Special Education and Teaching Commons^™

Using Special Education Students As Cross-Age Tutors, Judith Pearl Graham

All Master's Theses

The topic of this study is the use of Special Education students as cross-age tutors. Ten students, third through sixth graders, were trained to be tutors. Ten first and second graders were proteges. The experiment was divided into three eight week session. The E tutored all Ss for Session I. During Session II the tutors tutored their proteges. The E continued to tutor the tutors. Session III was the same as Session I. This research indicates that children in Special Education classes can benefit academically from being a cross-age tutor.

Do Seating Arrangements Affect Academic Learning In A Positive And Negative Classroom, Geraldine R. Offrink

All Master's Theses

This study compared the effectiveness of seating arrangements with academic learning in a positive and negative classroom. It was found that the relationship between the seating arrangement and academic behavior in the positive room was statistically significant, but not in the negative room. This study was limited by a small sample, one week durations of each seating arrangement, a test that had not been used previously, and possibly the "Hawthorne effect."

An Experimental Study Of The Effects Of Perceptual-Motor Training On First Grade Achievement, Susan Paul

All Master's Theses

Two matched groups of first grade students, one of which received a perceptual-motor training program, were compared by a series of tests to determine whether those children having received such training had higher achievement than those with no training.

In overall achievement, non significant differences were found between the two groups. Significant differences were found as the I.Q., perceptual-motor ability, and rating on teacher rating scales with the experimental group making higher gains. The average and slow children of the experimental group did show significantly higher gains in overall achievement than the control group. No differences were found with the …

Critical Examination Of Outcomes For Emotionally Disturbed Boys In A Special Classroom, Betty F. Lauritzen

All Master's Theses

This paper presents a critical examination of outcomes for emotionally disturbed boys in the Special Learning Class. The classroom was designed to modify inappropriate behavior and remediate academic deficiencies.

Behavioral characteristics of thirty-one boys were divided into three categories: the overtly aggressive sub-sample, the passive-resistant subsample, and the infantile subsample. Case studies considered to be modal suggest the success of teacher-authority, token reinforcement, and behavior modification techniques depends on the quality of student-teacher interactions.

An Evaluation Of The Value Of Physical Education In Helping The Slow Learner To Achieve, Donald B. Eldred

All Master's Theses

This study investigated the effects of daily and bi-weekly physical education on physical fitness and development of motor skills in mentally retarded boys. It also investigated the relationship of physical education and improvement in reading ability.

Twenty boys were selected from children attending special classes whose chronological ages ranged from nine to twelve and whose grade level was classified as fourth grade.

Analysis of the data indicated that the experimental group made significant gains over the control group in the Washington State Physical Fitness Test and Johnson's Fundamental Motor Skill Test for Elementary Children. The gains on the Informal Reading …

The Effects Of Counseling On Sociometric Status With Fifth And Sixth Grade Students, Dennis L. Cruchon

All Master's Theses

Thirty-two children, low in sociometric status, were placed in one of four treatment groups: Counseling, Teacher-Counseling, Teacher Feedback, and a Control for a period of ten weeks. Post tests were administered to determine differences in sociometric gains following treatment.

The results indicated that counseling was an effective means of improving sociometric status when compared to a control group.

Limitations of the study were discussed, and recommendations included measuring individual teacher effect on sociometric status.

Prevalence Of Reading Disabilities In Delinquents Compared To Prevalence Of Reading Disabilities In Non-Delinquents, Kenneth C. Vanderhyde

All Master's Theses

The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of reading disabilities in delinquents compared to the prevalence of reading disabilities in non-delinquents of the same age, sex, grade, and socio-economic background. The subjects where ninth and tenth graders enrolled at Mount Vernon High School, Mount Vernon Washington, during 1971-72 school year. They were divided into two major groups, delinquent and non-delinquent. The results indicated no significant difference between the reading scores of the two groups.

Assessing Some Side Effects Of A Contingency Management Program, Charles M. Atkinson

All Master's Theses

This study applied a contingency management program to a single behavior while measuring multiple behaviors. Reinforcement was made contingent upon increased addition rate. The experimental group made significantly greater gains in addition rate. There was no significant difference in the gains made in subtraction rate, reading rate, reading comprehension, or classroom behavior. The study was limited by a small sample, six week time span, and the use of mentally retarded subjects to assess side effects of reinforcing an academic behavior.

The Effects Of Perceptual-Motor Training On The Perceptual-Motor Skills Of Emotionally Disturbed Children, Karen R. Brown

Dissertations and Theses

A study was conducted to determine if the program of perceptual-motor training outlined by D.H. Radler and Newell C. Kephart in their book, Success Through Play, would increase the perceptual-motor skills of emotionally disturbed children as measured by the Purdue Perceptual Motor Survey. Twenty children from the Portland, Oregon metropolitan area whose ages ranged from six to twelve years were included in the program. These children were grouped according to their diagnosis of withdrawn or acting-out which was received by the agency upon their referral. Three agencies participated in the study.

Each child was administered the Purdue Perceptual Motor …

The Effects Of Systematic Phonics And Contingency Management On Reading Achievement With Intermediate Special Education Students, Allena Marie Hayes Combelic

All Master's Theses

This paper presents a study of the effects of systematic phonics and contingency management on reading achievement with intermediate special education students. The thirtysix week program was divided into four phases. The four equivalent forms of the Gray Oral Reading Tests were used as measuring devices. No statistically significant results were found by using the Gray Oral Reading Tests as measuring devices. Statistically significant results were found on graph data.

Recommendations included: (1) the use of different reading tests other than the Gray Oral Reading Tests as measuring devices and (2) that the study be conducted longer than thirty-six weeks.

The Effect Of Reading Achievement Of Seventh Grade Special Education Students Involved In A Tutoring Program, Kenneth A. Mattson

All Master's Theses

Many variations of the tutorial concept have been presented and analyzed. Some programs have been professionally designed and have received federal grants while others have been organized by teachers and other innovators. These programs have involved graduate students, college students, interested members of the community, high school dropouts, and public students from elementary to high school. The greatest portion of these studies has been concerned with the effects of tutoring on those who received the benefits - the tutee. Few programs have been concerned with the effects of the tutoring sessions on the tutor. The problem then is to determine …

Management Of Problem Behavior Through Peer Social Reinforcement, Nancy E. Bingell

All Master's Theses

For many years a difference of opinion has existed regarding the classroom placement of "emotionally disturbed" children into special classes. The majority of public school districts offer two placements into their special classes: heterogenous or homogeneous grouping. Homogeneous grouping of these children seems to cause a "boomeranging" effect on reinforcement of their disruptive behavior. We have not always found our answer for helping emotionally disturbed children through heterogeneous grouping. Since emotionally disturbed children usually have the ability or an above average ability to learn, a heterogeneous grouping may not be academically stimulating. Their classroom peers (children that are retarded, slow …

The Impact Of Establishing Group Homes On Public Schools Special Education Classes, Stewart Glen Egbert

All Master's Theses

This study had two purposes: to give a descriptive analysis of group homes, and to determine whether the establishment of group homes has had any impact on public school districts' special education classes in the State of Washington. The factors examined were: who is providing a formal education for the residents; to what extent are group home residents receiving public services.

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 Study Of The Effectiveness Of Various Methods Of Teaching Reading In Special Education Classrooms, Mary Ann Fisher

All Master's Theses

The purpose of this study was to compare the effect of two reading programs, Sullivan's Programmed Reading and the Psycholinguistic Color System, and to try to determine if one program did, in effect, have a particular value over the other when used with children in an intermediate special education program. A secondary purpose of the study was to determine if a teacher-centered program brought about different results than one which was student-centered.

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.

Contingency Management In A Language Development Program, James E. Clark

All Master's Theses

The problem was two-fold. The first part of the problem was the investigation of whether a person with no formal training in speech could successfully administer Gray's (1970) language development program. The second part of the problem was the investigation of whether the two subjects involved would gain the ability to use new language structures.

A Descriptive Study Of Focus Room As A Method Of Integrating The Educationally Disadvantaged With The More Abled Student, Edward J. Novak

All Master's Theses

The problem was to develop a descriptive method of meeting the needs of underachieving students in the junior high. Focus Room was then decided upon as a method of meeting these needs by integrating the educationally disadvantaged with the more abled students. The general purpose of Focus Room was to attempt to establish a method of providing reparation experiences that would enable the student to evaluate and rebuild in these areas in terms of his own needs. The specific intent of student assignment to Focus Room was intended to be as varied and individual as the needs of the students …

A Description And Analysis Of Children With Learning Problems Referred To A Reading Teacher, Patricia M. Olsen

All Master's Theses

It was the purpose of this study (1) to analyze remedial classes in an average school for one school year, (2) to make as thorough a study as is possible of individual learners and to identify the factors present in their problems, (3) to describe the factors to make them more easily recognized, and (4) to find possible solutions for the problems found to be present most often.

A Comparison Of The Self-Concept Levels Of Educable Mental Retardates In The Wenatchee Public Schools And The Lacey Public Schools, John Williams

All Master's Theses

It shall be the purpose of this study to determine the measured self concept of the educable mentally retarded enrolled in a secondary special education program and to compare it with the measured self concept of the educable mentally retarded enrolled in a normal secondary school program.

A Pilot Study On The Comparison Of The Effect Of A Traditional Physical Education Program And A Movement Exploration Program On The Self Concept Of The Special Education Student, Sherrie Ann Chrysler

All Master's Theses

The purpose of this pilot study, which was exploratory in nature, was to determine if the type of physical education program a special education student experiences affects his self concept.

Color Effect Of Teacher Attire On The Attitudes Of Educable Mentally Retarded Pupils, Herman B. Sowell

All Master's Theses

It was the purpose of this investigation to study the effects of teacher clothing color, specifically the color red and the color black, on attitudes of elementary age mentally retarded pupils. The attitudes studied were the attitudes directed toward the generalized concept of "school" as manifested by the sum of specific concepts.

Relationship Of Weather Phenomena And Disruptive Behavior In Special Education Classrooms, Carol Bartlett Ryno

All Master's Theses

If a clear-cut relationship between weather phenomena and human behavior could be established, the case for controlled atmosphere in industry, commerce, and education would be strengthened. In the area of education, classroom procedures and learning tasks could be varied in accordance with the weather. This dimension could provide for insights into misbehavior and might enable school personnel to deal with such misbehavior more effectively.

The purpose of the present investigation was to gather information pertaining to the relationship of various weather phenomena and disruptive behavior in the classroom. It was intended that the present study differ from that reported by …

A Critical Examination Of The Phonics And Structural Analysis Skill Development In The Sra Reading Laboratory Iiia, Florence B. Hay

All Master's Theses

The study was made in an effort to tabulate all of the phonics and structural analysis skills presented in the SRA Reading Laboratory IIIa as to the various kinds offered; frequency of use; methods of presentation. Also, extensive research was attempted to ascertain leading reading authorities' opinions on the use of these analyses for secondary students. The purpose of the study was to determine whether the SRA Reading Laboratory IIIa would be the best material to use for the retarded and disabled readers at the secondary level.

A Comparison Of The Needs And Values Of Experienced Teachers Of Special Education And The Needs And Values Of Experienced Teachers Of Regular Education, Donald Anrud Holmes

All Master's Theses

This study used the II:PPS and the AVLSV to test seven hypotheses. These hypotheses asked if there was significant difference at the .05 level as measured by the "t" test between experienced teachers of special education and incoming prospective teachers of special education, of experienced teachers of special education and graduating prospective teachers of special education, and of experienced teachers of special education and the college normal samples as published by the test manual. The hypotheses asked the same questions as related to regular teachers of education. In addition, the hypotheses asked if there was a difference between experienced teachers …

Handedness And Dominance Patterns Of Normal And Mentally Retarded Children, Robert Henry Schreindl

All Master's Theses

The problem is to determine if left handedness differs significantly between normal and mentally retarded children, if laterality differs significantly between normal and mentally retarded children, and if laterality differs significantly between left and right handed normal and mentally retarded children.

A Study Of Prevocational Students’ Vocational Choices Versus Actual Job Attainment And Social Adjustment Versus Employability For Educable Mentally Retarded, Ralph Summers Jr.

All Master's Theses

The study was an exploration of what effects a special education-prevocational program had upon employability; social adjustment or personality; vocational level of attainment; and self-realization of abilities.

A Comparative Study Of The Needs And Values Of Prospective Teachers Of Special Education And Regular Education, James H. Olson

All Master's Theses

It was concluded in the present study that there were areas of significant difference between the prospective teachers of special education and the prospective teachers of regular education with regard to their needs and values. The two instruments used to obtain this information were the Edwards Personal Preference Schedule and the Allport Vernon Lindzey Study of Values. The tests were administered to both groups of prospective teachers in the initial stage of their preparation for the teaching profession.

A Study Of Class Placement For The Educable Mentally Retarded, Lucretia A. Osen

All Master's Theses

It was the purpose of this study to (1) examine available research and studies relevant to the subject of placement of the educable mentally retarded, and (2) to determine the effectiveness of the programs for the educable mentally retarded; and to report on the findings in literature as well as interpret the findings in the light of present day situations.

A Survey And Comparison Of Current Follow-Up Practices And Curriculum In Special Education Programs In The State Of Washington, Richard Beaudreau

All Master's Theses

The study surveyed twenty-six districts in the State of Washington that had developed high school special education programs. These districts were surveyed to determine the amount of follow-up that had been conducted in high school special education programs and to provide an evaluation of the program in the districts in which follow-up studies have been conducted.