Special Education and Teaching Commons^™

Standardized Testing Of Special Education Students: A Comparison Of Service Type And Test Scores, Christine L. Hogan-Young

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine if there was a difference in Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment Program Modified Academic Achievement Standards (TCAP MAAS) achievement test scores for special education students who receive their instruction in the resource classroom or in an inclusion classroom. The study involved third, fourth, and fifth grade special education students in an east Tennessee school district. The TCAP MAAS scale scores used were from the 2011-2012 school year. An independent samples t-test was implemented in this study. The dependent variable in the study was the TCAP MAAS scaled scores. The independent variable was student placement. …

A Comparison Of Social Media Job Search Versus Traditional Job Search Methods On Employment Of Students With Moderate To Severe Disabilities, Janalyn Duersch

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This study investigated the effects of social media on employment outcomes for individuals with disabilities. Participants included 37 transition students with moderate to severe disabilities in a Western state school system. The student researcher divided 37 participants into two groups: (a) social media job search, or (b) traditional job search. Social media and traditional groups consisted of 18 and 19 participants, respectively. The control group implemented traditional job search methods. The social media group learned to use social media to further employment. Variables examined included (a) job placements, (b) job interviews, and (c) job referrals. The students in all groups …

Reaching The Next Stephen Hawking: Five Ways To Help Students With Disabilities In Advanced Placement Science Classes, Lori A. Howard, Elizabeth A. Potts, Ed Linz

Special Education Faculty Research

As the federal government encourages all students to attempt advanced math and science courses, more students with disabilities are enrolling in Advanced Placement (AP) science classes. AP science teachers can better serve these students by understanding the various types of disabilities (whether physical, learning, emotional, or behavioral), associated legal issues, and ways to adapt instruction to improve learning by all students in the class. This article offers examples of adjustments you may need to use in your class.

The Impact Of Audio Books On Middle School Students With A Mild Intellectual Disability, Justin Schanck, Milkia Waller

The Corinthian

The purpose of this research is to determine what types of interventions improve the basic reading skills of children diagnosed with a mild intellectual disability, which is defined as having an IQ score of 70 or below. Often these students struggle to keep up with the academic rigor in the middle and high school setting. They lack the basic reading skills necessary to complete coursework and pass their end-of-course tests, which often leads to them dropping out of school. This study is a start to seeing if specific interventions have the capabilities to improve basic reading skills for students with …

Family Portraits: Past And Present Representations Of Parents In Special Education Text Books, Dianne L. Ferguson, Philip M. Ferguson, Joanne Kim, Corrine Li

Education Faculty Articles and Research

This paper analyses the descriptions of families of children with disabilities as contained in introductory special education texts over the last 50 years. These text books are typically used in pre-service teacher education courses as surveys of the education of ‘exceptional children’. The textbooks reflect the mainstream professional assumptions of the era about topics such as disability, special education, inclusion, and family/school linkages. However, they also shape the assumptions of the next generation of educators about these same topics. The paper summarises the results of a qualitative document analysis of a sample of these textbooks from two different eras. The …

Academic Support Experiences And Perceptions Of Postsecondary Students With Disabilities: A Public And Private University Comparision, Heather T. Wizikowski

CGU Theses & Dissertations

Legislation, social awareness, and advancements in medicine and assistive technology have created meaningful postsecondary opportunities for students with disabilities over the past 30 years. Mainstreaming, inclusion, and transition planning in elementary and secondary schools also greatly contributed to the increased achievement of students with disabilities. Today, 15% of students with disabilities attend four-year colleges. Current federal data show 88% of private and 99% of public universities report students with disabilities enrolled at their institutions. Much of the current research focuses on institutional practice and need. There is a gap in the research when looking at student needs and experiences.

This …

The Perspectives Of Professionals And Parents On Inclusion In Head Start Programs, Thuy Nguyen, Margaret Hughes

The Journal of Special Education Apprenticeship

This study examined the perspectives of professionals and parents on part-time inclusive preschool Head Start programs that included both children with and without disabilities. The purpose of this study was twofold: (a) to examine parent and teacher perspectives of inclusion on the developmental outcomes of all children and (b) to investigate their perspectives on what constitutes a high quality inclusive program. Thirty Head Start and Early Childhood Special Education preschool teachers, as well as 30 parents of children with and without disabilities participated in this study. The major findings indicated that both parents and teachers strongly agreed that all children …

An Examination Of Predictive Factors Related To School Adjustment For Children With Disabilities Transitioning Into Formal School Settings, Cynthia Baughan

All Dissertations

ABSTRACT
Data related to the adjustment to school of 86 children with disabilities who transitioned into formal school settings in the fall of 2011 were obtained through 31 parent surveys (Transition to School Parent Survey) and 64 teacher surveys (Transition to School Teacher Survey). Data from the subscales of these surveys were used to examine the predictive association between family preparation for the transition (as measured by parent satisfaction and parent involvement) and parent-rated child adjustment to school, and between receiving teacher support (as measured by teacher practices) and teacher-rated child adjustment to school. Findings from this study suggest that …

Modes Of Presentation In The Education Of Secondary Students With Disabilities, Annie Laurie Quinn

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Abstract: bold

The Effects Of Video Modeling On Staff Implementation Of The Picture Exchange Communication System In A Group Home For People With Intellectual Disabilities, Shawnee Dee Collins

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

As more individuals with intellectual disabilities live in integrated, community group home settings, it is increasingly important that direct support staff are well trained to implement behavioral interventions. However, there are often barriers to providing staff members with sufficient training. For example, there is typically a low supervisor-staff ratio. These studies evaluated the effects of watching a video model and completing a brief quiz on staff’s ability to implement Phases I (study 1) and II (study 2) of the Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS) in group homes for adults with intellectual disabilities. Moreover, the effects of this staff training on …

Bully Versus Bullied: A Qualitative Study Of Students With Disabilities In Inclusive Settings, Ida M. Malian Ph.D.

Electronic Journal for Inclusive Education

This qualitative study observed bullying patterns and trends of students with and without disabilities in inclusive settings. The participants were fourth grade students eligible for receiving special education services in inclusive , resource and self-contained settings. Qualitative data were collected while students were in class and during specials and non-academic times. The data suggests that students with disabilities are bullied and are themselves bullies at times. There appeared to be a relationship between personal characteristics and the incidence of bullying. Further, adult intervention was reported to be lax during incidences f bullying. Educational implications for schools, teachers and teacher educators …

Video Self-Modeling And Improving Oral Reading Fluency, Wanda G. Chandler

Special Education Faculty Publications

Self-modeling can take different forms but is described as a process where one observes one’s own successful behavior and learns from it without dependence on any particular medium. In this study, two separate experiments were conducted to evaluate a video self-modeling (VSM) feedforward intervention. VSM feedforward (independent variable, IV), was applied as an intervention to improve oral-reading fluency (dependent variable, DV). An adapted multiple-probe baseline, single-subject research design with a pre-test and post-test standardized reading assessment was employed for both experiments.

Participants included eight students with disabilities and a history of emotional and behavior problems in middle-school, special education, self-contained …

Development, Implementation, And Evaluation Of A Social Skills Training Intervention In A Rural Special-School Setting For Students With Mild/Moderate Disabilities, Sheree Duncan

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

Given the critical degree to which a person’s level of social competence influences one’s academic, mental, social, and interpersonal success, it is imperative that schools facilitate the learning of social skills. The purpose of this study was to design, implement and evaluate a social skills training intervention for students with mild disabilities (and behaviors that adversely affect their participation in a general curriculum or resource settings) in a rural special school setting. A review of literature guided the design and evaluation of the intervention. According to analysis of data on student behavior, the social skills training intervention did not consistently …

Mobile Modeling: Using And Creating Ipad And Ipod Apps To Shape Students With Disabilities, Carolyn Wicks, Amanda J. Rockinson-Szapkiw, Justin M. Tucker

Faculty Publications and Presentations

Modeling is a technique that is often used to teach new skills to students with disabilities. Modeling is effective for teaching communication, social, and functional living skills to students with emotional, behavioral, and cognitive disorders (Werts, Caldwell, & Wolery, 1996). Video modeling and audio prompts can be as effective as live modeling (Murzynski & Bourret, 2007; Rehfeldt, Dahman, Young, Cherry, & Davis, 2003). In fact, some researchers have suggested that video modeling results in more rapid acquisition of skills than live modeling and may even be more generalizable across environments (Charlop & Milstein ,1989). With the introduction of mobile devises, …

The Status Of Students With Special Needs In The Instrumental Musical Ensemble And The Effect Of Selected Educator And Institutional Variables On Rates Of Inclusion, Edward C. Hoffman Iii

Glenn Korff School of Music: Dissertations, Theses, Student Creative Work, and Performances

The purpose of this study was to describe the current status of students with special needs in the instrumental musical ensemble and to examine the effect of selected educator and institutional variables on rates of inclusion. An online survey was designed by the researcher and distributed electronically to 600 practicing K-12 instrumental music educators in the states of Idaho, Mississippi, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, and Rhode Island. While 13.6% of the total school-aged population nationwide received special education services, demographic data provided by respondents revealed that students with special needs accounted for 6.8% of all students participating in bands, orchestras, …

Motivations For Involvement : An Empirical Test Of Parents Of Students With Disabilities, Callen Emily Fishman

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Parents of students in special education have greater barriers to parent involvement than parents of students in general education. Little is known, however, about the factors that facilitate or impede involvement practices for this group. This study investigated the extent to which the motivational factors from Hoover-Dempsey and Sandler's (2005) Model of Parent Involvement (i.e., Parent Role Activity Beliefs, Parent Efficacy, General School Invitations, Specific Teacher Invitation, Specific Child Invitations, Perceived Knowledge and Skills, and Perceived Time and Energy) predicted the Home-Based, School-Based, and Special Education Involvement of 177 parents of students in special education. Family structure, race/ethnicity, family socioeconomic …

Quality Of Sports Participation By Pupils With Disabilities In Inclusive Education Settings In Masvingo Urban, Martin Musengi Ph.D., Tapiwa Mudyahoto Ph.D.

Electronic Journal for Inclusive Education

The study sought to analyze the extent to which pupils with disabilities participated in sports and Physical Education in inclusive education settings. To this end, it examined how sports are adapted to suit these pupils and explored other factors which contributed to the pupils’ benefit or lack of benefit from sports. A qualitative descriptive survey design which employed questionnaires and structured interviews collected data from 30 primary school pupils with disabilities, 20 primary schoolteachers and five school heads. The study found that teachers and non-disabled peers have low expectations of pupils with disabilities as potentially competent athletes. The teachers view …

The Impact Of Idea And The Jacob Javits Act, Mary Anne Prater

Faculty Publications

Information about IDEA and the Jacob Javits Act.

A Meta-Analysis Of Interventions To Improve Social Competence In Early Childhood, Adam Steven Kennedy

Dissertations

Early childhood represents a critical period for development of the social behaviors and language that make social competence possible. Demonstrating social competence and positive peer relationships before reaching kindergarten may enhance school functioning and early achievement once children enter the school setting (Costin & Jones, 1992; Gresham & Reschly, 1987; Ladd, 1990). Unfortunately, many children fail to naturally or adequately develop these important skills, heightening risk for future problems due to disability and factors such as poverty, abuse, and engagement with child welfare agencies (Guralnick & Groom, 1987; Fantuzzo et al., 1988; Mueller & Silverman, 1989; Campbell, 1990; Kopp, Baker, …

Preservice Teacher Attitudes And Intentions Toward An Inclusive Educational Environment: An Application Of The Theory Of Planned Behavior, Julie Jones

All Dissertations

The purpose of this research project was to identify preservice teacher beliefs, attitudes, and intentions toward the inclusion of students with disabilities in a predominately general education environment. A survey instrument was created based on Ajzen and Fishbein's theory of planned behavior and disseminated to three universities in South Carolina. This study improves upon existing studies of preservice teacher attitudes because it takes place at more than one institution and is grounded in a theory that explores the many- layered aspects of attitude.
Preservice teacher attitudes were moderately positive on all measures: behavioral beliefs, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control. …

Mothers' Perceptions Of Website Information In Solving Behavioral Problems In Children With Disabilities, Heather Collins

Theses and Dissertations

This research investigated the needs of mothers in regard to designing an educational website for parents/caregivers of children with disabilities. This research was designed to provide information to inform outreach efforts of Brigham Young University's Family HOPE (Happiness, Optimism, Promise, and Excellence) Project. This project assists families struggling with child behavior problems. Results from this study provided an initial understanding of the potential for a website to offer support to families not directly served through the Family HOPE project. Participants included 26 adult females, 25 mothers and one female caregiver. Each participant was the primary caregiver of a child with …

Portrayal Of Characters With Disabilities In Newbery Books, Melissa Leininger

Theses and Dissertations

Newbery books represent quality literature that is likely to be used for bibliotherapy, yet these books have not been systematically evaluated for their portrayal of characters with disabilities. Thirty Newbery Award and Honor books from 1975–2008 were identified that contained 40 characters with disabilities. These books were evaluated using a rating scale that combines literary standards and standards relating to individuals with disabilities. The types of disabilities and personal characteristics such as gender, age, and race were documented and the personal portrayal of characters with disabilities and exemplary practices in these books were evaluated. This information was compared to the …

Establishing A Connection Between Quality Of Life And Pre-Academic Instruction For Students With Profound Multiple Disabilities, Jonna L. Bobzien

Communication Disorders & Special Education Theses & Dissertations

The field of special education has begun to concentrate its efforts on developing objectives and procedural strategies that promote a positive quality of life for students with profound multiple disabilities, while determining which educational strategies are the most appropriate. A multi-element design was used to compare the effects of two educational conditions, pre-academic skills instruction and functional life skills instruction, on the quality of life indicators of four students with profound multiple disabilities. Results indicated that all four students demonstrated a greater number of happiness indicators while receiving pre-academic instruction. Implications for current educational practices are addressed and directions for …

Perceptions Of Agriculture Teachers Toward Including Students With Disabilities, Monica D. Giffing

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The inclusion of students with special needs in regular education classrooms has been required by federal law for more than three decades. However, much of the responsibility for successful accommodation of students with disabilities rests upon the shoulders of teachers. Previous research has indicated that successful inclusion of students with special needs is strongly influenced by the attitude of teachers involved. In this study, all secondary agriculture teachers in Utah were surveyed to determine their attitudes and perceptions related to their willingness and ability to include students with special needs in their classrooms and laboratories. Selected personal and professional characteristics …

"Welcome To Holland: Characteristics Of Resilient Families Raising Children With Severe Disabilities", Thomas Knestrict Ed. D., Debora Kuchey Ph.D.

Electronic Journal for Inclusive Education

This descriptive study sought to examine the resiliency factors families developed when faced with the challenges of raising a child manifesting a severe disability. The study compares and contrasts how families managed the additional responsibility and stress of raising a child with special needs. The study seeks to identify, the key characteristics present in resilient families allowing them to not just survive but thrive.

The study found that there is relationship between resilience and Socio Economic Status (SES). The study also found that having the time and the ability to reflect was key to reconfiguration, which is seen as crucial …

Perceptual Differences In Quality Standards Among Teachers And Related Service Personnel Who Work With Students With Emotional/Behavioral Disorders, Maria L. Manning, Lyndal M. Bullock, Robert A. Gable

Communication Disorders & Special Education Faculty Publications

Current legislation requires school personnel to identify indicators of quality instruction for all students—including students with emotional and behavioral disorders (E/BD). While competency standards provide a measure of highly qualified teachers, questions remain whether or not there are inherent differences in what is expected by teachers and related service personnel within the classroom. Given present emphasis on inclusive education and, in light of a succession of reform initiatives it is time to reexamine perceived differences in level of relative importance attached to knowledge and skills statements based on standards established by the Council for Exceptional Children between teachers and related …

Using Microsoft® Powerpoint™ To Support Emergent Literacy Skill Development For Young Children At-Risk Or Who Have Disabilities, Howard Phillips Parette, Jack J. Hourcade, Nichole M. Boeckmann, Craig Blum

Early and Special Education Faculty Publications and Presentations

In the 21st century, “Digital Children” (Edyburn, 2002) are growing up in a world rich with technology, including cell phones, iPods, email, PalmPilots, Web sites, discussion boards, chat rooms, the Internet, and electronic toys and learning games (Siraj-Blatchford & Whitebread, 2003). Young children whose families use technology acquire knowledge of and skills in language and literacy in part through exposure to technology in the home (Jewitt, 2006). For example, McGee and Richgels (2006) observed that many young children become aware of the existence of print and its use by their families in their daily lives through screen presentations on the …

Effects Of Positive Behavior Support Training On Maladaptive Behavior, Parenting Skills, And Parental Support Of Families With Children With Disabilities, Alla Sergeyevna Jones

Theses and Dissertations

Family stress is affected by a child's challenging behavior and by the disruption of family routines as a result of the child's disability. Therefore, families with children with disabilities need professional support as they work with their children to decrease their children's behavior problems and to reduce the level of parental stress. This study examines in-home training in Positive Behavior Support using the model of parent-professional collaboration. Parents of 35 children with disabilities and challenging behaviors participated in this research. All participants were on the state of Utah's Family Support waiting list. Graduate students provided behavioral education to families by …

Disabilities In The Media-Powerpoint Presentation, Bruce Battles

Kentucky Teacher Educator

No abstract provided.

The Effect Of Video Self-Modeling On The Compliance Rates Of High School Students With Developmental Disabilities, Jacob Ammon Aukai Figueira

Theses and Dissertations

People with developmental disabilities must develop the ability to maintain socially acceptable behavior in order to become contributing, accepted members of society at large. Research indicates that compliance, or following directions, is a keystone behavior, which, if learned, may significantly decrease the occurrence of behavior difficulties in students. Many studies of individuals with disabilities have shown a dramatic increase across a wide range of academic and social skills using video self-modeling (VSM), a technique in which students watch edited videos of themselves performing skills correctly or at high rates. Despite the importance of compliance for individuals with disabilities and the …