<p> Purpose: The purpose of this causal-comparative research mixed methods study is to identify the SE teacher leadership skills that SE teachers and SE paraeducators perceive are most important to SDC team effectiveness in secondary special education programs that serve students with moderate to severe disabilities. </p><p> Methodology: A causal-comparative mixed methods study was conducted to identify the SE teacher leadership skills that SE teachers and SE paraeducators perceive are most important to SDC team effectiveness. A sequential exploratory design demonstrating the emphasis on the quantitative section of the study prior to examining relationships between the findings of the qualitative data was implemented. A descriptive survey was distributed among two school districts in Riverside County, and individual interviews also took place. </p><p> Findings: Special educators believe visionary leadership, professionalism, and maintaining integrity are key skills special education teacher leaders need to possess to develop or improve team effectiveness in the classroom. Participants expressed extremely similar responses in understanding the importance of the impact a special education teacher leader can have on the special day classroom's team effectiveness. Specific barriers and strategies were discovered in this study. </p><p> Conclusions: Several conclusions were produced from this study. Staffing and scheduling are the major issues in many special day classrooms impacting team effectiveness. Special education teacher leaders need to be visionary, to possess organizational skills, and to maintain integrity to develop trust. Special education teachers must provide respect and effectively communicate to build team effectiveness in the SDC. Additionally, special education staff need increased administrative and colleague support. </p><p> Recommendations: School administration must consider the importance of providing opportunities for special day class teams to collaborate on an on-going basis. Districts need to consider providing leadership training sessions specifically designed for special education teachers who are placed in situations with two or more paraeducators in their classrooms. Districts also need to reconsider providing on-going training for special education paraeducators, focusing on the paraeducator as a professional. Finally, school districts need to reevaluate the situation of substitutes for special education teachers and paraeducators.</p>

<p> This dissertation examined the importance of family involvement in student learning and achievement within the Response to Intervention framework. This study built upon the premise that family involvement in a child's education is paramount if educational gaps are to be closed. Families included in this study were randomly assigned into a control or intervention group. This study connected early literacy curriculum based measurement scores and family involvement data gathered from family sessions/interviews. Several research strategies were utilized: 1) quantitative analysis of family-school connections; 2) slope data derived from early literacy curriculum based measurements (CBM); and 3) qualitative analysis of family sessions. Data were collected from an inventory, CBM benchmarking and progress monitoring data, and extensive interviews and field notes. This dissertation challenged the current myopic view of family involvement in student learning and placing the value of families in schools as vital to student learning. Analysis of the family interviews revealed several themes that are relevant for all educators as they attempt to close learning gaps among students.</p>

<p> The purpose of this study was to investigate secondary school staff&rsquo;s beliefs, practices, and skills concerning Response to Intervention (RtI), now known as multi-tiered system of supports (MTSS). The majority of research in RtI/MTSS has focused on the elementary level; however, little research has addressed its implementation at the secondary level. Using an exploratory mixed method design, this study explored the beliefs and perceptions of over 300 secondary school staff currently implementing RtI/MTSS in a large urban district in south Florida. The first phase, a quantitative research design, used three surveys developed and vetted by the Florida Statewide Problem Solving and Response to Intervention Project. The surveys assessed the RtI/MTSS beliefs of four secondary school groups: administrators, professional support staff, general education and special education teachers, and measured their perceptions about their RtI/MTSS skills and practices. The second phase of the study utilized a qualitative design that included four homogeneous focus groups to address in depth the issues that had emerged in the quantitative survey phase. In order to reduce the possibility of Type I error, only statistically significant findings at <i>p</i> &lt;.001 were reported as there were multiple tests of significance conducted. MANOVA results showed that secondary special education teachers and administrators had significantly higher RtI/MTSS beliefs and perceptions of their RtI/MTSS skills than the other two groups, while secondary general education teachers had the lowest beliefs and perceptions about their RtI/MTSS skills. There were no significant differences in perceptions of practices among the four groups of participants. Major themes that emerged from the focus groups included the need for reorganization of urban secondary school structure, for extensive and intensive professional development, for authentic collaboration to build trust, for delineation of role clarity, and for improved knowledge of the RtI/MTSS framework.</p>

<p> The U.S. Department of Education statistics report increasing numbers of students with learning disabilities and other non-apparent disabilities enrolling in higher education. This change in student demographic presents new challenges to institutions and disability service professionals to meet the needs of an increasingly diverse student population. The purpose of this study was to attain a deeper understanding of the decision-making experiences of the disability service professionals charged with making accommodation decisions with the intent of informing professional development opportunities that will help build the confidence and effectiveness of these high-stakes decision-makers. The research questions were addressed using a mixed methods research design utilizing a quantitative survey and qualitative interviews of disability service professionals in the northeast region of the United States. Major findings from this study included a surprising yet optimistic decrease in importance disability service professionals placed on specific documentation components in order to make accommodation decisions, the significance of building collaborative relationships on their campuses, and the considerable time and resources they devote to educating faculty on alternative methods of assessment to more effectively teach an increasingly diverse student population. The results of this study underscore the importance of disability service professionals on increasingly diverse campuses and the role they play in enhancing accessibility and ultimately contributing to the culture of diversity on their campuses. Professional development opportunities for higher education administrators are discussed, which include shifting the training focus from documentation and accommodation decision-making to understanding learning and teaching styles, as well as developing soft skills related to interdepartmental collaborative problem-solving.</p>

<p> This study was designed to investigate (a) the factors that influence the development of portfolios among students with learning disabilities, (b) the type of support, accommodations, and modifications students with learning disabilities receive while creating portfolios, and (c) the characteristics of portfolios developed by students with learning disabilities. Using a multiple case study approach, the researcher collected data through individual interviews with 14 general education and special education teachers regarding their use of portfolios with their students with learning disabilities. Additional data were obtained from document analysis of the students&rsquo; IEPs, completed portfolios, as well as archival data of grades students obtained on their portfolios. Analysis of the data showed that teachers used accommodations and modifications listed in Individual Education Plans (IEPs) to provide adequate support to their students with learning disabilities while creating portfolios. The teachers also used additional strategies and techniques to ensure that their students were successful in their portfolio projects. Analysis of the portfolios and grades revealed that these students produced portfolios that met their teachers&rsquo; expectations. The researcher recommended that, in order to meet the learning needs of the students with LD who are involved in portfolio development, teachers should not only use accommodations and modifications listed in the IEPs but also add more techniques found to be beneficial for their students with LD. However, those portfolios will not be effective if they do not meet their teachers&rsquo; expectations and meet established deadlines. The researcher also recommends replicating the study to include diverse settings.</p>

<p> The purpose of this research is to investigate the services and supports that EL students with special needs receive. It is a goal of this study also to determine which students achieve higher CST scores on the English Language Arts section, based on the supports that they receive and the programs in which they are placed. The researcher utilized a web-based survey distributed to 8 Bilingual Coordinators and 48 Special Education teachers, of whom 8 Bilingual Coordinators and 23 Special Education teachers responded. The surveys consisted of 27 questions regarding the services received by Special Education students who are also ELs. Three additional open-ended items were included. Four interviews were also conducted with two district-level specialist, one local district specialist, and a school administrator.</p><p> Five conclusions based on the findings were determined. First, ELs are all placed into the programs and provided with the language support according to their IEPs. Second, teachers utilize SDAIE strategies when working with EL special needs students. Third, a scheduling issue has prevented students from being in an ESL class when their IEPs state that they should also be receiving one hour of support from the Special Education teacher. Fourth, different individuals are involved in making decisions about the services that EL students receive. Finally, there was no systematic difference between the scores of the RSP and SDC students on the CST ELA assessment.</p><p> The study provides several implications for practitioners. Special Education teachers do not have the experience in bilingual education to fully understand the needs of EL special needs students. Scheduling problems existed when special needs students required an ESL class. This is significant for school leaders; if a barrier exists for EL special needs students being able to receive language support, then a solution to this issue needs to be found. Finally, parent participation is extremely important for IEP meetings and they need to be included in IEPs.</p><p> Expanding this research should focus in more depth on the language supports that EL special needs students received, and whether SDAIE strategies are appropriate for EL special needs students.</p>