Special Education and Teaching Commons^™

Understanding Principals’ Knowledge Of Special Education, Whitney G. Schexnider

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

The percentage of students identified as eligible to receive special education services in the United States has grown from 8.3% in the 1976-77 school year to 14% during the 2018-19 school year (Hussar et al., 2020). Given this level of growth and the myriad of levels of support principals provide for students with disabilities, one would assume that principal preparation programs have adjusted their curriculum to ensure future school administrators are prepared to support every student, including those with disabilities. The purpose of this research study is to better understand how current school administrators learned special education-related information for their …

Preservice Teachers' Attitudes And Knowledge Towards Assistive Technology: Exploring And In-Class Workshop Approach, Stacey Keown, Moriah Smothers, Tori Colson

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

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (2004) mandates that all students receiving special education services should be considered for assistive technology; therefore, it is imperative that teacher preparation programs prepare preservice teachers to select, implement, and evaluate assistive technology for their future students. This mixed-methods study explored the influence an in-class workshop had on preservice teachers’ feelings of preparedness to use assistive technology in their future classrooms. The participants were all enrolled in a 400-level special education methods course, and their perceptions were assessed by administering a pre- and post- survey. The workshop consisted of an independent online training …

Implementing Effective Inclusion In Prekindergarten, Jennifer L. Wenke

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

This literature review will act as a guide for implementing quality inclusion effectively in preschool classrooms. The inclusion of children with special needs in education is of concern to educators worldwide. "Inclusive education involves the transformation of the education system-legislation and policy, systems for financing, administration, design, delivery, and monitoring of the education and the way schools are organized" (Zabeli & Gjelaj, 2020, p. 3). This literature review examines the variables predicting overall quality, curriculum, training, tools for communication and engagement, teacher views, and peer interaction pertaining to inclusion in prekindergarten classrooms. Two themes were constant in the research: training …

Examining Teacher Advocacy For Full Inclusion, Jill Bradley-Levine

Journal of Catholic Education

This critical ethnography examined the motivations of, and processes used by teachers to advocate for the inclusion of students with exceptionalities in their Catholic school. Because students with exceptionalities have been marginalized in K-12 Catholic schools, learning more about teachers who have been successful advocates on their behalf is essential to building more inclusive schools, as well as inclusive local and global communities. The findings of this study help to identify some key elements for teacher-led advocacy including practices that align with ethical leadership and that encourage teachers to take risks and pursue passions when there is potential for positive …

Partnerships To Promote Inclusive Education For Students With Disabilities In Thailand, Somkate Uttayotha, Andrew R. Scheef

Journal of Global Education and Research

Inclusive education provides opportunities for students with disabilities to learn alongside peers without disabilities. In some countries, such as Thailand, a dearth of opportunities for inclusive education means that students with disabilities are only offered enrollment in residential schools designed for students with disabilities. As a result, students are forced to leave their home communities to receive a public education. Inclusive education allows students to follow the same path as peers in their community, which benefits all parties. This qualitative pilot study featured interviews with stakeholders to better understand how schools can partner with regional entities to increase opportunities for …

Spring 2021

Action in Education

Dean's Corner: A Year of Reflection; New Mentoring Microcredential; Global Partnerships Launches; Virtual Student Teaching;Kenneth Sarubbi Retires; Advancing Anti-Racism Initiatives; Past Is Prologue: The DePaul University and Facing History and Ourselves Collaboration continues in its mission; Nurturing the Special Education Workforce: DePaul partners with the Chicago Teacher Residency program to alleviate the shortage of special education teachers; Flexing His Teaching Muscles: As he alternates between teaching in person and virtually, Josh Cook credits his DePaul education for his flexibility; Breaking Barriers: A new book aims to help teachers educate language learners

Teachers’ Stress, Anxiety, And Depression: What Are Special Education Teachers Experiencing?, James H. Potter

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Research has shown that people in the teaching profession have high levels of stress and often report increased levels of symptoms of anxiety and depression. Students’ academic progress may have adverse effects when their teachers have high-stress levels or report mental distress. Those who teach special education often face high levels of stress. However, there is little research considering special education teachers’ job-related health. This study collected data on 598 general and special education teachers in the United States. This study compared the endorsements of both stress and psychopathology between special education and general education teachers. This research found that …

Addressing The Development Of Reading Comprehension In Students With Asd : A Meta-Analysis, Halley Eacker

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

The purpose of this study was to synthesize findings from single-case intervention studies on developing reading comprehension in students with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). A multi-level analysis was used to determine if there was an overall statistically significant effect of these interventions and if the effect was consistent across studies and participants. Results indicated a significant change in trend throughout the intervention phase across studies. Age had a significant impact on the intervention effect. The remaining moderators – study type, design, and quality – were not significant. Implications for practitioners and researchers, as well as considerations for future research are …

Developing Reading Instruction Observation Protocols For Special Education Teachers, Laura Ann Moylan

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Considerable resources have been invested in identifying effective reading instruction methods for students with disabilities. Unfortunately, students are not routinely receiving instruction aligned with these practices, impacting their ability to reach their potential. To improve reading instruction, teachers need to receive observation feedback and evaluations reflecting instructional practices shown to be effective. One way to ensure teachers are provided with feedback consistent with evidence based reading instruction is to develop observation protocols aligned to these practices. This dissertation addresses this problem with three distinct, yet interconnected, articles detailing the development of reading instruction observation protocols designed to provide accurate teacher …

How Does This Benefit Me?: A Case Study Of The Impact Of Long Term Circle Of Friends Participation, Casey Webb

Honors Theses

This thesis examines Circle of Friends and the impacts of long term participation (greater than 2 years) in the program. Participants were selected from a Circle of Friends group that met weekly from 2012-2017 in the lower Midwest. There were 5 white female participants ranging in ages of 21-22 at the time of the interviews. Participants completed interview questions focusing on friendship, the COF program, and the impacts it had on them. Interviews were then transcribed and coded. Many of the participants discussed what it means to be a friend, including the specific activities of friendship, such as eating meals …

Bridging Barriers In Inclusive Classrooms: Avenues For Communication Between General Education Teachers And Families, Nicole M. Wack

Education Doctorate Dissertations

Family-teacher communications have proven beneficial for the academic, social and behavioral success of students at all levels. Research studies have specifically examined this dynamic as it relates to general education teachers and general education families, teachers and families at the primary level, and special education teachers and special education families. However, there is minimal research regarding communication strategies between families of students with disabilities (FSWDs) and general education teachers of inclusive classrooms (GETINs) at the high school level. In order to address this gap in the literature, this action research study investigated the following research questions: 1) To what extent …

Hospital Home-Bound Education: Are Teachers Prepared To Implement Transition Plans Post-Hospitalization For Student Success?, Katherine Kimbro-Vincent

Doctor of Education in Teacher Leadership Dissertations

Homebound instruction presents many challenges for teachers. Teachers are frequently not prepared to provide such services. Teachers are frustrated in recognizing that homebound services do not provide sufficient depth and intensity of instruction that some students may need. The purpose of this study was to bring awareness of what happens during the transition of a hospital homebound student post-hospitalization and their academic success. A qualitative case study allowed me to gather and analyze students’ needs that addressed their medical conditions. These important aspects included not only the hospital homebound teachers, students, and staffs’ behaviors/views on the overall program, but also …

The Politics Of The Hero's Journey: A Narratology Of American Special Education Textbooks, Elise Assaf, Jennifer James, Scot Danforth

Education Faculty Articles and Research

This paper explores introduction to special education textbooks in order to illuminate how they portray the social and political work of special educators, especially in relation to disabled students and adults. This study analyzed five leading special education textbooks used in university teacher education programs using traditional methods of discourse analysis, including line-by-line coding and language-in-use with valuation. The analysis and coding tracked story plot components and characters associated with five phases evident in the narrative structure of a hero's journey: (1) the call to adventure, (2) supernatural aid, (3) threshold guardians, (4) trials and tribulations, and (5) the return. …

Parents Of Children With Disabilities In The Early Months Of Covid-19: Knowledge, Beliefs And Needs, Mary Beth Bruder Phd, Tara M. Lutz Phd, Kelly E. Ferreira Phd

Developmental Disabilities Network Journal

COVID-19 has impacted families across the world. Besides the huge task of keeping their children and themselves healthy, families had more responsibilities such as supporting their children’s learning at home when they could not go to school. We asked 457 parents of children with disabilities about their knowledge, beliefs, and needs during the first few months of the pandemic. The parents reported a decrease in formal supports available to them. They also reported a decrease in being able to access informal supports. The parents stated concerns about the health and well-being of their families, the loss of jobs and income, …

Ethical And Equitable Psychological Assessment Of Black Youth In Chicago Public Schools: A Coaching Model For Cps School Psychologists, Haley Biddanda

School of Education Capstone Projects

This capstone seeks to examine multiple factors that affect Black youth in Chicago Public Schools (CPS) during the psychological evaluation process, and subsequently develops a coaching model for CPS school psychologists to provide more ethical and equitable psychological evaluations for Black youth. An analysis of the system of CPS finds that Black students are more likely to receive special education services and be placed within restrictive settings in special education than their white peers. Despite this, CPS school psychologists receive no training specific to evaluating or working with Black youth. A review of the literature reveals that there are multiple …

High Leverage Practices In Special Education Synthesis Coding Protocol, Gena Nelson

Early and Special Education Faculty Publications and Presentations

The purpose of document is to provide readers with the coding protocol that authors used to code 76 meta-analyses focused on students with or at-risk of disabilities. All of the included meta-analyses provided a summary statistic related to at least one of the High Leverage Practices (HLPs; McLeskey et al., 2017). ). The purpose of the systematic review of meta-analyses was to provide an initial investigation of the evidence supporting the effectiveness of the HLPs for students with, or at-risk for, a disability. This code book contains variable names, code options, and code definitions related to basic study information (i.e., …

Factors Influencing The Retention Of Teachers In Private Schools Serving Students With Autism, Leah M. Farinola

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

The purpose of this sequential mixed-methods study was to explore the factors associated with teacher retention in New Jersey private schools serving children with autism. This study explored the most influential variables in teacher retention within school administrators' scope of control. The research design consisted of two phases, with the first phase guiding the second. The first phase was quantitative and included collecting and analyzing data through teacher responses from an online survey. Survey data were subjected to descriptive statistical analysis. This analysis led to the creation and review of the interview questions utilized in the second phase. The second …

Is Special Education A Life Sentence? Examining Disproportionality In The Declassification Rates Of Students Of Color In An Urban School District, Rasheed Bility

Theses and Dissertations

Federal law states that any student suspected of having a disability must meet initial eligibility requirements to qualify for special education services. Furthermore, an individual education program (IEP) team is required by federal law to re-evaluate each student with a qualified disability tri-annually to assess his or her ongoing need for such services. The pathway toward initial eligibility is explicitly outlined within federal legislation; however, the law does not explicate an avenue for declassification or exiting from special education. As a result, many students may remain in special education and are labeled as students with a disability when they may …

Because I Said So: The (Re)Production Of White, Ableist Narratives Through Legal Discourse In Endrew F. V. Douglas County Re-1, Stephen F. Fusco

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

As families and advocates of students of color labeled with dis/abilities face mounting inequities they turn to the courts seeking protection. Unfortunately, even after courts issue written decisions ostensibly designed to protect students labeled dis/abled, these students continue to experience systematic oppression in school. This is due, in part, to the discourse used by the courts when addressing issues affecting students labeled dis/abled and the elitism of the judicial system. The purpose of this study was to examine the legal discourse used in the most recent Supreme Court case concerning the education of students labeled dis/abled, Endrew F. v. Douglas …

International Baccalaureate Primary Years Teachers´ Perceptions On Educating Students With Dyslexia, Jennifer Preschern

Theses and Dissertations

Global organizations, such as the United Nations, have increasingly focused on ensuring that students with special needs are receiving high quality education. With schools in over 158 countries worldwide, the International Baccalaureate (IB) system provides an ideal forum to investigate if students with dyslexia globally are receiving adequate instruction. Yet, there is a general lack of research investigating IB schools, specifically for students with learning differences such as dyslexia. Providing a curriculum framework for students ages three to 12, the Primary Years Program (PYP) forms the foundation of the IB system. This quantitative research study used online survey methods to …

Teaching Strategies Leading To Success In Self-Contained Classrooms, Sonja Michelle Robinson-Madden

Theses and Dissertations

This applied dissertation addressed the strategies used in self-contained classrooms that lead to the success of students with intellectual disabilities in Jamaica. The study was prompted by the poor performance of primary schools in teaching delivery as evidenced in the National Inspectorate Report. The views of successful teachers were collated in order to provide meaningful research data that can be used to improve the effectiveness of teachers regarding their teaching strategies and engagement of their students in the teaching-learning process. In addition, the research findings may be used to inform policies regarding the education of special needs students who are …

Lessons From The Past And Challenges For The Future: Inclusive Education For Students With Unique Needs, William Evans, Robert A. Gable, Amany Habib

Communication Disorders & Special Education Faculty Publications

The school-age population of students is becoming increasingly more culturally and linguistically diverse. There is mounting recognition that English Learners (EL) represent a unique group of students who have special educational and linguistic needs. This article considered the needs of learners with diverse special needs such as (a) learning and behavior challenges and (b) English Learners identified as students with limited or interrupted formal education (SLIFE). We highlighted some potential lessons to be learned from past-to-present efforts to serve students with behavior problems. Selected evidence-based practices were featured that are applicable to learners with special needs, thereby supporting the development …

Using Online Games To Engage Students In Transition Skills, Emily Miller

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

For this project, a game will be designed to assist students in transition skill-building. It will be presented at a minimum of one teacher's conference, and after the conference, I will be assisting in designing custom games for conference participants if they request to have a game made. During the conference, I will be talking about my experiences with using the Breakout EDU platform to design educational games and how learning the platform went for me. It will be a very beneficial experience for me, learning how to utilize an engaging online platform that I can use in my future …

An Lre Placement Loophole: A Critical Policy Analysis Of Lre Placement In Defining Disproportionality Of Culturally And Linguistically Diverse Students In Special Education, Arti Sachdeva

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The policies adopted by the Exceptional Children’s Education Act (2016) enabled disproportionality within LEAs by overlooking undocumented classroom removal practices, underestimating the monitoring and reporting criteria, and overlooking non-dominant cultural and linguistic groups within the Colorado community. In this critical policy analysis, I used quantitative methods to analyze and explore the difference between the odds ratio calculation of culturally and linguistically diverse students (CLDS) in special education with a least restrictive environment (LRE) of 40% and greater compared to Colorado’s acceptance of the federal mandate of the minimum requirement of the student LRE of less than 40% and alternate school …

Coaching Paraeducators To Accurately Record Student Response Data During Direct Instruction, Paige J. Carter Phd

Theses and Dissertations

Paraeducators serving students with disabilities outnumber special education teachers in the United States (Stewart, 2019; U. S. Department of Education et al., 2018). Paraeducators regularly provide instruction without the benefit of regular and effective training. One of the duties associated with instruction is the collection of instructional data. The purpose of this study was to examine a combination of training and coaching on the accuracy of recording student responses. In addition, a teacher-as-coach model was examined for feasibility with existing time and resources. A multiple baseline across participants design was planned. Special education teachers and paraeducators at a public separate …

Promoting Self-Management Skills Among Students With Disabilities Within The General Education Classroom, Elisabeth A. Pagel

All Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this action research project was to determine how educators can promote self-management skills among students with disabilities in the general education classroom. Previous studies were used to summarize the current state of social-emotional learning in the American public-school system and to identify strategies that promote self-management skills in special education classrooms. The Delphi method was used to distinguish which of these strategies would promote self-management skills for students with disabilities in the general education classroom. Panelists (N = 18) generated and ranked strategies in three questionnaires, and they created consensus on the top 10 strategies with the …

The Relationship Between Inclusive Classroom Practice And Student Self-Perception Outcomes, Jenifer York

All Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The majority of students with special education needs spend of 80% their time in general education classrooms (National Center for Education Statistics, 2019c). While participation in general education classes is linked to positive outcomes for students with special education needs, little has been researched regarding actual practices occurring in inclusive classrooms and the impact of such practices. Academic and social gains for students in general education classrooms are unlikely without effective instruction and intervention. This quantitative study investigated whether there was a relationship between the degree of implementation of inclusive practices in classrooms and student self-perception of academic self-concept and …

How Do Special Education Teachers View The Phenomenon Of Black Male Overrepresentation In Special Education?, Lelon B. Jeffers

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

As the student population in many U.S. public schools grows increasingly more diverse, the need to assess the educational practices utilized in public schools grows as well. It is imperative for educators to make a concerted effort to ensure the rights and needs of minority students are being addressed in public schools. It is the duty of educators and policy makers to protect those students who are most marginalized by society. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the phenomenon of Black male overrepresentation in special education, and to ascertain the views and perspectives of special education teachers …

Effectiveness Of An Interdependent Group Contingency With Randomization Using The Ipad, Chelsea Gyke

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Classroom management, although considered one of the essentials of the optimal learning experience, is often a challenge for teachers. Certain classroom management strategies, such as group contingency interventions and token economies, are evidence-based strategies to aid teachers in gaining successful management of the classroom. The utilization of Class Dojo, a popular classroom management website, as a mechanism to implement an interdependent group contingency (IGC) intervention with randomized components may increase both the effectiveness of the intervention and the social validity of the intervention when compared to a manual implementation.

Participants included students in an elementary school self-contained special education classroom …

The Experiences And Perceptions Of Practicing Special Education Teachers During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Marci M. Glessner, Shirley A. Johnson

The Interactive Journal of Global Leadership and Learning

This study examined special education teachers’ perceptions and experiences as they transitioned to distance learning during the COVID-19 pandemic. Although there has been much research on preparing teachers to be effective in online environments, there is limited research on the teaching and learning dynamics when teachers are thrust into distance learning without training and preparation (Kormos, 2018; Moore-Adams et al. 2016; Unruh et al. 2016; Vasquez & Serianni, 2012). As described by Steele (1973), environments are affected by six functions: security and shelter, social contact, symbolic identification, task instrumentality, pleasure, and growth. In a classroom setting, these functions work together …