Special Education and Teaching Commons^™

Off Sunset Boulevard: Students, Homelessness And Disability In Los Angeles- Idea, Mckinney Vento And The Void In Between, Remy Krumpak

LUX: A Journal of Transdisciplinary Writing and Research from Claremont Graduate University

Homeless youth with a disability must overcome many barriers to receive the meaningful, individualized education they are legally entitled to. Over the last two decades, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act and the McKinney-Vento Act have begun to acknowledge the challenges that exist for this population. These laws require school districts to identify homeless youth with a disability, allow them immediate enrollment and access to special education services, and free transportation to school. This article examines the Los Angeles Unified School District as a case study for policy implementation. In analyzing the success of the policies as implemented, this article …

Kyted President's Letter, Steve Crites

Kentucky Teacher Education Journal: The Journal of the Teacher Education Division of the Kentucky Council for Exceptional Children

Read a letter from the president.

Behavioral Contracting For K-12 Students, Emily Blythe, Amanda Dennison

Applied Behavior Analysis (SPED 432) and Intervention Strategies for Literacy (SPED 431)

This poster provides examples to implement behavior contracting strategies in K-12 classrooms. These behavior contracting strategies will facilitate improved student behavior. Behavioral contracting refers to a written contract that describes a child’s behavioral obligations. In addition, reinforcers (teachers’ or parents’ obligations) are outlined for when the child has met the contract’s conditions. In research conducted by Cutrell (2010) middle-school students with emotional behavior disorders (EBD) were examined. The research demonstrated that behavioral contracts decreased the participants’ targeted, inappropriate behavior. The following details are outlined: For whom and why behavioral contracts are used; how to implement behavioral contracting in the classroom; …

Comparing Types Of Student Placement And The Effect On Achievement For Students With Disabilities, Patricia Mason

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Since implementing No Child Left Behind, schools have improved student achievement while also preparing students for the 21st century. Schools continue to strive for 100% proficiency in all subgroups by 2014, but achievement gap exists for students with disabilities. This study used a causal comparative research design to test the concept of co-teaching by comparing types of placement for students with disabilities and the effect on student achievement. For this study, placement was considered where the student received instruction in either a general education class or a co-taught class during 9th through 11th grade. Student achievement was based on the …

Examining The Relationships Between Secondary General Education Teachers' Attitudes Toward Inclusion, Professional Development, And Support From Special Education Personnel, Lynn Wogamon

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This correlational research study examined the relationships between secondary general education teachers' attitudes toward inclusion, hours of professional development in topics related to special education and hours of support from special education personnel addressing the needs of students with disabilities received weekly. The research also investigated whether this information could be used to predict secondary general education teachers' attitudes towards inclusion. General education teachers in six South Carolina high schools completed the Scale of Teacher Attitudes Toward Inclusive Classrooms (STATIC) and a demographic survey that asked about hours of professional development in special education topics and hours of support received …

The Use Of Video Prompting Via An Ipad® And A System Of Least-To-Most Prompting To Teach Individuals With Moderate Intellectual Disabilities The Vocational Task Of Rolling Silverware, Kelly Williams

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This quantitative study was designed to evaluate the effectiveness of video prompting delivered via an iPad® in combination with a system of least-to-most prompting to teach individuals with intellectual disabilities the vocational task of rolling silverware. A single subject, multiple probe research design was used to determine whether there was a functional relationship between the use of video prompting and a system of least-to-most prompting and video prompting alone and the percentage of steps completed correctly in the task of rolling silverware. The findings from this study support the use of video prompting delivered via an iPad® to increase the …

The World Needs All Kinds Of Minds: Ted Talk Annotated Resource List, Brooke Cooper

Undergraduate Research Award

Undergraduate research award given by WKU Libraries and University Experience, Library Skills, for best annotated resource, December 3, 2013

Inclusion: Problems And Potential Solutions In Mathematics Instruction, Lynnea Marie Salscheider

Mathematics Graduate Theses

The purpose of this study was (1) to identify and describe the attitudes and beliefs of general and special education teachers about inclusion and (2) to identify significant recommendations based on teacher attitudes for improving the teaching of mathematics to special needs students using inclusion.

Accommodating Accommodations: How A Small Liberal Arts College Certification Program Redefines The New Ell State Mandates, Brent C. Talbot, Kaoru Miyazawa

Sunderman Conservatory of Music Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

The Effects Of Collaborative Strategic Reading On Informational Text Comprehension And Metacognitive Awareness Of Fifth Grade Students, Margaret Mccown

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This study examined the effects of Collaborative Strategic Reading (CSR) on informational text comprehension and metacognitive awareness of fifth grade students. This study tested the theories of metacognition and social cognition with a focus on self-regulation and self-efficacy. Participating students included a heterogeneous mix of regular education students, students with disabilities, and English learners (ELs). Using a quasi-experimental pretest-posttest nonequivalent control group design, this study examined the effects of CSR on informational text comprehension using the Qualitative Reading Inventory-5 (QRI-5) and Georgia's Criterion-Referenced Competency Test (CRCT). Metacognitive awareness was measured using the Metacognitive Awareness of Reading Strategies Inventory (MARSI). Data …

Teachers' Negative Comments Toward Youth In Foster Care With Disabilities: How Do They Relate To Youths' Problem Behaviors, School Attitudes, And School Performance?, Sunghwan Noh

Dissertations and Theses

A large proportion of youth in foster care receive special education services, and poor educational outcomes are one of the most important difficulties facing these youth. One potential risk affecting the low educational achievements of youth in foster care and special education could be teachers' negative and stigmatizing comments toward them. Teachers' negative and stigmatizing comments could have negative effects on youths' behaviors, school attitudes and school performance. Yet, research on the nature and the impact of teachers' negative and stigmatizing comments remains limited.

Based on labeling and attribution theories, this study investigated the nature and impact of teachers' negative …

Effectiveness Of Gluten-Free And Casein-Free Diets For Individuals With Autism Spectrum Disorders: An Evidence-Based Research Synthesis, Jie Zhang, Michael R. Mayton, John J. Wheeler

ETSU Faculty Works

In order to better assist practitioners and better serve persons with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and their families, it is vital for professionals to systematically evaluate the existing body of literature and synthesize its scientific evidence, so that the efficacy of research can be translated to evidence-based practices (EBPs) (Wheeler, 2007; Zhang & Wheeler, 2011). This research synthesis evaluated adherence to EBP standards and analyzed the effectiveness of gluten-free and casein-free (GFCF) diets for individuals with ASD. Four hundred and seventy articles were screened among peer-reviewed journals in English language published through 2010 using the Academic Search Complete search database. …

Internationally Adopted Children & Language-Based School Difficulties, Sylena B. Goodman

Graduate Student Independent Studies

This paper will provide teachers with essential information on internationally adopted children's unique language acquisition process and their common language-based school difficulties. It will also address the potential for educational misclassification of internationally adopted children and provide suggestions for IDEA language modifications in order to ensure proper classification of internationally adopted children. Lastly, the paper will discuss a variety of potential supports and interventions for struggling internationally adopted children.

Racial Inequality In Special Education And The Need For Cultural Competence, Nicole Rosado

Graduate Student Independent Studies

For many years, schools in the United States have been dealing with the persistent overrepresentation of students of color in special education. The research suggests a variety of causes for this epidemic. After an analysis of the ways in which racially, culturally and linguistically diverse students are on the receiving end of unequal educational experiences, recommendations for the implementation of culturally competent education will be provided.

Technology And The Self-Directed Iep: Improving Meeting Participation For Students With Severe Disabilities, Crystal Ann Stringham

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

Students with a Specific Learning Disability (SLD) often experience challenges when transitioning to postsecondary education institutions after high school. A unique challenge involves filling out forms in order to registered for college. One of several components to a successful transition to postsecondary settings requires students to complete application forms. The purpose of this project is to examine the effects of direct instruction (DI) on increased performance of filling out college application forms of students with SLD in a special education classroom. Participants included eight high school students, ages 17 to 18, with a SLD. The intervention in this study involved …

The Effects Of Direct Instruction On Completing College Application Forms Of Students With Learning Disabilities, Allyson White

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

Students with a Specific Learning Disability (SLD) often experience challenges when transitioning to postsecondary education institutions after high school. A unique challenge involves filling out forms in order to registered for college. One of several components to a successful transition to postsecondary settings requires students to complete application forms. The purpose of this project is to examine the effects of direct instruction (DI) on increased performance of filling out college application forms of students with SLD in a special education classroom. Participants included eight high school students, ages 17 to 18, with a SLD. The intervention in this study involved …

Inclusive Concurrent Education Partnership, Aimee D’Avignon, Laura Vanderberg, Felicia Wilczenski, Institute For Community Inclusion, University Of Massachusetts Boston;

Office of Community Partnerships Posters

The Inclusive Concurrent Education Grant was implemented at the beginning of the fall 2012 semester after a planning period covering the spring and summer of 2012. Seven students from Boston Public Schools participated in the program’s first semester at UMass Boston, auditing a class each chosen from their personal interests. Five students completed.

The objective of the Inclusive Concurrent Education partnership is to provide secondary students with significant intellectual disabilities an opportunity to take an undergraduate course at UMass Boston. The goals are to provide an opportunity for these students to pursue their interests and to learn such skills as …

El Éxito Del Colegio De Educación Especial San Rafael / Success Of The Special Education School “San Rafael”, Cecilia Vichier-Guerre

Spain: Language, Community, and Social Change

For my service project in Granada, Spain, I spent the last few months volunteering in special education at San Rafael Hospital, working with students who have disorders ranging from cerebral palsy, Down syndrome, epilepsy to autism. I witnessed first-hand how Andalucía’s warm culture can have a positive impact in the workplace, an advantage in comparison to American education.

I worked one on one with the children helping them in their activity books. These lessons challenged my creativity to explain mathematics or grammar in ways the children could understand, a feat considering my limited Spanish. Volunteering at San Rafael redefined my …

A Collective Case Study Of The Perceptions And Implementation Of Self Advocacy From Four Educators Of Students With Disabilities, Heather Heap

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This qualitative study identified four educators' perceptions and their implementation of teaching advocacy to students with disabilities within a public secondary educational setting. Federal mandates, such as Public Law 94-142, requested educators including administrators, counselors, special educators, and general educators to help facilitate self advocacy skills in the public educational setting. Using observations, comprehensive interviews, and available documentation, this collective case study identified four educators' experiences (an administrator, a counselor, a special educator, and a general educator) in developing student self advocacy as it pertains to the educators' perceived role in working with students with disabilities. This study identified their …

Dyscalculia: Characteristics, Causes, And Treatments, Gavin R. Price, Daniel Ansari

Numeracy

Developmental Dyscalculia (DD) is a learning disorder affecting the ability to acquire school-level arithmetic skills, affecting approximately 3-6% of individuals. Progress in understanding the root causes of DD and how best to treat it have been impeded by lack of widespread research and variation in characterizations of the disorder across studies. However, recent years have witnessed significant growth in the field, and a growing body of behavioral and neuroimaging evidence now points to an underlying deficit in the representation and processing of numerical magnitude information as a potential core deficit in DD. An additional product of the recent progress in …

Case 7: Frankston Special Development School, Michelle Anderson, Leanne Eames

Tender Bridge

Frankston Special Developmental School provides a specialised and challenging curriculum in a supportive environment for students with moderate to severe intellectual disabilities whose ages range from five to eighteen years. Individual education programs are delivered by trained special education staff, including a speech therapist, an occupational therapist and a physiotherapist. Students also have access to extracurricular programs. The 120 students who attend live within a 20-kilometre radius of the school. The School has been a subscriber of Tender Bridge since 2010, but did not really make use of the subscription in the first year. But that all changed when the …

The Quality And Effects Of Secondary Transition Plans On Special Education Graduates' Postsecondary Outcomes And Their Effects On Secondary Transition, Vickie Miller

Education Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of the study was to determine whether or not the implementation of special education graduates' secondary transition plans by a team of supporters such as teachers, parents, administrators, and postsecondary mentors were well-constructed and in alignment with the graduates' high school curriculum and intended postsecondary goals, as well as whether the supporters followed through with helping the graduates achieve those postsecondary goals. The study also examined whether a loop existed between linking the secondary transition plans (indicator 13) to the postsecondary outcomes (indicator 14) and the feedback from the postsecondary outcomes back to the transition plans.

Under the …

The Mathematical Development In Number And Operation Of Struggling First Graders, John Lannin, Delinda Van Garderen, Matthew J. Switzer, Kelley E. Buchheister, Tiffany Hill, Christa Jackson

Department of Child, Youth, and Family Studies: Faculty Publications

Number and operations serve as the “cornerstone” of the K-12 mathematics curriculum in many countries. Solving problems in the mathematical domains of algebra, geometry, measurement, and statistics is often closely connected to student knowledge of number and operation (Griffin, 2005). Although considerable knowledge exists regarding the development of number and operation for typically developing children, less is known about the development of children who struggle in mathematics. Moreover, children enter school with considerable differences in their understanding of number and operation. While most children, through exposure to various informal and formal tasks, develop a deeper understanding of number and operation, …

Bibliotherapy And Autism Spectrum Disorder: Making Inclusion Work, Nancy D. Turner

Electronic Journal for Inclusive Education

As the incidence of autism spectrum disorder increases and as the emphasis on inclusion for students with autism continues in schools, it is critical that professionals, parents, and community members work to provide consistent evidence-based practices across settings. Based upon research conducted through the National Professional Development Center on Autism (2009), there are twenty-four evidence-based practices for students with autism. One important practice for inclusive classrooms is that of Peer Mediated Instruction and Intervention (PMII). With the goal to increase quality interaction between individuals with and without disabilities, an initial step of PMII is to familiarize neurotypical peers with age-appropriate …

Welcome, Patricia R. Renick Ph.D.

Electronic Journal for Inclusive Education

Welcome to the Spring/Summer 2013 Edition of The Electronic Journal for Inclusive Education. This edition is small but has two excellent research articles.

Dr. Stanard, Dr. Ringlaben, and Dr. Griffith describe secondary teachers’ knowledge of Response to Intervention (RTI). RTI is a new government mandate to identify and intervene with students who have learning disabilities. Their article provides some rich insight into the response of secondary teachers.

Dr. Potmesilova, Dr. Potmesil, Dr. Roubalova from the Czech Republic describe supervision as a prevention and support to teachers in inclusive setting. Their research focuses on sentiments, attitudes and concerns of educators working …

Supervision As A Prevention And Support To Teachers In Inclusive Education, Petra Potmesilova, Milon Potmesil, Marcela Fojtikova Roubalova

Electronic Journal for Inclusive Education

The presented research was focused on the field of sentiments, attitudes and concerns of educators potentially working with pupils with impairment under inclusive settings.

This study was aimed at discovering whether the above stated parameters change after achieving qualification in special needs education. The results of research encompassing a period of two years aimed at describing a group of 794 educators from the point of view of the development of their attitudes, opinions and concerns while being focused on the process of inclusion. In accordance with the obtained results, supervision as a special psychological support is badly needed.

Increasing Disability Awareness Through Comics Literature, Ewa Mcgrail, Alicja Rieger

Electronic Journal for Inclusive Education

When faced with negative attitudes and experiences in communication and interaction in general education classrooms, students with disabilities can exhibit high levels of stress and frustration or even depression, low self-esteem and impaired self-acceptance. These undesirable and destructive feelings, in turn, may affect these students’ social and cognitive development skills and well-being, as well as their academic performance in such environments. The recent scholarship on empathy supports the effectiveness of comics for identifying and fighting negative and stereotypical attitudes towards those with disabilities. This article discusses strategies for educating students about disability and disability issues with the help of comics …

Educating Students With Learning Disabilities In Inclusive Classrooms, Jeremy Ford

Electronic Journal for Inclusive Education

There is great debate over including students with disabilities, in particular students with learning disabilities, in inclusive classrooms. Several strategies are available to support educating students with learning disabilities in inclusive classrooms including: co-teaching, differentiated instruction, and peer-mediated instruction and interventions. Theory suggests the practice of inclusion is congruent with social justice, but evidence suggests mixed results regarding academic achievement typically occur. However, results of providing separate pullout instructional services are not necessarily more likely to achieve desired results. Therefore, educators will need to make placement decisions considering the resources available in their school, in addition to the skill level …

Heroes: Creating Classroom Environments, Presentations, And Activities That Positively Affect Student Motivation, Inclusion, And Retention, Virginia Heslinga

Electronic Journal for Inclusive Education

To help students of diverse needs learn, retain what they learn, collaborate in problem-solving, see value with inclusion, and grow in a desire to learn, teachers need to create environments conducive to active learning and filled with hope. Environments emerge from the time a student stands in the doorway of a classroom and continue through every element on display and encountered in interactions. Educators who understand they affect the environment will set the tone, present inclusively, provide meaningful activities, and do a heroic job of leading students. This article presents heroes with classic values in schools and communities through the …

Inclusive Education: Perceptions Of Parents Of Children With Special Needs Of The Individual Program Planning Process, Michael D. Mackichan, Mary J. Harkins

Electronic Journal for Inclusive Education

In inclusive education, students with special needs may access the curriculum through adapted or individualistic plans. Parental involvement in developing the individualistic plans is pertinent to the success of both their children’s education and the plan itself. Research from the United States offers insight into how parents perceive the process of developing individualist plans; however, limited research has been conducted with parents of children with special needs in Canada. This current study examines parental perceptions concerning the Individual Program Planning (IPP) process in Nova Scotia, Canada. Eight parents were interviewed using a guided interview format that consisted of 16 questions …