PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to survey ·learning disability students and students in special day classes and to compare them on select characteristics to each other and to children attending regular day classes. VARIABLES: The selected variables. for this study were creativity, locus of control, and academic achievement. Each of these variables was divided into sub-parts permitting a more inclusive consideration. Creativity was measured for the factors of fluency, flexibility, originality, and elaboration. Locus of control was separated into three parts, each measuring one of the following: student responsibility for academic failure, (I-); responsibility for academic success, (I+); and a composite of these two (I Total). Academic achievement was measured by the use I of diagnostic Stanford Reading and Stanford Arithmetic tests. The following skills· were tested in the area of reading: reading comprehension, vocabulary, auditory discrimination, syllabication, beginning and ending sounds, blending, and sound discrimination. The diagnostic arithmetic test had thirteen subtests. Only seven of the subtests were used and these were number system and counting, operations, decimal place value, addition, subtraction, concepts total, and computation total. POPULATION: The population of this study consisted of forty randomly selected elementary students in special programs for the educationally handicapped. Twenty of the students were enrolled in learning disability groups while the remaining twenty students attended special day classes for educationally handicapped minors. All of the students were in either the third or fourth grade level school placement and attended the Napa Valley Unified School District. PROCEDURES: The forty students were divided into one of four groups according to I.Q. and educational classification. This allowed the researcher to control the I.Q. while examining the twenty-one variables. Analysis of variance was used. When comparing students in special day classes and students in learning disability groups to normative data, the t-test was utilized. FINDINGS: Achievement l. Special day class students are academically more deficient than learning disability students in understanding the number system, knowing decimal place notation, doing addition. These results were significant at the .05 level of confidence. 2. As expected, students in learning disability groups and students in special day classes are below regular students in all academic areas (significant at the .01 level). Creativity 1. Students in learning disability groups are more flexible than students from special day classes. · 2. Both students from learning disability groups and students from special day classes were less elaborate but more original in their responses than regular students. · Locus of Control 1. Students in learning disability groups and students in special day classes were less able to take responsibility for their academic successes than regular students. There is some indication that both students in learning disability groups and students in special day classes do not take responsibility for their academic failures. In general, these two types of students see the world as externally controlled.

<p><h1>There is a growing number of students with disabilities accessing postsecondary education in Ontario. Among this student body, students with learning disabilities are the largest sub-group. These students transition into knowledge workplaces, which have significant cognitive performance standards. Although there is some emerging literature on the outcome of university graduates with learning disabilities, there is little known about their <em>experiences </em>during this transition process.</h1></p> <p>There are two central purposes of this doctoral thesis: a) to provide insight into the experiences of transition for university graduates with learning disabilities, and b) to critically reflect upon the practicalities and politics of implementing participatory action research. The papers gathered in this dissertation are based upon a participatory action research project with mentees, and interviews with both mentees and mentors from a learning disability mentorship program at an Ontario university. The first paper is a collaborative writing piece with co-researchers that applies an analogy of ‘taking center stage’ to reflect upon the process of participation for co-researchers. The second paper involves a critical reflection of the <em>imagined distance </em>that took place amongst the research team, and an exploration of participatory techniques to address this distance. The third paper examines qualitative interviews with mentors and mentees on three stages of the transition process: interview, general cognitive ability testing and probationary period.</p> / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

<p>This project discusses a major issue in the educational system of the Province of Ontario in the 1980' s. With the full implementation of Bill 82 in September of 1985, school boards across the province will be forced once again to determine how the needs of children with handicapping conditions ought best be met. Should they be mainstreamed with their chronological peers in neighbourhood schools or should they attend special schools where all ancillary services are provided? The purpose of this paper is to examine this integration/segregation debate. The first two chapters provide the reader with a historical overview of the issue as well as with a description and critical analysis of the early efficacy studies that have been used as justification for the choice of one type of administrative arrangement over another. Chapter three outlines more contemporary arguments and research in support of the mainstreaming position. It also describes the philosophy, strategies and tec110iques of a local school board that has been mainstreaming children with handicapping conditions since the late 1960's. The final chapter outlines two evaluative techniques that can be used to asses the effectiveness of integration segregation as educational models. Further, a proposal for future research is described in which both of these evaluative techniques would be employed.</p> / Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT)

This phenomenological study examined the perceived influences that male graduates from Title I high schools attribute to their success. During the last 30 years the poverty gap has not narrowed and in some cases it has increased. This study hoped to provide evidence of supports needed by looking at males who overcame generational poverty. This study included qualitative data collection from interviews of 15 male participants. Nine themes emerged in the findings of perceived influences by these participants. The nine themes identified where 1) Success has two components; internal and external, 2) School personnel and programs guided success, 3) Change in mindset, 4) Changes in family structure and circumstances, 5) Lack of family financial resources, 6) Parents prioritizing success in school, 7) Being part of an athletic team/peer group, 8) Lack of experience affected college success and understanding, and 9) Credit difficulties from childhood for their success. The analysis of data collected supported the developed themes. Recommendations were made for further study and practice.

This study was performed as the result of gaps in the literature in the area of transition to independent living (IL) using secondary data from the National Longitudinal Transition Study 2 (NLTS-2). Its findings identify individual, skills, family, and school factors that predict postsecondary living status and moderators of the relationships between predictors and the outcome. Specifically, results indicated the following factors as predicting postsecondary living status: individual factors (ethnicity and disability label), skills (self-care, functional mental, personal autonomy, self-realization, and social), family factors (parental expectations and parental involvement in school), and school factors (student’s role in transition planning and having IL as the primary IEP goal). The following factors also emerged as moderators: ethnicity, disability label, mental skills, social skills, personal autonomy, and having IL as the primary goal. Performing analyses on secondary data, although providing the advantage of large numbers of participants, also result in limitations that were considered when making recommendations. Future research should investigate the accuracy of findings regarding skills predictors, and probe for better understanding of decision making during transition planning and participants’ experiences. Policy should include transition planning specifically for IL and postsecondary follow-up for this outcome, while practice should focus on incorporating planning for IL during transition planning, addressing cultural diversity in transition, and helping parents develop high and realistic expectations for their children.

Students identified by the special education classification Other Health Impairment (OHI) represent the third largest group of students receiving special education services in the United States. The special education services offered these students include both academic and health related supports. The delivery of these services is enhanced when a partnership exits between the primary stakeholders; the student, parents, the school personnel, and the medical personnel. The use of Family Centered Care principles in the delivery of these services supports and maintains the partnership. Following the qualitative analysis of a series of interviews of parents whose children were classified as OHI, descriptive and inferential themes were derived from the interview data. These themes are discussed relative to the parents’ belief that the classification provided; access to appropriate special education and school-based health care allowing their children to achieve their maximum potential, parental satisfaction with the special education and school-based health care services provided, and the use of Family-Centered Care principles. Key Words: special education, health impairment, OHI, family

The emotionally disturbed child has a definite place in the normal classroom setting. It is the purpose of this project to help the classroom teacher determine the place in the classroom for the disturbed child and to help the child to learn effectively. This learning should include not only the academic areas, but also the mental or emotional areas. This project will attempt to present proven strategies to aid in this learning situation.

The reading achievement of two groups of ninth grade students with learning disabilities was compared using the standard scores on the Reading subtest of the Wide Range Achievement Test (WRAT) as the pre- and posttest measurement to determine gain in reading achievement. The experimental group used only curriculum materials written in the Initial Teaching Alphabet (ITA). The control group used curriculum materials written in traditional orthography provided for students with learning disabilities by a rural Kentucky School District. At the end of an 80-day period, the standard scores on the Reading subtest of the WRAT were compared using a t-test, multiple regression equation, Mann-Whitney U Test, and a sign test. The statistical analyses of the convergent findings of these tests indicated that the experimental group made significant gains in reading achievement while the reading achievement of the control group regressed. In addition to gains indicated by statistical analysis, observations indicated the experimental group had also made gains in self-confidence and motivation. The members of the control group appeared to become lackadaisical in their attitude and motivation by the end of the investigation.

Mathematics is essential in everyday life activities and most educational opportunities and careers require mathematical knowledge, thus it is vital that students with emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD) receive sufficient instruction that leads to proficiency in the subject. Performing poorly in mathematics can result in dire future outcomes. This is particularly true for students with EBD, who already experience significant difficulties throughout and after their educational career. While studies have documented the academic and behavioral problems of students with EBD, not until recently have studies begun to concentrate on academic interventions that may aid in preventing some of the academic challenges these students face. It is of great importance that researchers continue to identify effective and efficient strategies of providing academic instruction, particularly in mathematics, to students with EBD. The current study examined the extent to which a technology-based intervention was effective in math instruction for students with EBD. In addition, to address the social/behavioral issues typically prevalent in students with EBD, students’ task engagement was also examined and a social validity survey was used to examine their attitudes toward mathematics and technology-based instruction. A single-subject multiple-probe design across six participants was selected for this study. The computer-assisted instruction (CAI) intervention, I CAN Learn computer software program, was implemented in a high school mathematics classroom. The overall results of the study indicated that the intervention improved the adolescents’ mathematics achievement, but findings revealed that the intervention was more effective with some participants than others. In addition, results indicated that the intervention may not be associated with the participants’ task engagement. The study’s social validity survey showed that the participants had varying attitudes toward mathematics and CAI at the end of the study.

The majority of city and county school systems throughout Tennessee and the United States at one time or another experience a budget crisis. In the state of Tennessee, school systems are funded through the Basic Education Program, established in 1992 as part of the Tennessee Education Improvement Act. The lawsuit of 1988, Tennessee Small School Systems v. McWherter, created the Basic Education Program. Through the years, the Basic Education Program has provided extra teaching positions, materials, and supplies and has provided the funding formula for school systems throughout the state. Many high-ranking administrators contend that the Basic Education Program has outlasted its time. School administrators from both city and county school systems indicate the program needs to be restructured to meet the current needs of the schools and students throughout the state of Tennessee. The purpose of this mixed-method study was to explore the perceptions of educational equality and the advantages/disadvantages of the Basic Education Program. Through quantitative data, city and county school systems were compared for per-pupil spending, average teacher salary, and student achievement in the advanced proficient category for math and reading/language. These data were collected from the Tennessee Department of Education website and the Tennessee Education Association website. Qualitative data were collected through interviews with high-ranking administrators from city and county school systems in Northeast Tennessee. These administrators were purposively selected from systems containing both city and county schools. The findings of this study demonstrated that city school systems have higher per-pupil spending and higher teacher salaries than county systems. City school systems have higher student achievement levels in the advanced proficient category than county school systems. Interview participants agree that educational equity does not exist between city and county school systems in the state of Tennessee. The participants in this study express that although the Basic Education Program in Tennessee was effective, at one time, it should be restructured or redefined to meet the current needs of all students in the state of Tennessee.