Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are associated with many different levels of language and social impairment, differences in levels of cognitive impairment, varying levels of aberrant behavior, and discrepancies in the presence or amount of restrictive and repetitive behavior. The heterogeneity found within the ASD population is coupled with significant heterogeneity in outcome for these individuals. Although interventions based on the principles of applied behavior analysis have been repeatedly cited as evidence-based for individuals with autism, significant discrepancies in outcome are evident within the literature. The heterogeneity in treatment outcome has been hypothesized as related to the heterogeneity of children included within the autism spectrum as well as differences related to treatment variables. The current study evaluated individual child characteristics and differences related to intervention intensity and fidelity as predictors of outcome after one year of exposure to a behaviorally based intervention. The primary goal of this study was to identify individual and treatment level characteristics that were predictive of differences in outcome for children with ASD. Information was gathered from a total of 368 students with autism spectrum disorders in kindergarten through second grade classrooms in the School District of Philadelphia. Correlational analyses and multiple regression analyses indicated that increased levels of expressive language skills at the start of the intervention year were correlated with and predictive of improved outcome. However, no other child level variables were related to differential outcomes. Additionally, higher levels of treatment intensity and treatment fidelity were associated with improved outcome. / School Psychology

This dissertation is a critical ethnographic study of a participatory research project in which a group of eight adults labeled mentally retarded, with the assistance of two nondisabled adults, created and performed a musical theater production called Special. Special was produced as part of a participatory research process in which group members also interviewed friends, advocates of disabled people, and former residents of a local institution for people labeled retarded, in order to find out how ex-residents were treated once they were placed in community living situations. The information from these interviews, as well as accounts from group members' own lives, comprised the content of Special. This study consists of two main parts--an interpretive section (Chapters 5 and 6), including emic and etic interpretations of group members' experiences, and a critical section (Chapter 7), in which an internalized oppression framework is invoked to examine group members' experiences. Three main findings of the study were: (1) that group members expressed a chronic problem orientation; (2) that group members exhibited a justice orientation; and (3) that group members were largely motivated by the drive to visibility, or the need to be seen, understood and accepted for who they really are. Another major finding of the study was that group members' drive to visibility was not only a major motivation for doing the play, but was also a key to understanding much of their behavior--that when they felt visible, they "acted up," or became positive and productive, and that when they felt invisible, they "acted out," or became destructive, and even violent, evidence of internalized oppression in group members. Group members' drive to visibility, coupled with their resistance to an identity of mental impairment, raises two important questions regarding the issue of social identity with people labeled retarded: (1) Are there reasons to believe that people labeled retarded can feel a sense of pride in who they are, both as individuals and as members of a social group? (2) If people labeled retarded cannot feel a sense of pride, what are their prospects of overcoming internalized oppression, and of working with one another as a group with an identity, a purpose, and a right to have power like all other groups?

This qualitative study investigated the reasons why educators initiate referrals of ELLs for special education services in a sample of three educational organizations near a major city in a mid-Atlantic state. This study addressed how and why educator perception influenced the referral process and identification of English language learners into special education programs. The intent of the study examined how perceptions of regular education teachers, special education teachers, teachers of English as a second language, speech and language therapists, school psychologists, and principals influence the referral of ELLs for special education programs based on the commonly shared knowledge. Students receiving special education services have gone through a referral, assessment, and placement process. The special education process is initiated once a student is experiencing considerable difficulties in the general education programs despite a variety of implemented interventions. For English language learners (ELLs), low English proficiency, gaps in educational experience and cultural differences influence the referral process. The reality is teachers have a tremendous impact on who is referred for special education services and who is not referred. I employed a systematic, sequential approach while collecting data for this case study. A combination of interviews and observations provided a foundation for the collection of data. Interview participants from each district included regular education teachers, special education teachers, teachers of English as a second language, speech and language therapists, school psychologists, and principals. Board meeting observations, as well as artifact reviews, including Board policy and Administrative Regulations, were completed. The constant comparative method served as the primary mode of analysis for this case study. Brisk (1998) states that good teachers of ELLs embrace their roles as language teachers and cultural facilitators. In a 2002 National Center for Education Statistics report, it was stated 42% of teachers indicated they had ELLs in their classrooms, but only 12.5 % of the teachers received more than eight hours of professional development specifically related to ELLs. Schools have often provided support for ELLs through special education or speech and language services, relying on the common sense premise that special education support is better than no support at all (Walker, Shafter, & Iiams, 2004). The potential impact of this study may be considerable. Accountability derived from a district’s Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) is significant. The increased presence of ELLs in our schools has the potential to create a subgroup impacting AYP. Often times, the creation of an ELL subgroup for AYP leads to the creation of a low socioeconomic subgroup for AYP. The inappropriate special education referral and resulting placement yields an increase in the special education AYP subgroup. Schools must be held accountable to educate all students, including ELLs. This study provides relevant recommendations for districts to utilize in order to equip all educators with a skill set to appropriately serve ELL learners. / Educational Leadership

This study investigates orthographic skills in students with learning disabilities (LD), English Language Learning (ELL) students and their typical-achieving, native-English speaking (TYP) peers to help in the differentiation of these groups, and ultimately improve LD assessment for linguistically diverse students. A repeated-measures ANOVA was conducted to compare the effect of Group Type (LD, TYP, ELL) on the orthographic skills of 108 children as measured by the Words Their Way Primary Spelling Inventory on three administrations over the course of a school year. There were statistically significant differences between groups with medium and large effect sizes in all spelling inventory measures: Feature Points, Words Spelled Correct and Spelling Inventory Stage scores. In each grade and administration, the students in the LD group consistently had the lowest means and students in the TYP group had the highest means. On the Words Spelled Correct measure, there was a triple interaction with a medium to large effect size between the three groups by grade and over time. This interaction showed that in Kindergarten, both ELL students and students with LD score significantly lower than the TYP group. ELL students made substantial progress and by spring of first grade, they had similar scores to those of the TYP group. The LD group continued to have significantly lower scores than both other groups in first and second grades. A comparison of spring stage scores indicated significant differences between the ELL group and the TYP group in the number of students that were on or above grade level. There was also a significant difference between the number of students with spring spelling stages on or above grade level in the LD and the TYP group. However, there was not an equivalent difference between the LD and ELL groups. An analysis of student progress over the course of the school year found the rates of improvement in all three groups to be comparable, though the group means are consistently ranked with the LD group underperforming the ELL group and TYP group (LD <ELL <TYP). These important variations in how diverse students perform by grade and over time can inform both the instruction and assessment of students. In doing so, more well-designed pre-referral interventions can begin to correct problems of disproportionality of linguistically diverse students in special education. / Special Education

The current research study examined one district's journey through Response to Intervention (RtI) implementation. RtI is a program, now written into federal legislation (IDEIA, 2004; NCLB, 2002), that allows school districts to intervene with additional research-based education resources for struggling students. Districts are able to do this as a means of intervention prior to referral to special education in addition to identifying a student as eligible for special education services. The literature guiding districts through the RtI implementation process describes the components of RtI (Fuchs & Fuchs, 2006; Fuchs & Fuchs, 2007) but lacks empirical research to establish the effectiveness of RtI in terms of student achievement. This dissertation seeks to add to the current literature by examining student outcomes before and after implementation of an RtI framework, analyzing the use of assessments to determine student placement into intervention services, and noting the perceptions of teachers during implementation. The results of this study will assist school districts by presenting student data trends that occurred before and after implementation, which may affect district practices and policy. In addition, implications for future research are discussed. / Educational Psychology

This dissertation investigates the educational practices surrounding English Learners (ELs) with disabilities, a unique population of learners who are not only acquiring English as a Second Language (ESL) but also have an institutionally identified disability. Possessing these characteristics, these learners are located at an intersection--the intersection of minority social categories and the intersection of two disciplines, special education and ESL. This intersection is the source of educational ambiguity; namely educators are left wondering how they can possibly target the heterogeneous learning needs of these students within the course of any given school day. Employing ethnographic methodology, this dissertation was designed as a vertical case study of two elementary schools within Pennsylvania. With over a year of observations, 40 interviews, and artifact collection, this dissertation draws on intersectionality for its theoretical underpinnings to investigate the educational practices of service provision for ELs with disabilities. More concretely, it examines how institutional factors and personnel's beliefs construct and even limit the opportunities ELs with disabilities are offered within their learning contexts. It argues that second language (L2) identities are erased during service delivery practices through specific institutional and ideological factors, so that in effect, ELs with disabilities become learners with disabilities. Further, this dissertation questions the de facto policy of eliminating ESL services for special education with the understanding that such practices fail to address the multidimensionality of these learners while simultaneously circumventing educational law. / Teaching & Learning

Self-determination, as it applies to special education, has been studied extensively. While the effects of self-determination for students with disabilities are established, there is still limited knowledge of the presence of the construct in preservice teacher preparation programs. This study begins to addresses this gap. In particular, a nationwide sample of secondary general education and special education teacher preparation programs was examined. Department chairs and program coordinators were surveyed and revealed a significant difference in the mean self-determination score of participants representing special education teacher preparation programs and participants representing secondary general education teacher preparation programs. Specifically, special education teacher preparation participants had a significantly higher mean score on the ‘Autonomy’ and ‘Self-Regulation’ sections of the survey across all participants, ‘Autonomy’ had the lowest mean of all of the sections. Participants identifying as a department chair had a significantly higher self-determination score than participants that did not identify as a department chair. Finally, participants representing a university located in a state with standards for secondary special education and self-determination had a significantly higher self-determination score than participants located in a state without a standard for secondary special education and self-determination. / Special Education

Mediation of special education disputes varies between states. This study addressed the ways in which the practices and methods of evaluation differ between five states: Hawaii, Iowa, Massachusetts, Minnesota, and New Jersey. This includes such factors as provision of services, alternative dispute resolution procedures, mediation style, and mediator training. Data were examined regarding mediation rates, rates of agreement, and the types of students/issues involved. The research focused on the ways the states used participant feedback to assess their own performance. Extant data from two states, Iowa and Minnesota, were examined to determine which factors impacted overall evaluation of the mediation process and satisfaction with the outcome. States were similar regarding the provision of services, although the agency overseeing mediation differed. Methods of alternative dispute resolution varied greatly, and were strongly tied to the perspective of each state. Large differences were found between states relating to mediation usage and agreement rates. Content analyses were conducted on the survey instruments. The greatest number of questions addressed the impact on the relationship between participants, followed by fairness of the process, and then skills of the mediator. Overall, participants were satisfied with the mediation process. Satisfaction with the outcome was moderate to high, but diminished over time. There were no significant differences in satisfaction ratings between parents and school officials in either state, but individuals who reached a resolution were most satisfied with the mediation process. The ability to discuss and understand the important issues was the largest predictor of satisfaction. Improved communication in the long term was strongly related to satisfaction, but improved communication within the mediation session was not. Additionally, Iowa parents felt more satisfied when they were better able to understand their own perspective and their views were considered before any solutions or agreements were made. Iowa school officials were more satisfied when they were better able to understand the parents' perspective. In Minnesota, an improved relationship with the other party predicted greater satisfaction with the mediation outcome for the school officials, but not parents. Mediator skills and impartiality were important factors for the school officials only. / School Psychology

Doctor of Philosophy / Curriculum and Instruction Programs / John A. Hortin / Secondary adolescents with disabilities (AWD) have been mandated participants in their Individual Education Plan (IEP) and Individual Transition Plan (ITP) meetings since 1990, yet overprotective and well-meaning adults have assumed their advocacy role (Janiga & Costenbader, 2002). This has weakened their (secondary AWD) ability to become self-determined. Secondary AWD should be involved with the development, implementation and execution of services and supports in their IEP/ITP in order to benefit from their participation in general education as well as develop self-determination skills. To improve transition outcomes, this study examined self-determination and socio-cultural factors (race/ethnic and gender groups) among secondary adolescents with disabilities by differentiating baseline skills among race and gender groups. The two independent variables were race/ethnicity and gender. The dependent variables were the self-determination total score and each of four domain total scores (Autonomy, Self-Regulation, Psychological Empowerment, and Self-Realization) of the Arc’s Self-Determination Scale. The literature revealed that there was not a standard for self-determination training programs for students with disabilities and teachers (Brunello-Prudencio, 2001). However, empirical data has emphasized that socio-cultural development (i.e. gender and race) could impact self-determination. Understanding the socio-cultural perspective of race/ethnicity and gender on self-determination has the potential to improve transition practices as well as highlight the importance for self-determination (Trainor, 2005). This study utilized information from the Arc’s Self-Determination Scale (Wehmeyer & Kelchner, 1995) score of secondary adolescents with disabilities to determine whether differences existed among race/ethnic and gender groups. Research findings from this study indicated significant differences in total scores among race/ethnic groups for: (1) the autonomy domain (the ability to express personal preferences or beliefs); (2) self-determination; and (3) there was no significant difference for gender on either domain score or self-determination total scores. This research revealed that a self-determination assessment instrument could be used to isolate essential abilities and behaviors by gender and race for secondary adolescents with disabilities. To promote positive outcomes among deficit areas of self-determination for secondary adolescents with disabilities, this researcher recommended differentiated strategies for educational practitioners. Differentiated strategies could focus on collaborative learning communities, experiential learning options, and reduced emphasis on competitive learning environments.

The purpose of this dissertation was three-fold. The first intent was to investigate the historical role of English and American Sign Language (ASL) in the communication, education and culture of deaf/Deaf people in America. The second purpose was to investigate sociolinguistical and physiological properties of American Sign Language in light of language learning among the deaf. And the third objective was to research bilingual education methodologies in order to interface knowledge and practices from bilingual education, communication and ASL research to the field of post-secondary education of the deaf within the framework of bilingual education. Evidence demonstrates that the history of language policies and educational practices for the deaf are strongly influenced by the majority language of English. A primary goal of education of the deaf has been the assimilation of deaf people into the hearing society. An avenue for this integration has traditionally involved the exclusion of ASL from the classroom and the mandate of Signed English systems and/or aural/oral communication. The incorporation of a cross-disciplinary blend of communication, bilingual education and ASL sociolinguistic aspects form the foundation for further investigation. This dissertation should serve as an impetus and reference point for others wishing to advance the education of the deaf, utilizing a bilingual approach.