Special Education and Teaching Commons^™

Increased Movement And Physical Activity And Its Impact On Academic Performance On Students With And Without Disabilities, Jaclyn A. Uithoven Neerhof

All Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Brain-based teaching is an evidence based teaching philosophy that is widely accepted as successful practice. This philosophy revolves around teaching to how the brain functions. One aspect of this practice is relating movement to increasing brain function. This literature review examines studies where students were assessed on their academic performance after having engaged in different forms of movement, including physical education classes, organized programs, and specific movement sequences. While it is concluded that there are many factors that impact a student's performance, research shows that there is an established positive correlation between movement and exercise, and an increase in academic …

Effective Literacy Instruction For Struggling Readers And Students Receiving Special Education Services, Lauren S. Van Gomple

All Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Small group interventions provide struggling readers and students who are learning- disabled with additional literacy instruction designed to facilitate literacy growth. The purpose of this systematic review is to determine if literacy group size directly affects the effectiveness of instruction relative to literacy growth for struggling readers. The participants studied in this literature review include students receiving special education services as well as students identified for Tier II interventions. Evidence-based practices gathered from empirical research studies, alongside qualitative and quantitative studies, seek to explore grouping and how group size affects literacy performance outcomes for special education and Tier II students. …

Key Factors Contributing To Ebd Teacher Attrition: Solutions To Increase Career Longevity, Larissa D. View

All Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In the United States, annually, 10% of EBD teachers burn out and leave the profession, subsequently forcing districts to hire underprepared teachers. When compared to other education professionals, EBD teachers are leading in educators where demand exceeds supply. It is projected there will be a 17% increase in demand for EBD teachers by 2018. The purpose of this literature review is to explore key factors contributing to EBD teacher attrition and to offer potential solutions to increase career longevity. Role overload, poor school climate, and deficient teacher preparation are three contributing factors, one not mutually exclusive to the other. Solutions …

School Principals And Students With Special Education Needs: Leading Inclusive Schools, Steve Sider, Kimberly Maich, Jhonel Morvan

Education Faculty Publications

Over the past 30 years, school boards, faculties of education, and teaching organizations have helped teachers develop skills to support students with special education needs in their classrooms. However, less attention has been given to school principals in building their leadership skills to support inclusive schools. The purpose of this study is to identify the types of special education training that school principals engage in, as well as to explore the day-to-day issues and critical incidents that principals might experience when supporting students with special education needs. An exploratory study involving interviews with 15 principals and five other educational stakeholders …

Employing Cueing Systems To Decode Text And Negotiate Text-Meaning In A Second Language, Timothy A. Rodriquez, Laureen Fregeau, Mary Kay Moskal, Robert Leier

ECTESOL Review

Many educators state that teaching English-Language Learners (ELLs) is just a matter of good teaching. While effective teaching is something that all children deserve, there are some differences between the approach a teacher may have to take with ELLs and with other students. One aspect of this difference is the fact that, while children go through the same stages of language development, ELLs may be at stages typically not found in other students. Based on a case study of an EL and his teacher, this article explains cueing systems and their role in literacy for ELs.

Incorporating Positive Psychology And Happiness In The Special Education Classroom - The Effects On Academics And Self-Esteem, Jean M. Oseko

All Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Twenty-first century schools are not like the schools of last century. The student population brings with it an entirely new set of parameters that the standard teacher-student model of education can no longer accommodate. Special education students along with the general education population enter school with more trauma than students of the past have. This means that new ways of helping these students need to be learned and implemented so students can have successful careers and teachers will stay in the field. Positive Psychology (PP) is an avenue that may provide some of the answers to today’s classroom. Positive Psychology …

The Impact Of Prescription Medication Use And Misuse On Students In K-12 Schools, Benton C. Cady

All Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This paper will examine students and their use of prescription medications when administered to students at school. The law requires that schools follow policies in regards to the distribution of drugs in school. Guidelines have been created to lead doctors, school administration, and health staff in the distribution of drugs to students at school. The administration of drugs to students is the responsibility of school personnel. Furthermore, prevention messages about the misuse of medications is beneficial for students. It is imperative that America develops a better legal plan with ramifications to ensure students use the correct prescription medication. A more …

Understanding Teacher Talking Time And Student Talking Time Practices Among Esl/Efl Teachers: A Practicum Design, Cesar R. Bazo Quintana

ECTESOL Review

This practicum design helps future ESL/EFL instructors gain practical understanding of Teacher Talking Time (TTT) and Student Talking Time (STT) practices in the classroom. It provides a deeper understanding of TTT vs. STT application within the Communicative Approach (CA) or Communicative Language Teaching (CLT).

Understanding Saudi Student Integration In The U.S.: A Study On Saudi Students At A Southeastern Institution, Carrie Melius

ECTESOL Review

Over the past decade there has been an increase in the number of Saudi students studying in the United States. Most recently, Saudi Arabia moved from fourth to third in country ranking for student enrollment in the United States. This study focuses on the experiences of Saudi students at a Southeastern institution in the United States by examining the perspectives of Saudi students studying in English as a Second Language (ESL) programs and undergraduate programs. In order to gain a deeper understanding of issues faced by Saudi students, domestic students as well as instructors were also included as participants in …

From The Editor, Laureen Fregeau

ECTESOL Review

No abstract provided.

English Language Competence: Why English Matters In Higher Education In Kenya, Ukaiko A. Bitrus-Ojiambo, Iddah Wayumba Mwaura, Annette Lutivini Majanja

ECTESOL Review

English is an international language, used in many countries for business, tourism, and education (Roy-Campbell, 2014; Crystal, 2003). In Kenya, it is the official language and language of instruction. The country boasts high youth literacy rates 93% (UNESCO, 2012). As university instructors, we have observed that although students have been in the formal educational system for a minimum of 9 years, their output does not match university expectations (KICD, 2016, p. 44; Jayasundara & Premarathna, 2011; Njoroge, 2008). This study assesses English language use in a Kenyan institution of higher education, identifies emergent linguistic patterns, and suggests some solutions to …

Unprepared: Are Educator Preparation Programs Effectively Training Pre-Service Teachers To Teach English Learners?, Lorie Johnson

ECTESOL Review

All students deserve high-quality, strategic instruction, yet pre-service teachers are not always taught best practices for instructing English Learners (ELs), students for whom English is not their native language. Almost 10 percent of the students in American public schools are classified as ELs, yet research indicates most educator preparation programs across the country have not yet integrated best practices for teaching ELs into their pre-service programs in meaningful ways. It is important for educator preparation programs to provide pre-service teachers with opportunities to understand the unique needs of ELs and to learn effective teaching strategies to meet those needs. This …

A Study Of Teacher Talking Time And Student Talking Time Practices Among Esl Instructors At An Intensive English Program, Cesar R. Bazo Quintana

ECTESOL Review

This study focuses on Teacher Talking Time (TTT) and Student Talking Time (STT) practices among ESL instructors at an Intensive English Program in a southeastern public research university. Based on a qualitative case study approach, the study demonstrates that participating ESL instructors were oriented more towards TTT practices while teaching their regular lessons. The study found disproportionate use of TTT. The study has helped participant ESL instructors become more aware of the behaviors that are conducive to both increased TTT and increased STT practices in their classes. This, in turn, can lead to improved teaching practices, which will benefit ESL …

The Effects Of Visual Cues, Prompting, And Feedback Within Activity Schedules On Increasing Cooperation Between Pairs Of Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Karrie Lindeman, Mary E. Mcdonald, Ronald Lee, Shauna Gehshan, Hannah Hoch

Department of Behavioral Science Publications and Research

Activity schedules are visual support strategies that use visual cues, such as photographs and/or written words, to teach a learner to engage in a sequence of tasks or activities independently. Until recently, research on activity schedules has involved one schedule being followed by one individual. In order to facilitate cooperation between two individuals to complete one task, and to increase engagement between peers, cooperative activity schedules are being introduced as interventions in educating students with autism. A multiple baseline design across three activities was used to assess the effects of including an instructional package consisting of visual cues, prompting, and …

The Board Certified Behavior Analyst (Bcba) Credential: What Is It, How To Get It, Steven A. Crites Dr.

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

Applied behavior analysis (ABA) is a research-based and effective procedure used to change the behavior of individuals, groups, and organizations. While some may think of ABA to decrease maladaptive behavior, it can also be used to improve adaptive behavior, academic, social, and employment skills. There is a growing need for experts in behavior analysis to provide services in early intervention programs, schools, day treatment centers, institutions and in the work place. A board certified behavior analyst (BCBA) is credentialed to provide these behavior analytic services. This paper will provide a brief overview of applied behavior analysis, define the BCBA credential, …

The Evolution Of Autism, Shuli Finkelman

The Touro Teacher

The author discusses the evolution of the education of people with autism.

Special Education, Chana Winner

The Touro Teacher

The author discusses the history of the education of children with special needs.

Exploring Parents' Experiences Of Postsecondary Education For Their Children With Disabilities, Cara G. Streit

Staff Scholarship

This study explored the expectations and experiences of parents whose adult children graduated from a comprehensive college-based postsecondary education program for students with intellectual or developmental disabilities. Seventeen parents of graduates from the Lesley University Threshold Program in Cambridge, MA were interviewed in the style of narrative inquiry. Subjects were asked to describe their expectations for their sons’ and daughters’ futures as they grew up, the role of a college program in their children’s development and in the evolution of their own expectations, their hopes and concerns for the future, and their opinions of college inclusion and how greater inclusion …

Teachers’ Pedagogical Resistance To Prescribed Curriculum, Darya Owens

Wayne State University Dissertations

Research indicates that teachers feel intimidated into fully implementing prescribed literacy curriculum at the expense of their own praxis which may indeed be effective in boosting student literacy achievement. This perceived intimidation may serve to compromise students’ literacy outcomes. The objective of the study was to recognize the different forms of resistance teachers demonstrate in order to take responsibility of their own pedagogical practices as it helps develop students’ literacy skills. This paper analyzes teachers’ praxis and use of integrated methods of prescribed literacy curriculum in relation to teacher resistance. It answers four key questions: 1) What forms of resistance …

The Effectiveness Of Occupational Therapist Guided Remediation Through Handwriting Home Programs, Cindy W. Poole Mrs.

Occupational Therapy Doctorate Capstone Projects

Objective: The purpose of the study was to examine the effectiveness of an occupational therapist guided, parent-taught home handwriting instruction program for alphabet letter mastery and as a potential school system service delivery model.

Methods: Sixteen teacher referred students participated in this two-group pre-test posttest design using the Test of Handwriting Skills-R and parent survey data to determine summer remediation program effectiveness.

Results: Parent survey support correlated to statistically significant intervention group THS-R mean change standard scores in alphabet letter formation from pre-test (M = 89.57, SD = 12.12) to posttest (M =101.4, SD = 10.39), t …

Effects Of A Technology-Assisted Reading Comprehension Intervention For English Learners With Learning Disabilities, Sara L. Jozwik, Karen H. Douglas

Reading Horizons: A Journal of Literacy and Language Arts

This study integrated technology tools into a reading comprehension intervention that used explicit instruction to teach strategies (i.e., asking questions, making connections, and coding the text to monitor for meaning) to mixed-ability small groups, which included four English Learners with learning disabilities in a fourth-grade general education classroom. We used a multiple baseline design across participants to evaluate the effects of instruction on strategy application as measured through comprehension rubrics (Keene, 2006) and on comprehension-question answering as measured through researcher-developed literal and inferential comprehension questions. Results showed that participants applied comprehension strategies and improved their percentage accuracy with answering comprehension …

Assessment With Children Who Need Augmentative And Alternative Communication (Aac): Clinical Decisions Of Aac Specialists, Shelley Lund, Wendy Quach, Kristy S. E. Weissling, Miechelle L. Mckelvey, Aimee R. Dietz

Department of Special Education and Communication Disorders: Faculty Publications

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to explore how speech-language pathologists (SLPs) who are augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) specialists approach the assessment process for 2 case studies, 1 child with cerebral palsy and 1 with autism spectrum disorder. The aim of the study was to answer the following questions: (a) How do clinicians with expertise approach the AAC assessment process for children with developmental disabilities? (b) Can any initial hypothesis be drawn about how SLPs approach the assessment of children with motor versus social interactive deficits?

Method

This study used a phenomenological qualitative design. The researchers conducted 2 …

Autism Throughout The Years, Aliza Bell

The Touro Teacher

The author provides an overview of the history of the education and diagnosis of people with autism.

An Examination Of Concepts Of School Readiness Among Parents And Educators In Ireland, Maire Mhic Mhathuna, Emer Ring, Noirin Hayes, Patsy Stafford, Siobhan Keegan, Cathy Kelleher, Martina Ozonyia, Mary Moloney, Deirdre Breathnach, Des Carswell, Des Mccafferty, Anne O'Keefe, Aisling Leavy, Ruth Madden

Reports

The Department of Children and Youth Affairs commissioned research through the Irish Research Council (IRC) to examine concepts of school readiness as they are understood by early years educators and managers, primary school principals, junior infant teachers and parents of children participating in the first Free Preschool Year in Ireland. A mixed-methods approach was adopted, involving interviews, an online survey and “draw and tell” sessions with children. Representative samples of FPSY settings and primary schools were selected and an online survey based on the findings of the qualitative phase was sent to 500 pre-primary settings and 500 primary schools. In …

Comparison Of General And High Probability Motor Sequence Attentional Cues For Increasing Vocabulary Identification In Students With Autism, Ashleigh G. Obst

Theses and Dissertations--Early Childhood, Special Education, and Counselor Education

The present study assessed if embedding high probability responding (high-p) into an attentional cue, versus a general attentional cue (GA), would result in students with moderate and severe disabilities displaying differential responding for grade level science vocabulary word identification. Using an adapted alternating treatments design, three students with autism spectrum disorder received an intervention involving a GA cue and one with a high-p to determine which is more efficient. Hypothesized results are that the attentional cue with a high-probability motor sequence would be more effective for teaching vocabulary word identification.

Impact Of A Tier 2 Intervention On Freshman Students With Math Disabilities, Rena Johnette Whitten

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Math achievement for U.S. high school students identified with math disabilities continues to fall below expected norms. Longitudinal national and state-level assessment data showed a flat or negative trend in math performance of students with disabilities, which may negatively affect their postsecondary outcomes. The purpose of this embedded mixed-methods study was to determine the impact of an extended time algebra course on increasing the math performance of freshman students with math disabilities. The conceptual framework included Vygotsky's sociocultural theory and zone of proximal development, Bloom's theory of master learning, and Carroll's theory of degree of learning. Data collection included archived …

Special Education Teachers' Voices On Co-Planning In A Suburban School District, Corinne Jeffers

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Limited co-planning between special education and general education co-teaching partners has been documented in professional literature as a significant problem. Special education teachers do not adequately co-plan for the implementation of accommodations for students with disabilities educated in the general education classroom. The purpose of this study was to collect and analyze the perceptions of special education teachers in one suburban elementary school district in the United States regarding co-planning with regular education teachers. The theory of self-efficacy was utilized as the conceptual framework to understand how teachers' beliefs and experiences influenced planning and goal setting for special education students. …

Using A Naturalistic Time Delay To Initiate A Request For Preferred Objects From Same Aged Peers, Brian A. Newton

Theses and Dissertations--Early Childhood, Special Education, and Counselor Education

The purpose of this study was to provide training to peer tutors in order to teach students with severe intellectual disability to initiate communication to obtain preferred objects. A multiple probe (days) across students was used to evaluate the effectiveness of the peer implementing a naturalistic time delay to teach the communication skill. Two of the four students were able to initiate communications with the peer tutors to use objects they preferred. One student showed increasing in responding prior to the implementation of the intervention. The results showed that the peers were able to maintain the instructional procedures to teach …

Increasing Self-Initiated Question Asking With Adults With Autism Using Pivotal Response Training Strategies And Constant Time Delay, John Colin Vogler

Theses and Dissertations--Early Childhood, Special Education, and Counselor Education

The purpose of this study was to implement pivotal response training (PRT) strategies paired with constant time delay (CTD) to teach an individual with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and intellectual disability (ID) to self-initiate through question asking. A multiple probe across behaviors design was used to evaluate effectiveness of implementation. Results show that this naturalistic intervention is effective for some questions, while other questions need to be taught in more contrived scenarios.

Corrective Reading And Middle School Students With Specific Learning Disability, Diane Wallendjack

Dissertations

The purpose of this research was to examine how much impact a two-trimester implementation of the Corrective Reading Comprehension program had upon the reading skills of special education students receiving instruction in small group special education English Language Arts classes. The goal was to gather data on the effectiveness of the Corrective Reading Comprehension program as an intervention for middle school students with specific learning disability, as measured by two different types of data, and supported by student and teacher acceptability measures. Data was collected over the course of the 2015-16 school year in order to answer the following four …