Special Education and Teaching Commons^™

“Meeting Proficiency – Can Elementary Schools, With Subgroup Of Students With Disabilities, Exit Program Improvement After 2014?” “A Study To Determine If Instructional Strategies And/Or Inclusionary Practices, And Principal Support Of These Practices, Contributed To Schools Reaching Safe Harbor, Meeting Ayp Benchmarks Or Exiting Program Improvement In The 2012-2013 School Year.", Carolyn Lindstrom

Dissertations

In 2002, President Bush signed into law the No Child Left Behind Act, which required all students to be proficient in English and Math by 2014. (Congress, 2002), including all subgroups. Students with disabilities were expected to meet the proficiency criteria along with all other subgroups. NCLB also required schools to report assessment scores to reflect the achievement of students as well as demonstrate all students were meeting, or at least making gains to achieve, proficiency. If students did not reach the expected benchmark the school was identified as failing and placed in Program Improvement. (CDE, 2011) Each school year, …

Parents Attitude Towards Inclusion Of Students With Disabilities Into The General Education Classrooms, Maitha Khalifa Ali Al Neyadi

Theses

This study aims at examining parents’ attitude toward including students with disabilities into the general education classrooms. The objectives of this study are threefold as follows: a) investigating parents' attitudes towards including children with disabilities in the general education classrooms, b) examining whether there is a difference in attitude between parents of children with and without disabilities, and c) examining the influence of the child's severity level on parents’ attitudes toward inclusion. Participants were 100 parents ( 50 parents of children with disabilities from a rehabiltation centers, and 50 parents of children without disabilities). The research employed a quantitative analysis …

A Comparison Of Piprt To Vmo To Increase Social Play Skills In Children With Autism, Kathleen Scarlett Ohara

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Young children with autism often experience delays in social play skills. These delays result in poor relationships with adults and peers, decreased social interactions, and engagement, and eventually social isolation and withdrawal. Social play skill deficits are essential to the development of self-regulation and cognitive skills. Addressing these delays is critical to improve social functioning and minimize any detrimental effects on future engagement and academic achievement.

The purpose of this study was to use an alternating treatment design to determine whether PIPRT intervention or a VMO intervention would be effective to increase social play skills in two settings for four …

A Multi-Case Study Examining Co-Teaching Approaches And Practices In High School Mathematics And Literature/Composition Classes, Patti A. Cleaveland

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Special education provides a variety of instructional models to ensure the success of students with disabilities. The increasingly utilized model of co-teaching allows students with disabilities access to the general education environment with the support of special education teachers. The co-teaching model consists of one general and one special education teacher who work together to ensure the success of both the special education and general education students. This qualitative study investigated and explained the co-teaching approaches and practices used by co-teaching partners participating in the academic areas of literature/composition and mathematics classes at the high school level. A multiple case …

Stories From Nejapa, Kathleen Vantol

Faculty Work Comprehensive List

"A word picture of what inclusion looks like at the Nicaragua Christian Academy – Nejapa."

Posting about one teacher’s work with inclusive education in Nicaragua from In All Things - an online hub committed to the claim that the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ has implications for the entire world.

http://inallthings.org/stories-from-nejapa/

How Does Inclusion With Co-Teaching Affect Student Performance On Summative Assessments?, Kaitlin Marie Hutchinson

Masters Theses/Capstone Projects

Schools have been pushed toward inclusive practices with an emphasis on co-teaching models (Yeung, 2012), yet reservations exist and little is known about the effects of inclusive practices. The questions this study aims to answer are: 1. Does inclusion with an emphasis on co-teaching affect performance of newly transitioning students with disabilities on district and teacher made summative assessments?, and 2. Does inclusion with co-teaching have a carry-over effect on typically-developing students’ assessment scores? This study aims to investigate the effect of inclusive practices on student summative assessment scores. Results from the district preassessment were gathered for all students in …

Education For All, Kathleen Vantol

Faculty Work Comprehensive List

"In Nicaragua, teachers do not have the option of sending their students to the special education classroom to work on a particular skill or activity. Just as there are no educational assistants, there are no special education classrooms and no special education teachers."

Posting about one teacher’s goal to bring inclusive education available to all schools in Nicaragua from In All Things - an online hub committed to the claim that the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ has implications for the entire world.

http://inallthings.org/education-for-all/

Teacher Attitudes: An Analysis Of Middle School Teachers’ Attitudes Towards Inclusion, Jennifer K. Holley

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The demands for general education teachers to meet the diverse needs of their students has increased greatly over recent years. The attitudes of these teachers towards the practice of inclusion greatly influences the successful of inclusion itself. In this study the attitudes of teachers towards inclusion was investigated. Findings indicated that teachers’ attitudes towards inclusion are split. Teachers’ attitudes towards specific disabilities are clear. Findings indicate more teachers believe students with learning disabilities, physical disabilities, visual and hearing impairments, communication disorders and health impairments should be educated in a regular classroom where students with mental impairments (cognitive disabilities/developmental delay), behavioral …

General Education Teacher Perceptions Of Self-Efficacy Regarding Teaching Students With Autism In Inclusion Settings, Jennifer H. Condrey

Education Dissertations and Projects

With an increase in the number of children being diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder comes an increase in students with autism being integrated into regular education classrooms. While general education teachers strongly support inclusion, they do not feel prepared to implement inclusion practices in their classrooms. This dissertation was designed to gauge perceptions of self-efficacy among K-5 general education teachers in regards to teaching students with autism in inclusion settings. The researcher conducted digital surveys and personal interviews among K-5 regular education teachers who had inclusion experience with students with autism. Teacher perceptions were measured in the areas of preparedness, …

Teachers Attitudes Toward Co-Teaching In Elementary Reading Classrooms, India Stone

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Co-teaching occurs when a special and general education teacher instructs a classroom of students with and without disabilities through modifications to the core curriculum. The author wrote this paper to evaluate teacher attitudes toward co-teaching in elementary reading classrooms. During co-teaching, educators face several disadvantages such as lack of professional development, absence of co-planning, disagreements among modifications within the curriculum, and confusion with co-teaching approaches. The research within this paper describes the attitudes, issues, and strategies that educators experience through inclusive, co-taught elementary classrooms within the reading curriculum.

The Effect Of Poetry As A Write To Learn Activity On Content Acquisition, Content Area Writing Proficiency, And Classroom Engagement In An Inclusive Middle School Social Studies Setting : A Mixed Methods Study, Tammy Geneive Ellis-Robinson

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Abstract

Impact Of Inclusion Teachers' Mathematics Anxiety And Mathematics Self-Efficacy On The Mathematics Achievement Of Learning Disabled Students, Vladimir Sylne

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Learning disabled (LD) students are put in inclusion classrooms in order to experience the mainstream environment and to receive the same level of education as their regular education counterparts. Unfortunately, LD students do not always get the mathematics education that they deserve because inclusion mathematics teachers are not required to be highly qualified in mathematics. The focus of this study was on the relationship between mathematics anxiety and self-efficacy of inclusion teachers and the academic achievement of the LD students they serve. The theoretical framework of this study involved the concepts of student achievement, teacher efficacy, mathematics anxiety, and best …

General Education And Special Education Teachers' Attitudes Toward Inclusion, Carmen Yvette Charley

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Educational reformers have mandated inclusion of students with disabilities in the general education classroom. However, general education teachers often do not regularly receive training in inclusive practices, and this lack of training can affect teachers' attitudes and levels of self-efficacy, which may ultimately affect their ability to successfully teach students with disabilities. The purpose of this study was to examine the difference in general education and special education teachers' attitudes towards inclusion of students with disabilities and if levels of self-efficacy (overall and 3 subscales), gender, education level, teacher type, and grade level taught were predictors of Teachers' Attitudes Toward …

The Perceptions And Experiences Of General Education Teachers Toward Cotaught Inclusion Classes, Beth Milhoan Feustel

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This project study addressed the low rate of general education teachers volunteering to coteach inclusion classes at a large urban high school in southeastern Georgia. This low volunteer rate caused administrators at this school to assign general education teachers, who did not opt in, to coteach inclusion classes. Teachers' efficacy was negatively impacted when they were required to teach classes that they did not volunteer to teach. The model of cooperative teaching advanced by Bauwens, Hourcade, and Friend's work served as the conceptual framework for this intrinsic case study. The purpose of the study was to examine how general education …

The Status Of, Teacher Attitudes Towards, And The Lmpact Of Music Therapy Lnclusive Music Education In Michigan, Ann E. Armbruster

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to examine Michigan music teachers' attitudes and perceptions regarding their training for and experience with special learners in their classrooms, and their collaboration and consultation with music therapists. Eighty-six music educators completed a 51 item questionnaire. Results showed that music teachers' attitudes and perceptions are generally positive toward inclusion. Mean scores for attitude and perception were not influenced by whether participants had or had not taken a course in special education as a student, whether they had access to continuing education regarding inclusion through their school district, or participants' predominant teaching area or degree …

Communication: The Key To Collaboration Between Special And General Education Teachers, Alexandra Slatoff

Dissertations, Masters Theses, Capstones, and Culminating Projects

Teachers often do not communicate with one another when working to meet the needs of their students. The purpose of this study is to examine and analyze the need, nature and manner by which general and special education teachers communicate and collaborate to address the educational needs of their students.

A review of the educational literature reveals that a burden is placed on the educational community given the often conflicting statutory obligations to: fully include special needs students in the general classroom, comply with State mandated general education curriculum requirements and implement instructional guidelines required by Individual Educational Plans (IEP) …

Learning-Disabled Students: A Comparison Of Achievement Scores Of Students Receiving Services In Pull-Out Classrooms And Inclusion Classrooms, Gerilyn T. Scalf

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to compare the achievement scores in reading/language arts and math of fourth and fifth grade special education learning-disabled students who received academic instruction in an inclusion classroom or a pull-out classroom. Student achievement scores from the 2012-2013 Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment Program (TCAP) and the Discovery Education Assessment (DEA) improvement scores were compared with regard to service location and analyzed for significant differences between the locations: inclusion and pull-out classrooms. A quantitative study was used to find the differences in reading/language arts and math achievement scores for fourth and fifth grade special education learning-disabled students …

Bibliotherapy: An Approach To Treating Mental Illness In The Classroom, Erin M. Curry

Senior Honors Theses

The prevalence of adolescent mental illness has increased at an alarming rate over the past two decades. Due to a lack of accessible mental health care and the stigmatization of mental illness, parents of children with these disorders are often reluctant to seek help. These children often resort to negative self-coping methods among which include substance abuse, violence, and suicide. These negative self-coping methods have a harmful, lasting impact on the individual as well as the surrounding community.

Bibliotherapy, which harnesses the meditative power of books, can teach helpful coping skills to students with mental illness. When effectively utilized in …

Aquinas On Inclusion: Using The Good Doctor And Catholic Social Teaching To Build A Moral Case For Inclusion In Catholic Schools For Children With Special Needs, Mary Carlson

Journal of Catholic Education

This article discusses the present status of students with disabilities in Catholic schools. It then builds the case, based upon the teachings of St. Thomas Aquinas and Catholic Social Teaching, that Catholic Schools, to remain true to Church teachings, must offer special educational services. The article concludes with recommendations for research and practice related to inclusion in Catholic schools.

Résumé
St Thomas d’Aquin sur l’inclusion scolaire : Montrer le bien-fondé moral de l’inclusion des enfants handicapés dans les écoles catholiques en utilisant l’enseignement du docteur de la foi et de la doctrine sociale catholique

Cet article évoque le statut actuel …

Effective Strategies For Co-Teaching, Felicia O. Batts

Specialist in Education Degree (Ed.S.) Theses

Abstract

The purpose of this investigation was to determine how co-teaching training using the five models of co-teaching and the eight components of the co-teaching relationship impacts the relationship of co-teachers. Most teachers enter into a co-taught class setting with little to no experience as a co-teacher and this impacts the dynamics of the relationship. The participants in this study were faculty from one public elementary school in the Southeastern United States. The participants included 5 special education teachers and 5 general education teachers. The co-teaching pairs taught grades K-5. The effects of co-teaching were examined using a pre/posttest design …

A School System And University Approach To Reducing The Research To Practice Gap In Teacher Education: A Collaborative Special Education Immersion Project, Christine R. Grima-Farrell, Jan Long, Robyn Bentley-Williams, Cath Laws

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

This research is a response to the call for more effective practice based knowledge on ways to build inclusive cultures that assist the translation of research-to-practice. It reports on the factors identified in literature as being significant to the successful translation of research-to-practice and seeks to identify important sources of influence from an undergraduate teacher perspective.

By investigating a collaborative school system and university generated Special Education Immersion Project, specifically designed for undergraduate teachers, a number of factors are presented as contributors to the gap between research and practice. They include the importance of linkages between teacher preparation programs and …

Postsecondary Inclusion For Individuals With An Intellectual Disability: A Comparative Case Study, Eric Jordan Moore

Masters Theses

Postsecondary education programs for individuals with intellectual disabilities have emerged exponentially in the United States over the last decade. Research regarding these programs has largely been descriptive, and thus there exists a need for qualitative, outcome-based research. In this comparative case study, graduates from two types of postsecondary education programs for individuals with intellectual disability are surveyed regarding employment outcomes and other personal developments. The results from each program are compared with one another and also with a comparison group of individuals with intellectual disabilities who did not attend a postsecondary program (utilizing the 2009 National Longitudinal Transition Study-2). This …

Comparing The Perceptions Of Inclusion Between General Education And Special Education Teachers, Debra Bruster

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This causal-comparative, quantitative study compared the perceptions of inclusion of students with disabilities in the mainstream classroom that are held by high school general education teachers and high school special education teachers that teach in inclusive settings. The study determined there is a difference between the perceptions of inclusive education between teachers with different teaching assignments. Special education teachers were clearly more positive than general education teachers about the inclusion of students with disabilities, the influence of students with disabilities on the general education classroom and its students, and the management of behavior in the inclusive classroom. There was no …

Experiences Of General Education Elementary Inclusion Co-Teachers In Successful Schools: A Phenomenological Study, Sherrie Robbins

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this phenomenological study is to describe the experiences of general education elementary school inclusion co-teachers in schools that are successful with their special education population as defined by Adequate Yearly Progress and most recently, the College and Career Ready Performance Index. The participants were employed in a district in the metro Atlanta area. The primary research question was, "What are the experiences of general education teachers in inclusion and co-teaching classrooms in schools that have met Adequate Yearly Progress and College and Career Ready Performance Index for students with disabilities?" The three sub-questions addressed the self-efficacy, motivation, …

A Phenomenological Study Of Inclusive Environments From The Perspective Of Rural Middle School General Education Teachers Of Students With Emotional And Behavioral Disorders, James Barr

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This phenomenological study explored the shared experience of rural middle school general education teachers of students diagnosed with emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD) in inclusive classrooms. The study began by examining related issues associated with inclusive environments. Data analysis was structured around phenomenological organizational methods: that there exists within the phenomenon a descriptive experience, and within that experience there are voids of possible explanation and interpretation. The research incorporated observations, interviews, and documents as forms of data collection. This inquiry sought to uncover the ways in which general education teachers who serve students diagnosed with emotional and behavioral disabilities find …

A Comparative Study Of Classroom Teachers' Perceptions Towards Inclusion, Keisha H. Pritchard

Education Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this study was to determine classroom teachers' perceptions of inclusion in local education agencies (LEAs) in North Carolina. Regular education teachers at both the elementary and secondary levels were surveyed to determine characteristics that impact their perceptions of inclusion in regards to teacher gender, years of teaching experience, subjects taught (core or elective classes), past experience with inclusion, personal experience with disabilities, number of hours of coursework concerning disabilities, number of hours of professional development concerning disabilities, number of hours of training concerning inclusion, and region. This study detailed related research in the area of inclusion and …

Creating The Continuum: J. E. Wallace Wallin And The Role Of Clinical Psychology In The Emergence Of Public School Special Education In America, Philip M. Ferguson

Education Faculty Articles and Research

This paper reviews the history of the continuum of services in intellectual disability programs. The emergence of public school special education in the United States in the first two decades of the 20th century is used as a case study of this history by focusing on events and personalities connected to the St. Louis Public Schools. Using Annual Reports from the era along with the abundant publications and personal papers of J.E. Wallace Wallin, the author explores how the growing class of specialists in clinical psychology and psychometrics gained a foothold in the schools as educational gatekeepers for student placements …

Dynamic Evaluation Approach In Adapted Physical Education: Assessing Individualized Education Procedures For Inclusion Purposes, Dimitrios Kokaridas, M. Paslamouska, A. Patsiaouras, P. Natsis, I. Karagiannidis, G. Maggouritsa, P. Efthimiou

Electronic Journal for Inclusive Education

The purpose of this study was to present a new Individualized Education Program (I.E.P.) developed for PE teachers using a dynamic evaluation procedure so as to assess its value in promoting educational knowledge. A modified version of the Evaluation Scale of the Educational Program’s Implementation (ESEPI) (Grammatikopoulos 2004) was applied for the needs of the research on a sample of 151 physical education teachers (84 men, 67 women), all working in Greek primary and secondary schools. Statistically significant differences were observed in ‘training’ factor with PE teachers who had previous experience of teaching students with disabilities or working in inclusion …

"People Are People": Benefits Of Inclusive Service, Sarah Mueller

Senior Honors Theses and Projects

College institutions often emphasize the importance of service learning for their students. After research revealed a lack of volunteer opportunities for college aged individuals with disabilities, a pilot program was developed to examine the benefits of service for this population, as well as their peers without disabilities. The project involved college undergraduates and young adults with an intellectual or developmental disability. After a weeklong service trip together, benefits were discussed and evaluated. Benefits to the participants with disabilities included pride, skill development and generalization, empowerment, and increases in social interaction. Benefits to the participants without disabilities included positive attitude change, …

General And Special Education Teachers' Perspectives Of Full Membership For Students With Disabilities, Pamela S. Morgan

Doctoral Dissertations

The idea of full membership (FM) for students with disabilities (SWD) originated with the 1975 Education for all Handicapped Children Act which required equal educational access for these students. Full membership has evolved from mainstreaming to focusing on acceptance and belonging in a school community where all stakeholders have a voice and the culture is reflective of these values and beliefs. Despite American public education policy, there appears to be minimal progress for SWD in gaining FM. This phenomenological qualitative study was conducted to gain insight into the perceptions and lived experiences of teachers. Comparing two high schools in the …