the struggle for acceptance of the students as individuals with contributions to make to society continues.

This edition begins with an article from Dr. Thomas Knestrict from …

Changes In Preservice Teachers' Observations Of Middle Georgia Schools And Teacher Practice In The Inclusion Of Students With Disabilities From 1998 To 2006, Karen K. Brooks Ph.D.

Electronic Journal for Inclusive Education

This mixed method study found that teachers’ attitudes toward inclusion practices in the middle Georgia area in the past six years have become more inclusive. The study also showed that teachers’ attitudes about inclusion varied from elementary, middle and high schools; and those teachers’ attitudes do affect the implementation of inclusion. The participants were preservice teachers in elementary, middle, high school and special education classrooms. They completed a questionnaire to evaluate their field placements by rating their experiences and noting their observations of inclusive education in local schools where they were required to volunteer 20 hours weekly for about six …

"Plug-In" - What Is In A Name? Including Children With Disabilities In The World Of Educational Quality, Glenda Moss Ed.D., Jane Leatherman Ph.D.

Electronic Journal for Inclusive Education

This narrative research study examined aspects of an inclusive program for students with mild disabilities. The overall goal of the research was to evaluate the effectiveness of the inclusion program for an elementary school in a rural Midwest neighborhood while using the ongoing inquiry process to design and conduct professional development. This specific paper explores participants understanding of the history of inclusion in their school and the definitions of inclusion as presented through the practitioners’ words as they reflect about the “Plug-in” program. The multiple definitions provided in individual interviews of participants of “Plug-in” exhibited the complexities of the evaluation …

Preservice Teachers' Confidence In Teaching Students With Disabilities: Addressing The Intasc Principles, Amelia Jenkins Ph.D., Cecily Ornelles Ph.D.

Electronic Journal for Inclusive Education

A survey was developed from the Interstate New Teacher Assessment and Support Consortium’s (INTASC) ten principles that specify what all general and special education teachers should know and be able to do to teach students with disabilities. Two groups of students, those in a general education only and a dual elementary/special education program, were surveyed. Teacher candidates in the general education program scored significantly lower across all variables as compared to those who were completing the dual preparation program. These results, similar to studies of general education teachers, indicate general education preservice teachers need more training concerning students with disabilities.

The Social Participation Of Young Children With Developmental Disabilities In Inclusive Early Childhood Programs, Sue Walker Ph.D.

Electronic Journal for Inclusive Education

The study reports an analysis of the social integration of six focus children with developmental disabilities in four preschool programs and their relative competences in relation to the typically developing children in the early childhood programs. For the 85 children in the preschool programs, including the children with developmental disabilities, peer acceptance was measured with sociometric interviews; social competence was rated by teachers; and observations of play activities and social engagement were made during four free play periods. A social constructivist analysis focuses on how learning was supported in the settings and implications are drawn about how opportunities for learning …

Aspiring Elementary Teacher's Inclusion Conclusion Prior To Coursework, Michelle Hipsky Ed.D.

Electronic Journal for Inclusive Education

By determining preservice teachers’ prior knowledge, concerns, and preconceptions regarding the inclusion of students with special needs prior to beginning their first college course in Teaching Elementary Students with Special Needs, professors can better determine what to include in the university curriculum. The “Inclusion Conclusion” was based on surveys that were completed by 53 future elementary teachers. A general inductive approach to categorizing and reporting the qualitative data was utilized. Prior knowledge of people with special needs, based on experience and coursework, was examined. The students highlighted concerns about inclusion that included fear and intimidation, lack of experience, meeting the …

Teacher-Teacher Collaboration, Maurice Miller Ph.D., Robin Burden Ph.D.

Electronic Journal for Inclusive Education

Although much literature calls for teachers to be collaborative, and there is abundant literature expressing recommendations about collaboration, there is little data-based description of what actually occurs in collaboration The ideas of preservice teachers about collaboration in schools informs their views and acts as a guide for the knowledge and skills they need.

Educating Deaf Children In An Inclusive Setting In Kenya: Challenges And Considerations, Peter Oracha Adoyo Ph.D.

Electronic Journal for Inclusive Education

Educators of the deaf have been of the view that placement of deaf students in classrooms with their hearing peers often may not be conducive to their social and academic development. This is because the two groups often experience difficulties in communication with each other and that such difficulties often include loneliness, rejection and social isolation. These experiences as observed by the educators do not promote social and academic development. This paper discusses perspectives on inclusive education in general and the deaf in particular. Challenges encountered in placing the deaf child in an inclusive classroom are highlighted and possible solutions …

Real Change Is Real Hard: The Challenge Of Transforming School Systems, David Alan Dolph

Educational Leadership Faculty Publications

Since 1983 when the National Commission on Excellence in Education published A Nation at Risk, school systems have been the target of calls for change. Proposed reforms have ranged from large- scale efforts focused on accountability and high-stakes testing to more targeted issues such as inclusion, vouchers, technology, and differentiated instruction.

Whether the changes that have been implemented can be judged as truly transformational or as large-scale tinkering remains to be seen. Nevertheless, since school systems have been and will continue to be the object of change efforts, this article offers food for thought for school business officials and other …

Diabetic Child In The Elementary Classroom, Thomas Knestrict Ed. D.

Electronic Journal for Inclusive Education

Efficiently managing the blood glucose levels of the diabetic child in the elementary classroom is essential in maintaining the overall health of the whole child. There are well documented academic, behavioral and health related consequences related to poor care of the diabetic child The teacher needs to become aware of the nature of the disease and the elements of care in order to effectively manage the Blood Glucose Levels (BGL) of the child. Maintaining desired BGL (between 70- 140) is the ‘lynch pin’ of ensuring the long and short-term health of the diabetic child.

Learning Issues Of Sexuality, Race, And Power In The Classroom, Loshini Naidoo Ph.D.

Electronic Journal for Inclusive Education

The notion that all people should have equal access to human rights, dignity, protection, and opportunities, contextualizes the problems of sexual diversity in a wide range of discourses that marginalize those bodies, or individuals that are perceived to be sexually alternative. ‘Gay, lesbian, bisexual, homosexual, and transgendered students, who do not identify with heterosexual norms are often ostracized, harassed, and excluded from and within the educational safety net, and feel betrayed by a system that positions the ‘other’ as deviant (Loutzenheiser & MacIntosh, 2004). In view of current socio-cultural contexts, sexuality, figures into the milieu as a critical location of …

Out Of "Dark Backrooms And Sheds", Marguerite Maher M.Ed

Electronic Journal for Inclusive Education

Commitment to a single, inclusive education system has been the aspiration of reform in education in a democratic South Africa as articulated in White Paper 6: Special needs education: Building an inclusive education and training system (Department of Education, 2001, referred to hereafter as White Paper 6). Within a ‘barriers to learning’ approach to inclusive education, progress is being made with improved facilities and the implementation of AIDS awareness programmes. Managing the transition towards an inclusive education system has proved challenging in some areas, however, and the specific provision in policy documents directed towards children with disabilities is behind schedule. …

From The Co-Editors

Journal of Science Education for Students with Disabilities

No abstract provided.

Myths And Poor Policy Affecting The Future Of School Superintendents, Theodore J. Kowalski

Educational Leadership Faculty Publications

Across the country, state policymakers are acting to weaken professional standards for school superintendents. Nine states no longer require a license for this position and among the remaining 41 states, over half (54%, including Ohio) have provisions for waivers or emergency certificates and 15 states (37%, including Ohio) sanction alternative preparation programs for licensure (Feistritzer, 2003). Sadly, this trend toward de-professionalizing the most influential position in public education is being fueled by myths and unless it is curtailed, it will seriously damage our public education system.

The Levy Process And Your Constituents: Know The Issues, David Alan Dolph

Educational Leadership Faculty Publications

School levies and bond issues have dramatically increased across the country. State funding formulas that limit inflationary growth in revenue, more man- dates that require additional resources, and changes in tax laws all contribute to this growing phenomenon.

More and more, school boards are turning to their constituents for financial support through the levy process. School business officials and other education leaders are looking at a variety of approaches and techniques for increasing the likelihood of voters’ approving levies. One technique is to survey constituents to determine the issues foremost on their minds. Data collected through statistically accurate survey techniques …

What Is In A Name? Labels And Terminologies Regarding Disability And Special Educational Needs: A Continuing Concern, Anupam Ahuja, Parvez Pirzado

Institute for Educational Development, Karachi

No abstract provided.

Self-Assessment And Democratization, Betty Mcdonald Ph.D.

Electronic Journal for Inclusive Education

This paper takes the stance that self-assessment is an integral part of democratization in classrooms. Defined as ‘the involvement of students in identifying standards and/or criteria to apply to their work and making judgments about the extent to which they met these criteria and standards’ (Boud 1986, p. 5), self-assessment uses principles that promote democracy. Freedom of expression and participation in decision making propel the student to a level outside of the norm that results in excellence in all areas of endeavor, within and without the classroom. Implications for education and society are discussed.

Poem By Ashima Das, Ashima Das Ph.D. Scholar

Electronic Journal for Inclusive Education

A poem written by Ashima Das.