Browsing by Subject "Students with disabilities"
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Item A case study analysis of a mathematical problem-solving program(2012-12) Choate, Jill Noelle; Rieth, Herbert J.; Yates, James R.; Fuller, Anne L.; Sorrells, Audrey D.; Bryant, Diane P.Students must be good problem solvers in order to compete in today’s global economy. However, many students, including students with disabilities, do not have adequate problem-solving skills, thus eliminating potential job opportunities. In order to increase opportunities for problem-solving success, schools must find strategies that are effective and efficient for students to use and simulate real-world scenarios. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate whether a direct, cognitive-strategy, problem-solving program (Solve It!), which is designed to enhance student skills in word-problem solving, could increase the accuracy with which students with and without disabilities correctly solved word problems and whether it affected students beliefs about problem solving. The research questions developed for this study were (a) does the Solve It! method affect the math problem-solving achievement of Grade 6 students, and (b) what are teacher and student perceptions of the efficacy of the Solve It! method of teaching word-problem solving? A quantitative case study was used for this study to determine the efficacy of a specific cognitive instructional strategy with Grade 6 students. Participants in this study included 54 Grade 6 students, 7 with disabilities, from a middle school in Southwestern Colorado. Data were gathered from students through the use of pre- and posttests containing 10 word math problems. Students were also given short weekly quizzes to monitor progress and check for proper usage of the strategy. Finally, data were gathered from the Northwest Evaluation Association (NWEA) instrument, winter and spring testing periods, to investigate changes on the problem-solving strand of the mathematics test. Teacher interviews and student surveys were also used to gain deeper insight into the effectiveness of the strategy. From this analysis, conclusions were drawn to answer the research questions. Comparison of means showed that although the Solve It! strategy did not statistically significantly improve students’ mathematical problem-solving abilities on the standardized NWEA test, it did improve their scores in word-problem solving on the 10-item word-problem test. In addition, the students’ perceived self-efficacy to solve word problems increased.Item Differentiation in the foreign language classroom : including students with disabilities in secondary foreign language classes(2015-05) Trawick, Jessie Elisabeth; Horwitz, Elaine Kolker, 1950-; Tackett, Kathryn KlinglerForeign language teachers are not generally given information about how to work with students with disabilities. However, it is important for these students to have access to FL classes, both for the cognitive benefits that they offer and for path to higher education. This report offers my reflections on how to differentiate instruction in foreign language reading and writing to students with disabilities as well as typically developing students. I believe that both groups will benefit from the practices I describe here.Item Effects of description text structure instruction on second and third grade students with disabilities(2015-05) Lo, Yu-Ling; Linan-Thompson, Sylvia, 1959-; Bryant, Diane P; Falcomata, Terry S; Sander, Janay B; Sorrells, Audrey M; Vaughn, SharonThe present study examined effects of an intervention that focused on description text structure on the reading comprehension skills of second and third grade students with disabilities. Three participants in Grade 3 and two participants in Grade 2 participated in this multiple probe, single-case design study. All five participants demonstrated reading comprehension difficulties. To address the challenges students with reading comprehension disabilities encounter, the study implemented an intervention that provided explicit strategy instruction of description text structure. In each session, participants read an expository text, completed the eight-item multiple-choice comprehension test, and retold the information from the reading. Analyses indicated that using visual analysis and percentage of non-overlapping data (PND), three students with LD in Grade 3 increased the number of correct answers for the multiple-choice comprehension tests after the training phase. Again, for the retell tasks, two participants with learning disabilities (LD) in Grade 3 demonstrated increased number of information and better retell quality. However, the data of a participant with intellectual disabilities (ID) and one with emotional disturbance (ED) in Grade 2 did not demonstrate a functional relationship after the training sessions. Results indicated that explicit description text structure instruction that incorporated reading strategies before, during, and after reading was effective for third grade students with LD. However, its effectiveness for second-grade students with other disabilities was less clear and needs more study. Social validity data from interviews with the participants and casual conversations with their teachers was also documented. Implications of the practice, limitations of the research, and suggestions for future research were discussed.Item Examining the attitudes, perceptions, and concerns of Kenyan teachers toward the inclusion of children with disabilities in general education classrooms(2012-05) Odongo, George; Davidson, Roseanna C.; Siwatu, Kamau O.; Parker, Amy T.Since the government of Kenya made inclusive education as apolicy requirement in the provision of education to all children including those with disabilities, educators have explored ways of making this requirement a reality. All children with disabilities should be educated with non-disabled children of the same and to have access to the general education curriculum. The philosophy of inclusive education aims at enabling all children to learn in the regular education classrooms. It is widely believed that the successful implementation of any inclusive policy is largely influenced by the teachers being positive about the expectations. Grounded in Positioning Theory, this study was conducted to examine the attitudes, perceptions and concerns of Kenyan teachers toward the inclusion of children with disabilities in the regular education classrooms. The study participants were 142 Primary School teachers from 10 schools in a school district in Western Kenya deliberately selected from schools identified as actively implementing inclusive education programs. A concurrent mixed methods design was used to collect, analyze and intepret data for this study. The overal findings indicate that the teachers have a positive attitude towards inclusion of children with disabilities in regular classrooms. However, the teachers also identified what they considered as obstacles to successful implementation of the inclusive philosophy.Item Interactions between teachers and students with learning disabilities in general education classrooms(2004) Boardman, Alison Gould; Schallert, Diane L.Traditionally, research on students with disabilities has focused on an individual difference model. More recently however, to elucidate the conditions and contexts under which students develop academically and socially, researchers have begun to call for models of study that employ a sociocultural theory perspective. Sociocultural theory is based on the notion that children learn through participation in social contexts. Accordingly, the type and amount of contact - most importantly the “talk” - that takes place between the teacher and the student seems to have strong implications for academic and social success at school. This relationship is particularly important for students with disabilities. The purpose of this study was to contribute to an understanding of the interactions between general education teachers and students with learning disabilities as they relate to participation in the learning community of the general education classroom. Qualitative methods were used to guide the observations and analyses of four fifth-grade teachers and three target students in each classroom, one student with a learning disability, one low-achieving student, and one average-achieving student, over a two-month period. Data collection included discourse analysis of interactions between teachers and target students, interviews with teachers, and teachers’ selfreflections throughout the study. Results indicated that teachers had a higher rate of interactions with students with LD than with other target student groups. However, despite the amount of time that teachers spent talking to students with LD, the quality of most interactions, in terms of their ability to increase learning, was judged to be low. In addition, while teachers reported that they learned more about the target students and became more attuned to their individual needs during a trial intervention, classroom observations and analysis of classroom talk demonstrated that teachers did not change either the quantity or quality of interactions with students with LD. A model for understanding the teacher negotiation of LD students’ integration into the learning environment was developed and supported by the following themes: teacher beliefs, classroom practice, student response, and teacher perception of student success. The value of teacher-student interactions in terms of both student outcomes and teacher motivation to work with students who struggle to succeed are discussed.Item Measuring teacher effectiveness through meaningful evaluation : how can reform models apply to general education and special education teachers?(2014-12) Sledge, Ann Stewart; Olivárez, RubénWhile teacher quality is recognized as a critical component in school reform, and the pursuit of new teacher evaluation systems has gained national attention, the question of whether proposed teacher assessment models meet the needs of special education teachers has gone largely unnoticed. Current efforts to design teacher evaluation processes that accurately distinguish between effective and ineffective teachers must take into account the difficulties of using new, innovative evaluation systems to appraise teachers who serve students with disabilities. Important differences in the roles, expertise, and circumstances in which special education teachers carry out their responsibilities result in challenges related to the use of observation protocols in evaluating instructional practices, obtaining valid measures of student progress, and understanding the relevance of teacher credentials (i.e., degrees earned and certification) in the special education setting. Through this qualitative research dissertation, the researcher sought to gain insight into the perceptions and experiences of special education teachers and administrators to better understand (a) the relationship between teacher evaluation and teacher effectiveness; (b) the ways in which educators approach the challenges of applying teacher evaluation systems for special education teachers; and (c) the ways in which teacher evaluation processes support the professional growth and development of special education teachers.Item Needs Assessment of Family and onsumer Sciences Teachers for Teaching Students with Diabilities(Texas Tech University, 2009-08) Killman, Letitia J.; Alexander, Karen L.; Bell, Nancy J.; Lock, Robin; Allison, Barbara; Couch, SueThis study was conducted to investigate Family and Consumer Sciences teachers’ feelings of being prepared and supported for teaching students with disabilities. Their need for professional development in teaching students with disabilities was also examined as well as their preferences for the delivery methods of additional professional development. Descriptive statistical methods were used to analyze the teachers’ feelings. Correlations and backward regression were used to determine whether experience, grade level taught, content area, or type of preparation for certification had an impact on their feelings of being prepared and supported for teaching students with disabilities and their professional development needs. The study showed that FCS teachers wanted professional education opportunities focused on teaching students with disabilities within inclusive programs. They wanted the education to be training materials, focused within FCS content areas, and for teaching in secondary level courses. Due to time constraints the FCS teachers preferred that the professional development be offered at the summer Tri-Cluster or Midwinter conferences, so that they would not have to take time away from their teaching during the academic year.Item Special populations and rational decision making in Texas urban charter schools(2013-05) Williams, Amy Rachel; Heilig, Julian VasquezIn an era of rapid charter school growth, this study sought to examine rational decision making for special populations in Texas urban charter schools. To investigate differences among charters, I categorized the schools into three groups: network corporate charters, community corporate charters, and intergovernmental charters. Quantitative analysis, including the use of ANOVAs and Tukeys, helped identify differences in expenditures among the three charter groups. Intergovernmental charters focused their spending on teachers and student programs, including programs for students with disabilities and ESL and bilingual programs. Community corporate charters spent less in most categories, except, in the majority of years, for social work, food services, cocurricular activities, and data processing. Network charters channeled their funding into areas such as school leadership, facilities, security and monitoring, and accelerated education. I then used qualitative analysis to understand how charter school administrators decide to spend their money in a way that is most cost-effective for their operations relative to their student populations. I completed 20 interviews with charter school administrators in four Texas cities. Administrators in charters were aware of the competitive accountability and fiscal environment in which they were running their schools. This resulted in cost-effective rational decision making. Charter administrators were also under significant financial stress and did not believe that their schools were adequately funded, though some charters still sought to make a profit or increase their net assets. To make up the difference in funding, some charters have relied on grants and donations from other corporations. Administrators also discussed special populations of students, such as ESL/bilingual students and students with disabilities.Item Transition planning for postsecondary students with disabilities : exposed versus actual transition planning(2010-12) Dorow, Roberta Rusch; Yates, James R.; Sharpe, Edwin R.; Hayes, Homer M.; Pazey, Barbara L.; Patton, James R.; Scheurich, JimThe Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) of 2004 mandated transition planning services for students with disabilities who are exiting high school and entering the world of work or postsecondary education. Despite collaborative efforts between educational institutions and various service agencies to facilitate transition from high school to employment or continued education, students with disabilities appear to lag behind their non-handicapped peers in these areas. This study focused on transition planning for students with mild disabilities enrolled in a community college in central Texas. The individual transition plans (ITPs) of fifteen students who had self-declared to the college as having a learning disability were obtained from the high school from which they graduated. The records were analyzed for evidence of twelve essential components of transition planning recommended in educational literature. The students were interviewed regarding their vi i transition plans and what they viewed as factors necessary for success in college. Four professional staff members of the Education Support Service, which serves students with disabilities on campus, were also interviewed regarding how prepared the students were for college work and what factors that promote college success should be included in adequate transition plans. The study investigated the adequacy and “fit” of transition planning as an effective means of preparing students with disabilities for the reality of postsecondary education. Knowledge gained from this study could assist public school special educators to develop appropriate ITPs and inform practice in the field of secondary special education in areas such as curriculum, collaboration with service agencies, and assessment of transition service needs.