Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Texas at Austin, 2006. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references.

The number of students with autism spectrum disorder is on the rise and more of these students are being served in general education settings. As a result, more school personnel need to be prepared to support students with autism spectrum disorder. Most students with autism spectrum disorder require social supports to function effectively in a general education setting. Previous research indicates that there is a need for efficient social skills interventions implemented by existing school personnel. This study examined the effect of a brief, localized, intensive, social skills training intervention on the social interactions of students with autism spectrum disorder in an in inclusive school setting. The results indicate that this intervention produced meaningful increases in participants’ appropriate social vocalizations and social engagement. We discuss the implications of these results for current practice and future research.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of training educators in the pre - behavioral intervention process of functional behavioral assessment. An original evaluation instrument was developed entitled, The Survey for Students Exhibiting Challenging Behavior. The instrument included measures of participating educators, knowledge of function of problem behavior and their ability to generate recommendations for a behavior intervention plan. The instrument was distributed to schools in a large urban district and completed by special educators. Educators trained and untrained in the functional behavioral assessment process were compared in the study. The study incorporated a post - test only design. All instruments were analyzed using a factorial ANOVA. Those educators who were trained in the district functional behavioral assessment program answered general questions related to function of problem behavior significantly better than those who did not receive training. There is no significant difference between educators on their ability to generate recommendations for behavior intervention plans. It is important that educators receive training in functional behavioral assessment to gain an understanding of the basic notions being function of problem behavior. Current training does not translate into educators' ability to make strong recommendations for behavior intervention plans.

This study investigated the effects of sound reduction on physiological variables in premature infants in neonatal intensive care. Ten premature infants born between 27 and 36 weeks gestation wore a specially designed earmuff cap for a 45-minute rest period. Heart rate, respiration rate, oxygen saturation level and behavioral state were measured and compared to a similar 45-minute control period without the earmuff cap. Subjects showed a significant decrease (p = .050) in mean respiration rate, and a significant increase (p < .02) in mean oxygen saturation level with the earmuff cap on. No significant differences were found in heart rate between the experimental condition and the control condition. Behavioral state was documented only as a potentially confounding variable, however a significant decrease (p < .05) in the time spent awake and a significant increase (p < .05) in the time spent in quiet sleep rather than active sleep occurred with the earmuff cap on. Findings suggest that noise reduction may be a viable means of increasing respiratory efficiency and the amount and quality of sleep in premature infants in neonatal intensive care.

The rewards and sanctions associated with high-stakes testing may induce educators to participate in practices that will ensure the elimination of the scores of low-achieving students from the testing pool. Two ways in which scores may be eliminated is through retention or referral to special education. This study examined the use of these practices at 179 elementary schools in Miami-Dade County Public Schools, the 4th largest school district in the country. Between- and within-subjects designs were analyzed using repeated measures analysis of variance to compare retention and referral to special education practices over a five-year period of time, two years prior to and two years after the implementation of Florida's high-stakes test, the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test, FCAT. Significant main effects for referral and retention over time were demonstrated. The use of retention steadily increased over the first three years, with its usage maintained during the fourth year. While the use of referral actually decreased from the first to second years, a significant change occurred after the implementation of the FCAT. Examination of the use of these practices according to student and school characteristics revealed significant differences. Increases in the use of referral across time was significant for Black, non-Hispanic and Hispanic students, all limited English proficiency population categories, medium and low socioeconomic status category schools, all grade levels, and for schools with accountability grades of A, C, D and F with the most striking absolute increase occurring for F schools. Increases in the use of retention across time were significant for all ethnic groups, limited English proficiency categories, and socioeconomic status categories, for grades kindergarten through four and by gender. Significant increases occurred for schools with accountability performance grades of C, D and F; however the most dramatic increase occurred for the F schools. A direct relationship between performance category grade of school and their use of retention was demonstrated. The results suggest that schools changed their use of referral and retention in response to the implementation of the FCAT.

This study developed and validated a preschool screening instrument designed to identify children, enrolled in the Dade County Head Start program, who would be found eligible for placement in a language impaired or educable mentally handicapped program in the Dade County Public Schools (DCPS) system. Previously used commercial screening instruments were demonstrated to have unsatisfactory predictive validity. The new screening instrument was developed by utilizing already existing test items from a developmental skills assessment instrument, the Learning Accomplishment Profile-Diagnostic. These items were selected on the basis of their sensitivity and specificity hit rate scores. The reliability of the new screening instrument was established by using the test-retest and interrater methods. Predictive validity was established by using a double sample technique of 600 Head Start children for each sample and the classification or hit rate method following a comprehensive evaluation process. The new screening instrument was found to be a more accurate predictor of the need for exceptional student education services than the commercial screening instruments. The results showed that predictions could be made with confidence when a preschool screening instrument is developed which clearly defines; a) the population to be screened; b) the population to be identified; c) the criteria to determine who will be referred for comprehensive assessment; and, d) the criteria for determining who is eligible for intervention services.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of an intervention combining holistic and graphophonic methods on the decoding performance of children with reading disabilities. The impact of this synthesis of teaching methods was evaluated by examining five students' abilities to decode a set of training words using three common vowel patterns. Words containing these magic e, double vowel, and closed vowel patterns were presented in isolation and in context. Additional sets of novel words and nonsense words using the same vowel patterns were used to evaluate generalization. The study incorporated single-subject experimental research methods, using a multiple baseline design across vowel patterns. Data were collected and analyzed daily. The results of this study indicated that all five second-graders, three boys and two girls, demonstrated substantial gains in decoding ability on all three vowel patterns. The students increased their accuracy on training words in isolation, as well as in context. In addition, students increased their decoding accuracy on generalization words, in both novel and nonsense words. These increases in decoding accuracy were maintained during post-intervention probes and during the 7-week follow-up phase of the study.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of two approaches to increasing academic achievement in reading and mathematics. One approach used a "structured parental support program" to enhance academic achievement in reading and mathematics. In this procedure, two different "parental programs" were tested. The second approach tested in this study was the effect of a "beginning instrumental music program" on a child's academic achievement in reading and mathematics. In addition, a survey of "Student Attitudes" concerning reading, mathematics, and instrumental beginning music lessons was administered. A questionnaire was sent to all parents involved in the study. The responses of the parents to the questions were used as a guide to improve future parental workshops. The setting was in Somerset, Massachusetts, using fourth and fifth grade students. The total fourth and fifth grade population was approximately 425 students. The sample was composed of 105 children whose parents responded affirmatively to a Parental Consent Form. The students were randomly assigned to one of four groups, based on their pre-math score. The findings in this study revealed that the parents in the study were committed to assisting their children with the homework assignments. The analyses of data revealed that the students in the "structured parental support program" did significantly better in their posttest reading and math scores than the students whose parents were not in the structured parental support program. Also, the data revealed that the students in the "beginning instrumental music lesson program" did significantly better in their posttest reading and math scores than the students not in the "beginning instrumental music lesson program." The findings are of immediate practical value to the people making decisions about school curriculum. This study reinforces research done on music and achievement, and parents and achievement.

Former colonial societies, largely categorized as the Third World, are still affected by negative retentions of their colonial past. The education system in these societies is arguably the most affected in this regard; and teacher education is no exception. Since teacher training is such a pivotal component of this sector, it is a key point of entry to gain a deeper understanding of the effects of colonialism on educational institutions, structures and processes. Jamaica provides an important context for this study in light of its dual or two-tiered system of education which evolved from slavery and colonialism. Using both phenomenological and postcolonial theoretical frameworks, I conducted a study to ascertain what the experiences of Jamaican teachers' college lecturers would reveal about the status of teacher education. Using an in-depth interviewing methodology, I interviewed 17 lecturers from five (5) of the six (6) teachers' colleges in Jamaica. Each interview was approximately 90 minutes long, and each participant was interviewed thrice. Interviews were audiotaped and transcribed verbatim. I judiciously read each interview transcript, and then coded segments that were salient to my research focus---the lived experience of Jamaican teachers' college lecturers. These coded segments indicated nine (9) themes which overwhelmingly suggest that as tertiary institutions, teachers' colleges are viewed in low regard and continue to occupy the lower rung of an inequitable two-tiered system. In keeping with the second theoretical frame of the study---postcolonial discourse---I analyzed six (6) of the themes with a view to uncovering deeper meanings underlying the educators' experiences. The preponderance of the meanings derived strongly suggests that there are retentions of colonialism that prevent teachers' colleges from cementing their place as legitimate tertiary institutions. However, there is some measure of hope, as the findings also indicate that there are pockets of radical pedagogical shifts among teachers' college lecturers, away from hegemonic conceptions of teaching rooted in British colonialism and imperialism.

An ecological perspective has been utilized to understand the teaching-learning context in physical education and sport settings, yet few studies have systematically studied the teacher/coach in their dual role context teaching and coaching (Hastie & Siedentop, 1999). The purpose of this study was twofold. First, to examine the work of an exemplary physical education teacher/coach teaching soccer in physical education and coaching soccer in sport from Doyle's (1977) ecological perspective. Specifically, to understand the similarities and difference of the program of action (PoA), during lesson and practice sessions. Second to examine, from Callero's (1994) resource perspective of role, how dual role responsibilities influenced the work of a physical education teacher/coach. Participants included Tom, a 34-year veteran physical education teacher/coach and his physical education class (N = 14), and varsity boy's soccer team (N = 23). Data were collected at 15 physical education classes and 31 soccer practices using qualitative techniques (e.g., narrative field notes, in-depth participant interviews). Three formal semi-structured 90 minute interviews were conducted with the teacher/coach to explore his background, perceptions and beliefs about teaching and coaching, and his work as a dual role professional. Semi-structured 30-minute student/athlete interviews were conducted with seven students and 21 athletes and focused on their experiences in sport and physical education with Tom. Data were analyzed inductively using a constant comparison method. Findings indicate that for Tom there was a similarity and compatibility of teaching physical education and coaching sport based on how Tom claimed the teaching and coaching role. Second, reverence among student/athletes and Tom was a powerful resource Tom accessed through the teaching and coaching role, which facilitated relationship building and contributed to a positive learning environment. Finally, Tom structured the learning environments in physical education and sport with robust PoAs, which included a strong primary learning vector. Tom used many appropriate pedagogical practices in both physical education and sport, such as effective rules, routines, expectations, and strong content development through the four games stages (Rink, 1998) which contributed to the robustness of the PoA. This study was an important step in the systematic examination of the practices of exemplary physical education teacher/coaches.