Special Education and Teaching Commons^™

A Study Of The Effectiveness Of A Pupil Assistance Committee's Interventions In A Secondary High School In New Jersey, John P. Taima

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this research project was to determine if Pupil Assistance Committee interventions reduce student classification and entry into special education. Also as part of the research project was the statement that the Pupil Assistance Committee intervention process enables students to succeed in the secondary school systems of the state of New Jersey. Success, for the purpose of the research project, was defined as a reduction of behavioral referrals, academic improvement and achievement, and resolution of crisis situations. The school that the Pupil Assistance Committee served was a secondary school in a suburban section of southern New Jersey. Observations, …

A Study Of The Attitudes Of Nondisabled Students Toward Their Severely Disabled Peers Before And After Inclusive Intervention, Regina Jane Johns

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine if the attitudes of nondisabled students toward their severely disabled peers could be positively affected following their involvement within a public school inclusion activity. The hypothesis was that the inclusion activity would result in positive attitude changes.

Two separate groups of nondisabled students were used for this study. The fifty-two students in Group One were 9th through 12th grade members of a high school band class. Group Two was made up of seventeen 7th graders of an instrumental music class. Both groups were located in suburban type school districts with a variety …

Facilitating Socialization And Problem-Solving Skills Of The Multiply Handicapped Child Through Play, Irene Ann Digilio

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to study the implementation of a program for the multiply handicapped child to improve their social skills and problem-solving ability. The subjects in this study were three females, fourteen, twelve and eleven years old, and one thirteen year old male. The program began with all the subjects being pretested for five days on their ability to socialize and problem-solve. The study ran for ten weeks. The subjects were part of a one hour daily intervention with the teacher modeling the desired behavior. Each of the subjects was familiar with the table/board games. Data on …

Regular And Special Educators' Attitudes Towards Dual Certification, Beth Anne Deluca

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine the attitudes of regular and special education teachers towards dual certification. In this study the attitudes of elementary, special and dual certified teachers are compared.

An attitude survey designed by the researcher was administered to 62 subjects. From this population, approximately 31 of the subjects were certified as regular education teachers, 17 were certified as special education teachers and 14 were certified in both special and regular education.

Tests of significance and percentages of subjects responses were conducted to analyze the data. Also, a Scheffe F-test was conducted to determine precisely which …

A Retrospective Study Of Preschool Handicapped Children, Tracey Lynn Miller

Theses and Dissertations

The hypothesis of this study is that preschool handicapped programs are indicative of what type of educational setting a child will be placed in during his future years of education. The data for this study was collected from three different school districts of varying size and socio-economic backgrounds. Children who were classified preschool handicapped during the 1989-90 school year were followed during their kindergarten and fourth grade years of school. It was found that it is difficult to predict where a child will be placed throughout his educational career by looking at his reasons for classification during preschool. Data from …

The Effects Of Positive Action And The Sexual Abuse Prevention Program On Sexually Abused Students' Behavior, Social Skills, And Self-Esteem, Paul W. Houser

Theses and Dissertations

This study was designed to examine the effects of the Positive Action Program and the Sexual Abuse Prevention Program on sexually abused students' behavior, social skills, and self-esteem. Four classrooms of multiple handicapped elementary aged students in Burlington County Special Services District were selected, giving a sample of forty-four. Each week pupils received four lessons, for twenty minutes each, of instruction in the two programs. Prior to program implementation in the Fall and again in the Spring students rated their social skills development, behavior problems, and self-esteem.

Results indicated that the programs in the course of only a six month …

Can The Use Of Self-Management Techniques Be Effective In Reducing The Off-Task Behaviors Of Multiply Handicapped Students?, Lori M. Rosenthal

Theses and Dissertations

Can the use of self-management techniques be effective in reducing the off-task behaviors of multiply handicapped students? For the purposes of this study, multiply handicapped students were defined as mentally retarded and the method of self-management used was self-recording. Three students out of a class of ten were chosen based on a teacher rating scale. The lowest averaged scores determined which students were off-task the most. In addition, a multiple baseline design measured the occurrence and non-occurrence of nine target behaviors, three per student.

The results showed self-recording to be an effective intervention in eight out of the nine targeted …

A Comparative Study Of The Effectiveness Of Two Approaches To Reading Instruction, Whole Language And Direct Instruction With Perceptually Impaired Students, Malika A. Byrd

Theses and Dissertations

This study was designed to investigate the reading achievement of two groups of special education students classified as perceptually impaired. The two groups of children were provided with two different types of reading instruction in two different settings. One group received whole language reading instruction in the regular classroom as mainstreamed students. The other group received direct reading instruction in a self contained classroom.

At the conclusion of the study, it was found that both groups of students made some progress. All students improved their scores of reading achievement as measured by the CAT V inventory test. Pre-test results showed …

The Effect Of "Project Adventure" On Self-Esteem Of Learning Disabled Students, Nava Shaked

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the relationship of "Project Adventure," a program of physical activity, and self-esteem on learning disabled children and non-disabled children. The hypothesis was that the "Project Adventure" program would have a positive effect on the self-esteem of all the students, with an especially strong effect on the Learning Disabled students.

The subjects, 22 regular education students and 11 Learning Disabled students participated in a 9 week Project Adventure program in Oakcrest High School (Mays Landing, New Jersey). The Coopersmith Self-Esteem Inventory had been used for assessment as a pretest and a posttest. The …

De-Institutionalized Skills: Utilized Or Useless, Linda Golden

Theses and Dissertations

My thesis was on the topic of de-institutionalized skills. My goal was to discover if my subjects had gained, lost, or maintained skill areas since they have left the institutional setting. These subjects, a total of 11 male adults with mental retardation, now reside in two group living facilities. Their ages range from 31 - 62 years and their Intelligence Quotients range from 63 - 68.

Two test booklets were used to gather raw score means for functioning levels. Four main skill areas were assessed: Communication, Daily Living, Socialization, and Motor. Results exhibited growth for most domain and subdomain skill …

A Study To Determine The Effects Of The Use Of Sign Language With Mildly Mentally Retarded Students On Social Interaction And Communication, Catherine Serafinelli

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this thesis was to determine if the use of sign language with mildly mentally retarded children would increase their social interaction and communication. All the children in the study have been described as having moderate to severe language delays. Pre and post intervention observations were conducted for five consecutive days during free play in the classroom setting. After the completion of data collection, intervention was begun. Intervention consisted of a selection of basic signed vocabulary pertinent to classroom activities which were introduced during a sign circle three afternoons a week for ten minute sessions. After the signs …

General Case Principle Applied To Microwave Cooking: Can Severely Handicapped Students Generalize The Skills They Learn In The Classroom, Victoria Elizabeth Smith

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this paper was to apply an example of general case strategy when training severely handicapped students how to use a microwave. Two types of machines were chosen that represent the range and type available: (push button, turns dial - color: white, brown).

Three students were selected to participate in the study all coming from a special education district. The students were 17 years old and classified multiple handicapped. In addition, their test scores and other data indicated they were severely disabled.

Using a task analysis approach both machines were taught simultaneously. Instruction was given on the relevant/non-relevant …

Generalization Of Organizational Skills From One Setting To Another, Kristine J. Jansen

Theses and Dissertations

Learning disabled students have consistently had difficulty generalizing organizational skills from a resource center, where the skills are taught, to a mainstream classroom without support. This study hypothesized that organizational skills taught in a mainstream classroom with resource support (inclusion) would generalize more frequently to a mainstream classroom without resource support than skills taught in the resource center. Ten seventh grade students with learning disabilities were taught strategies for organizing themselves to complete classwork and homework, keep an organized notebook and come prepared to class. Mainstream classroom teachers felt these four skills were necessary for students to become successful in …

The Effect Of A Self-Monitoring Program On Perceptually Impaired Students' Compliance To Class Rules, Michael A. Scully

Theses and Dissertations

The objective of this study was to examine the effects of a self-monitoring procedure that was designed to increase compliance to classroom rules in a middle school setting. Four male seventh grade students classified as Perceptually Impaired with histories of discipline and academic difficulties served as subjects for this investigation. After a baseline period in which a rating scale was used to evaluate their behavior, the subjects were taught to use the same scale and were required to rate their compliance to a predetermined set of rules. Points to be used for participation in a reinforcement activity could be earned …

What Is The Prevalence And Effectiveness Of Teacher Versus Student Managed Approaches Of Classroom Management, Marshall Paul Edmonds

Theses and Dissertations

This study looked at two distinct classroom management styles: teacher versus student managed and their effectiveness and prevalence at three southern New Jersey high schools unique to each other via location and student composition. A twelve item questionnaire was given to ten ninth to twelfth grade students and a nine question survey to three teachers from each school. I personally administered the forms to all participants to clarify any questions they had. The majority of the students' questions dealt with their opinion of school and classroom rules and their effectiveness. The teachers' survey elicited input on what are the major …

The Effect Of Brushing On A Tactilely Defensive Child, Christine Graham

Theses and Dissertations

Previous investigations of sensory defensiveness seem to indicate a direct relationship between sensory defensiveness and the "sensory diet" approach as proposed by Wilbargar (1987). This study examined the implementation of the "sensory diet" or brushing technique begun with one mildly tactilely defensive subject. Brushing took place three times a day, every day, for approximately an eight week period. Pre and posttest instruments used to gather data were the Touch Inventory for Elementary School Aged Children (Royeen, 1986) and the Sensory Integration Inventory for Adults with Developmental Disabilities (Reisman, Hanscher, 1990).

The results indicated that there was no difference between pre …

The Effects Of A Career Awareness Program On The Recidivism Rate Of An Inmate Population, Bernardine Rochelle

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this ex post facto research, a two year follow-up, was to determine the effect of a Career Awareness Program on the recidivism rate of an inmate population. The participants in the study were sixteen male inmates, ages nineteen to forty-six, with less than three months before release who had attended the first Career Awareness class.

Using a cross-sectional design survey, a two-paged selected-response questionnaire was mailed to the subjects. The responses of the respondent group were summarized through descriptive statistics, frequencies and percentages.

After two years, eighty-seven percent of the studied population remained out of jail and …

A Study Of The Effects Of In-Class Support On Math Performance Of Regular Education Students, Classified Special Education Students, And At-Risk Students, Susan Wenger

Theses and Dissertations

In an effort to service special needs students, service delivery models have progressed from self contained classrooms and separate facilities for special needs children to resource center pull-out programs, in-class support, mainstreaming, and full inclusion.

The in-class support model, which provides a special educator or aide in the regular classroom, attempts to enhance the academic success of identified special education students in such placements.

This study focused on the effects of in-class support. The population consisted of 76 7 to 9 year old math students in a New Jersey school district. Curriculum-based pre and posttest math scores achieved by regular …

A Study Of The Relationship Between Special Education Emotional Support Behaviorally Disordered Students And Their Moral Reasoning, Frank G. Iacobucci

Theses and Dissertations

Very few studies have examined moral reasoning in students identified as having behavioral disorders and enrolled in a special education setting. Little attention has been paid to the impact of interventional education programs designed for behaviorally disordered youth on moral reasoning development. The research examined the moral reasoning of behaviorally disordered adolescents enrolled in a self-contained high school setting. The results indicate that behaviorally disordered emotional support high school students are significantly lower in moral reasoning compared to their nonbehaviorally disordered peers. The development of moral reasoning has been considered an important component of both social and cognitive growth in …

A Social Skills Training Program Emphasizing Roleplay Of Social Problem Solving Strategies For Learning Disabled Adolescent Males With Behavior Problems, Anne S. Garman

Theses and Dissertations

This study was conducted to investigate the effectiveness of a social skills training curriculum for learning disabled adolescent males with behavior problems. The need for such intervention has been established, however, the empirical evidence to support educational programs and strategies which promote effective social skills is just beginning to emerge. Roleplay activities and instruction of social problem solving strategies have been combined in this intervention.

Cooperation, assertion, empathy, and self-control were taught during twelve lessons conducted over a period of six weeks. Five students from a self-contained class at a special services school were used for the study. Pre and …