Educational Assessment, Evaluation, and Research Commons^™

From The Co-Editors

Journal of Science Education for Students with Disabilities

No abstract provided.

A Study Of New Jersey's Assessment And Accountability System For Students With Disabilities And Its Impact On Special Education Services, Julie Moul Gardner

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

Use of high stakes assessment for special needs students is a key element in the current educational reform movement. State assessment systems use these tests to determine and report school accountability scores, distribute school funding, and assess school rewards and sanctions. The impact of including these students' test score on the district accountability reports has not yet been determined. Directors of special services, the primary individuals for supervising or coordinating district special education programs, have an extensive understanding of administrative and functional knowledge of special education services and are therefore able to provide insight concerning the impact of accountability on …

Special Education Teachers' Collection And Use Of Data To Measure Student Progress, Crystal Thacker

Theses & Honors Papers

The purpose of this research was to determine whether or not teachers use systematic and direct formative assessment techniques and if implementing these techniques has an effect on teacher efficacy. The participants (N = 89) were practicing special education teachers from urban and rural school divisions across Virginia and from one graduate-level course in special education. Data were collected using portions of the Data Collection and Analysis Survey (Cooke, Heward, Test, Spooner, & Courson, 1991) and selected items from the Teacher Efficacy Scale (Gibson, 1983). The data were analyzed using both descriptive and inferential statistics. Of the 89 surveys distributed, …

Effects Of Software Use On The Preparation Of The Individualized Education Programs (Iep’S), Nancy Ann Beukema

Dissertations

Special educators are required to process paperwork mandated by federal regulations for students with special needs. The Individuals with Disabilities Act of 1997 (IDEA ’97, Public Law 105-17) requires the evaluation of students with special needs occur as frequently as their non-disabled peers. An annual review is also mandated for each student’s individualized educational program (IEP), in order to reevaluate the future goals and objectives of the IEPs. A student identified as needing special education services is one who needs specially designed instruction and this instruction must meet the specific individual needs of that student. IDEA ‘97 mandates the need …

A Manual For First Year Special Education Teachers, Billye June Dillard

All Graduate Projects

Special education faculty and staff face specific problems in educating children with distinctive needs. Overly high workloads for new teachers and paraprofessionals increase the amount of pressure placed on indi victuals faced with inclusion. This manual is designed to be used as a guide to help teachers through their initial introduction to the classroom. Special Education Law, Inclusion, Motivation Techniques for Special Children, and Parent Involvement are discussed. In addition, valuable resources for further exploration are provided.

Strategies For Maintaining Positive Behavior Change Stemming From Functional Behavioral Assessment In Schools, Robert A. Gable, Jo M. Hendrickson

Communication Disorders & Special Education Faculty Publications

Nationwide, schools are struggling to prepare IEP teams and other school personnel to conduct functional behavioral assessment and develop positive behavioral intervention plans and supports. While there is a growing evidence that functional behavioral assessment is effective in identifying the reason(s) behind student misbehavior, less is known about producing positive, long-term changes that are both functionally and socially relevant. Drawing upon the available research, we explore an emerging technology for promoting maintenance and generalization of behavior change. We discuss various strategies and procedures and offer recommendations to IEP teams regarding maintaining positive changes in student behavior that stem from functional …

Teacher Knowledge And Attitudes Towards The Utilization Of Assistive Technology In Educational Settings, Theresa Ledger

Theses & Honors Papers

The purpose of this study was to determine the perceptions of special education teachers regarding the use of assistive technology in a school setting. This study also determined current information on teachers' knowledge levels of assistive technology. A survey questionnaire was sent to 120 elementary special education teachers in the Spring of 1999. The questionnaire was concerned wit h teacher knowledge and attitudes towards assistive technology. Data was analyzed using descriptive statistics. Results indicated teachers perceive themselves to have a good knowledge base in regards to assistive technology. However, less than half of those teachers are utilizing devices and services …

Students' With Learning Disabilities Perception Of Mnemonic Strategies In Mathematics Instruction, Susan C. Moore

Theses & Honors Papers

This was a qualitative as well as quantitative study conducted at a middle school in a rural county in Virginia. The researcher examined learning disabled students for their perceptions of mnemonic strategies in mathematics instruction. After direct instruction and instruction involving mnemonics, the seven subjects were tested. The test scores were examined to determine if there was a significant difference between pre and post scores. After interviewing the subjects, the results indicated five themes: unfamiliarity of procedure leads to anxiety, mnemonics improves performance, students desire more mnemonic strategies, division and other multi-step problems are the most difficult, and an increase …

Implications Of Changing To 4 By 4 Semester Block Scheduling For Secondary Students With Learning Disabilities, Sandra Kay Wayne

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of changing from a traditional schedule to a block schedule on selected school-related behaviors and measures of secondary students with learning disabilities and their regular education teachers. Areas of impact that were addressed included school performance measures of student success rates, attendance rates, and discipline referrals as well as affective measures of levels of students' active engagement in learning activities, the variety of teaching and learning modes used, and the amount of individualized teacher attention given to students.

The research population consisted of six high schools in south and central …

Effects Of Computer Assisted Instruction And Pclogo Programs On Math Performance Of Seventh And Eighth Grade Students With Learning Disabilities, Katherine R. Sweeny

Theses & Honors Papers

The purpose of the study was to investigate the effects of computer assisted instruction and Logo programming on the math performance of seventh and eighth grade students with learning disabilities. The sample included thirty (N=30) subjects with learning disabilities. The computer programs used were Deluxe Math Munchers and LOGO for Windows. A three group pretest-posttest experimental design was used to determine if a relationship existed between the three different methods of instruction and achievement, and whether or not a significant difference existed in performance based on grade levels. The 30 subjects were randomly assigned to one of three groups, two …

A Comparative Study Of Perceptions Regarding Assistive Technology Among Physical Therapists, Occupational Therapists, Parents And Teachers Of Elementary Students With Autism, Carolyn Lee Komich

Theses & Honors Papers

Forty subjects were surveyed to determine their perceptions of selection, funding, use and maintenance of assistive technology. The subjects included physical therapists, occupational therapists, parents, and teachers of elementary students with autism . A self-developed questionnaire was used to collect data for this study. 43% of the questionnaires were returned.

Descriptive statistics and Chi-square (X²) were used to analyze data for this study. Results obtained from the descriptive statistics showed that professionals from various disciplines felt comfortable using and maintaining assistive technology but had not been formally trained to do so. The data also indicated that the respondents …

The Transition Portfolio: A Portfolio Project Designed To Facilitate Successful Transition For High School Special Education Students, Darla R. Biever

All Graduate Projects

A transition portfolio has been developed for high school students to aid them in preparing for life after graduation. The project focuses on strategies to increase the involvement of students in transition planning. Also emphasized are the Washington State Essential Academic Learning Requirements for Communication.

A Resource Manual For Mainstreaming Students With Behavioral Disabilities In The Middle School, Matthew L. Cobb

All Graduate Projects

The purpose of this project was to develop a resource manual to facilitate the use of effective components for mainstreamed or included Behavior Disabled (BD) students in the regular classroom. The manual will be used by Wapato Middle School, Wapato, Washington, to enhance the current mainstream/ inclusion program. To accomplish this purpose, current research and literature related to BD student characteristics, legal issues, instructional strategies and policies were reviewed.

Teacher Perspectives Of Student Transitioning In Special Education From Correctional Facilities To Public Schools, Elanor B. Mccormack

Theses & Honors Papers

The purpose of this study was to explore correctional special education teachers' and public high school special education teachers ' perspectives of student transitioning from correctional facilities back to public schools. The point of interest was regarding what information these two groups of teachers believe to be important for transitioning to occur more smoothly from correctional education to the public schools.

Surveys were distributed to the two groups of teachers. Respondents indicated the need for collaboration between correctional facilities and public schools. They also indicated the need for transference of information about the student prior to the student's arrival in …

The Effects Of Direct Instruction On The Decoding Skills Of Learning Disabled Student With An Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Stephanie Sample

Theses & Honors Papers

The purpose of the study was to investigate the effects of direct instruction on the decoding skills of a student identified as learning disabled and with an attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. A procedure called the Corrective Reading Decoding Program was used to test this hypothesis. A single subject sign was used for this study. The subject received a direct instruction decoding program that consisted of sixty-five lessons, that took approximately six weeks to complete. An analysis by descriptive statistics showed that the subject improved his percentages at each grade level on the word lists, and improved at each reading level …

Vocational Special Education: The Educators' Perceptions Of Program Benefits, Restrictions, And Future Implications., Suzanne V. Pruess

Theses & Honors Papers

The purpose of this study was to investigate the benefits, restrictions, and future implications of vocational education. Using a self developed questionnaire, eight teachers in two south-central Virginia counties were interviewed. The data were analyzed and placed under themes. From the data obtained it was found that these vocational and special education teachers varied on certain areas they think are pertinent in vocational education. Areas that differentiated focused on the value of vocational programs, or how beneficial they are (responses of special educators emphasized this 33% and vocational teachers 66%), and the emphasis of community based instruction as a component …

Establishing A Positive School Climate On The Playground For Students With Serious Behavioral Disabilities: A Collaborative Effort, Mildred Carol Fletcher Garcia

All Graduate Projects

Social skills deficits of students with serious behavior disabilities are often an obstacle to integration into the regular education system. Many of the most troublesome problems occur outside the classroom on the playground due to the lessened structure constraints of the playground environment. As a result, the students are labeled "bad kids" by the teachers and paraprofessionals, are socially rejected by nondisabled peers, and the downward spiral of a negative social "trap" is begun.

The purpose of this study was to create an inservice training packet promoting collaboration between teachers and paraprofessionals providing students with serious behavior disabilities a positive …

Utilizing Applied Behavior Analysis: A Handbook For Teachers Who Are Dealing With Developmentally Delayed Children, Cleresse Sprague

All Graduate Projects

The author's perception is that a need exists for a classroom behavior management handbook targeting developmentally delayed children ages three years through first grade. Several occurrences have prompted this perception: 1. Approach by other teachers asking how to handle certain behaviors 2. Author's own experiences and frustrations 3. Participation in group discussions regarding behaviors The author has chosen to do this study and develop a handbook to meet this perceived need.

Inclusion: A Case Study At Coe Elementray School, Loretta L. Kimball

All Graduate Projects

The purpose of this project was to evaluate perceptions of the effectiveness or ineffectiveness of inclusion on the achievement of special needs students and to use this information to increase effectiveness in inclusion programs through the design and implementation of specific teaching strategies. To accomplish this purpose, current literature and research related to inclusion was reviewed. The writer examined how special needs and regular education students are affected and analyzed the variables, strategies and programs which increase effectiveness. The project that follows is a case study of what has been done in the past, what attitudes and perceptions exist and …

The Effects Of Using Colored Overlays On The Reading Skills Of Visually Dyslexic Children, Mitzi D. Waller

Theses & Honors Papers

Reading is a critical skill that all students must learn , but for the child with dyslexia it can be a very difficult task to overcome . A tool that may be used to accommodate a student with dyslexia is that of a colored overlay . The following is a study that examined the effects of colored overlays on the reading skills of one fifth-grade student and one sixth-grade student who are dyslexic . The Woodcock Reading Mastery Tests - Revised and an informal reading assessment were used as the measuring instruments . The results of those two tests were …

Profiles Of Promise: Students With Learning Difference Prepare For Optimal Foreign Language Learning, Ludmilla Coven

Dissertations

Many secondary school counselors discourage students with diagnosed native language deficits from foreign language studies. They hold the unsubstantiated belief that these studies would jeopardize their hard-earned gains in native language learning. Research disproves that position, and some writers advocate foreign language study to improve language learning and enhance cognitive strategies. Improvement occurs more readily when the instructor has the expertise to choose from a repertoire of teaching styles the one most compatible with the learning style of the student. With the full inclusion promised by the regular education initiative becoming a reality, this study explores research, design, and team-teaching …

Staff Development Model For A Special Education Inclusion Program In The Northshore School District, John E. Deforest

All Graduate Projects

The purpose of this project was to design a staff development model for a special education inclusion program for the Northshore School District, Bothell, Washington. The inclusion model developed was intended for use by regular and special education teachers at the secondary level. To accomplish this purpose, a review of current literature and research regarding the special education inclusion concept was conducted and selected education inclusion models were studied.

Accessibility Of Computers For Students With Mild Mental Retardation, Christopher Paul Stapleton

Theses & Honors Papers

As computers move into America's public schools, their accessibility and use have come under scrutiny. Often individuals with mild mental retardation are considered last in decisions regarding the allocation of technological resources such as computers. The purpose of this research was to determine if children with mild mental retardation have access to computers, and if so, how computers are used by these children. Results indicate that in Virginia's county public school systems students with mild mental retardation have access to computers and use those computers primarily for academic purposes.

The Development Of The Parent Effectiveness Test (Pet), Sharon S. Morrison

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Abstract Not Available.

The Use Of Collaboration Among General Educators And Special Educators As A Means Of Educating Students With Learning Disabilities, Joan Dooley

Theses & Honors Papers

Progress is being made toward the collaboration between general education and special education. Collaboration is a slow process, however, for it to be effective it takes time, careful planning, and programs to better train teachers. Teachers who are involved in the collaborative process report that time and careful planning are of utmost importance when using collaborative teaching methods to educate students with learning disabilities. Eighty-one percent of general educators and 91% of special educators agree that there is not adequate planning time set aside for collaborative teaching strategies and/or lesson planning. General educators and special educators also agree that there …

Extension Of The Audio-Visual Combination Discrimination Test, Valerie R. Davine

Masters Theses

The Audio-Visual Combination (AVC) scale (Kerr, Meyerson, & Flora, 1977) was developed to assess basic discrimination skills in the developmentally disabled population. Acquisition of such skills has been demonstrated to follow a progressive pattern. The existing AVC test assesses discrimination skills in the following hierarchy: Imitation, Position, Visual, Match-To-Sample, Auditory, and Auditory- Visual Combination. This investigation attempted to discover transitional skills between the Match-To-Sample and the Auditory levels. Twenty-four developmentally disabled adults were tested using the original AVC tool with the addition of four new discrimination tasks that were added to the existing scale to ascertain a finer gradation of …

Attitudes Of Secondary Special Education Teachers Toward Using The Computer As An Instructional Aid, Mary Nell Nail

Theses and Dissertations

This descriptive study was conducted to determine the attitudes of special education teachers toward using the computer as an instructional aid. The subjects were 78 secondary special education teachers from a southern metropolitan school district of approxіmately 30,000 students. The data-gathering instrument used for the study was a 20-item questionnaire devised by the researcher which employed the Likert scale to register the extent of agreement or disagreement with particular opinion statements.

The results, subdivided according to secondary school areas in which the teachers worked, years of teaching experience, areas of exceptionality, and subject matter areas, indicated that teachers in all …

The Development Of The Grand Rapids Educational Achievement Test, John S. Thatcher

Masters Theses

No abstract provided.

Special Education Vocational Rehabilitation Cooperative Work Experience In Washington State, James C. Mcconnell

All Master's Theses

The cooperative program now has been in operation six years, long enough for both parties to have experienced success and also frustration in their efforts to mold a true partnership. Ten separate programs now operate within this framework; however different personnel and philosophies shape each program in distinctive ways. In any program demanding cooperation between not only individuals but also separate agencies, success or failure is partly dependent upon how well objectives can be shaped for the common good. The intent of this study is to explore how well this shaping process is proceeding, to what degree objectives are cooperatively …

A Comparative Study Of Open Court And Slingerland Reading Programs When Used With Special Education Students, Steven L. Richards

All Master's Theses

It is the purpose of this investigation to determine the effectiveness of Open Court and Slingerland reading programs when used with intermediate students who perform at the educable mentally retarded level.