This phenomenological study used qualitative research methods to explore the perceptions of tenured science faculty regarding the provision of reasonable accommodations for students with disabilities. Thirteen tenured science faculty at postsecondary institutions throughout the United States participated in one-on-one interviews. The participants provided their perceptions and experiences regarding the provision of academic accommodations for students with disabilities in a laboratory science. In these interviews key themes emerged, such as the importance of providing reasonable accommodations for successful academic outcomes for students with disabilities, the perception that providing reasonable accommodations to students with disabilities is fair, the concern that providing reasonable accommodations may not prepare students with disabilities for future endeavors, the perception that the processes and procedures regarding student accommodations are vague, the recognition that faculty members are legally obligated to provide reasonable accommodations to students with disabilities, and the challenges faced with providing reasonable accommodations to students with disabilities in the laboratory portion of science courses are discipline specific. The findings from my study can be used to provide support and mentorship for students with disabilities who are enrolled in science courses, provide science faculty with training regarding appropriate and inclusive teaching strategies for students with disabilities in science courses, and provide insights into ways to support science faculty with the challenges they encounter while providing reasonable accommodations to students with disabilities in the laboratory portion of their courses that are discipline specific.

Transition services at the high school level can make a positive difference in the postsecondary outcomes of students with disabilities by providing them a program of study or training at the secondary level. Transition services can also assist them in aquiring an education, vocational training, rehabilitative services, and work opportunities as they enter the postsecondary world of young adulthood. The purpose of this study is to compare the transition programs of 3 Southwest Virginia school systems in an effort to determine the difference a full-time transition coordinator could make in the postsecondary outcomes for students with disabilities. Findings revealed significant differences in the outcomes of students with disabilities in the 3 Southwest Virginia county school systems and the Commonwealth of Virginia Public Schools. Differences were revealed in (1) the percentage of students with disabilities who graduated with regular diplomas (either advanced or standard diplomas) and (2) the percentage of students who met the definition of Indicator 14. Each of the 3 Southwest Virginia county school systems has fewer positive outcomes than did students in the Commonwealth of Virginia Public Schools. Analysis also revealed there were no significant differences between Southwest Virginia school systems with and without a full-time transition coordinator in relation to postsecondary education, vocational training, and employment outcomes. The system with a full-time transition coordinator (Wise County) had least positive outcomes than did each of the other 2 Southwest Virginia county school systems. While there were no significant differences in the county with a full-time transition coordinator and the 2 counties without the coordinators, the graduation rates could have been even lower if the one county did not have a full-time transition coordinator.

This study investigated the capacity of a self-advocacy curriculum implemented in Tennessee suggested components that make up the conceptual framework of self-determination curriculum, (2) school-wide intervention had occurred, (3) self-determination goals were included in individualized education programs (IEPs) and transition plans, and (4) there was awareness of the curriculum capacity among Tennessee educators. This study employed descriptive and comparative statistical methods to establish assumptions regarding the curriculum's effectiveness. Educators were grouped based on their teaching role (i.e., special education, regular education, and administration) and whether or not they received training and technical assistance from the University of Tennessee's Center on Disability and Employment. An on-line survey provided data necessary to determine educators' perceptions of the curriculum's capacity to provide students opportunities to learn and practice self-advocacy skills. Seven major findings evaluated the Self-Determination and Career Planning Model as evidence-based. Educators agreed the curriculum helped students demonstrate self-advocacy skills.Educators who received training to implement the self-advocacy curriculum were better prepared to observe students' demonstration of self-advocacy skills.Self-advocacy goals were included in IEPs and transition plans.Attendance at IEP meetings did not bias educators' opinions of students' skills.The self-advocacy curriculum contained 4 recommended curriculum dimensions.Tennessee educators have a high awareness of self-determination curriculum capacity.Educators indicated an increase in student IEP participation. These findings evaluated the Self-Determination and Career Planning Model as evidence-based. Suggested curriculum improvements should be implemented and accountability of school districts to implement the curriculum should be communicated to all educators.

The purpose of this study was to examine the level of relationship that existed between undergraduates with physical disabilities at East Tennessee State University and campus student organizations. The study was designated a case study as it focused on one institution of higher education. Interview and document review were the 2 methods used for data collection. People from 2 select groups were interviewed on a one-on-one basis. One group was people involved in recruiting for selected campus organizations geared toward undergraduates and the other group was undergraduates with observable physical disabilities. Constitutions, bylaws, mission statements, and other documents offered by the recruiters for the select organizations were reviewed in an effort to discover references to people with disabilities. The results of the study are intended to assist in bridging the gap between involvement in extracurricular organizations and undergraduates with physical disabilities at East Tennessee State University. It has been documented that increased campus involvement lends itself to successful college and post-graduate careers, so it is a relevant issue to resolve. Campus organizations can benefit because their recruiters will have the opportunity to view ways to reach a new pool of possible participants. The findings could also prove beneficial to any campus experiencing a similar phenomenon.

An increasing number of English Language Learners enrolling in the Washington County Virginia Public School System during the past several years prompted the idea of this thesis. These students are currently mainstreamed in the regular academic classroom. Adapting to their needs is a new challenge in education for teachers in Southwest Virginia. This thesis offers an opportunity for teachers to prepare for a multicultural classroom setting providing English Language Learners with learning strategies necessary to gain confidence in their mathematical ability and academic success in the areas of probability and statistics. Lesson plans have been specifically designed emphasizing teaching strategies, the role of an effective teacher, classroom environment, various cultures and relevant and authentic data.

The purpose of this study was to compare postsecondary institutions in North Carolina including state universities, private colleges and universities, and community colleges in regard to the number of students with disabilities, assistive technology availability, funding ratios for assistive technology, frequency of professional development training, legislative understanding, and other support factors for students with disabilities. This comparison was accomplished through quantitative and case summarization and analysis research methodologies. Data were collected through case summarizations and the administration of surveys sent to 110 coordinators of students with disabilities services at the 15 state universities, 37 private colleges and universities, and 58 community colleges within North Carolina. The response rate was 65.5% (N =72). Findings suggest there were no significant differences among coordinators' perceptions of legislative issues, student responsibility, institutional responsibility, consideration of context in which accommodations are used, and the impact of accommodations on other faculty and students and the institution. However, there were significant differences between the three types of institutions regarding assistive technology, funding for assistive technology, and services available to students who have disabilities. The findings also included that students who self-report disabilities attend private colleges and universities at a greater percentage than attend state universities or community colleges in North Carolina.

The purpose of this review is to determine if particular instructional strategies, from a sufficient number of studies, are qualified as an evidence-based practice (EBP) for teaching text-based comprehension skills across content areas for students with intellectual disabilities (ID). This focused review will be added on to the previous review conducted by Mims et al. (in submission) where the search ended in 2018. Due to the time gap in the searched literature, the studies included within the Mims et al. study is no longer comprehensive. Therefore, this focused review of the literature will fill the gap of literature that was missing between 2018 to the present (i.e., April 2023). By combining these two literature reviews together, a much more thorough comprehensive review of the literature will be formed to demonstrate instructional strategies that qualify as an evidence-based practice for teaching text-based comprehension skills across core content areas to students with ID. The concentration within both reviews will ultimately provide guidance to educators on EBPs for instruction on text-based comprehension across content areas for students with ID, illustrate potential research gaps, and identify methods to strengthen research in the future.

The Holy See (2008) and the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (1995) stated that all students, including those with disabilities, have the right to a quality education and special attention should be given to those who are disenfranchised by having a disability (National Conference of Catholic Bishops, 1972). Based on a literature review of characteristics that embrace inclusive Catholic school leadership in elementary schools in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, the following research question was developed and used as the focus for this study: How prepared do Catholic elementary school principals see themselves in carrying out the responsibilities of an inclusive leader, in relation to the four identified characteristics of justice, ethics of care, moral imperative and trust? This quantitative study examined perceptions of Catholic elementary school principals and their preparedness as inclusive leaders to serve students with disabilities. Elementary principals in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles responded to an on-line survey, which utilized a framework that noted four characteristics that embrace social justice and confirm inclusive school leadership, those being justice, ethics of care, moral imperative, and trust. Principal preparedness was also assessed via the survey. Results of the survey indicated that elementary principals in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles did perceive themselves as inclusive leaders, prepared to serve students with disabilities with the study examining the prevalence of justice, ethics of care, moral imperative, and trust among principals. Further, this research investigated the changing responsibilities of principals and the need for principals to embrace a collaborative approach to school leadership.

Studien utgår från en ansats bestående av kombinationen fenomenografi och policy enactment med syfte att undersöka hur lärare uppfattar likvärdig utbildning. Fenomenografi belyser variation i uppfattningar av fenomen, särskilt inom utbildningskontext (Marton & Booth, 2000; Uljens, 1989), medan policy enactment lyfter fram vilka handlingar som gör policy och vilka faktorer som påverkar uppdraget likvärdig utbildning (Ball m.fl., 2012). Genom att tillföra lärarperspektivet kan studien bidra till ny kunskap i diskussionen och öka förståelsen av likvärdig utbildning. I studien genomförs fjorton intervjuer med grund- och gymnasielärare utifrån Scherps (2013) metod fältkarta. Utsagorna är sammanställda utifrån en fenomenografisk analysmetod där tre beskrivningskategorier utkristalliserats. Inom kategorierna inryms en bred variation av uppfattningar och spridning av hur lärare uppfattar likvärdig utbildning. Beskrivningskategorier utgör studiens utfallsrum och där policy enactment ansatsen ger de begreppsliga verktygen för analysen. Policy enactment ansatsen handlar om hur policys tolkas och omsätts i praxis och hur lärare blir till policyaktörer genom rekontextualisering som synliggörs i policyhandlingar (Ball m.fl., 2012). Resultatet ger en förståelse för variationerna i uppfattningar av innebörden av likvärdig utbildning som främst utgår från skollagen (SFS 2010:800) och för de omfattande policyhandlingar som gör policyn likvärdig utbildning. Resultatet för fram vilka kontextuella faktorer som påverkar uppdraget likvärdig utbildning. En del lärare uppfattar inte att de påverkas av externa kontexten styrdokument även om utsagorna grundar sig i styrdokumenten vilket skulle kunna tyda på att styrdokumenten är naturaliserade hos lärarna, det vill säga blivit en ideologisk och allmänmänsklig legitimering av lärarna som visas i diskursen. / The study uses a combined phenomenographic and policy enactment approach which aims at giving voice to teachers’ understandings of what it means to work with educational equity. Phenomenography highlights variation in perceptions of phenomena, especially within an educational context (Marton & Booth, 2000; Uljens, 1989), while policy enactment highlights the actions that make policy and the factors that influence the mission of equity in education (Ball et al., 2012). Understanding how teachers perceive educational equity can provide us with new knowledge towards achieving equity in education. In the study, fourteen interviews were carried out with compulsory and upper secondary teachers, using Scherp’s (2013) method field mapping. The interviewees' perceptions are compiled using a phenomenographic analysis method in which three descriptive categories emerged. The categories include a wide variety of perceptions and spread of how teachers perceive equity in education. Descriptive categories constitute the outcome space of the study and policy enactment approach provides the conceptual tools for the analysis. The policy enactment approach focuses on how policies are interpreted and translated into local practice where teachers are regarded as policy actors through recontextualization visible in various policy acts (Ball et al., 2012). The study provides an understanding of the various perceptions of the meaning of educational equity, primarily based on the Education Act (SFS 2010:800) and extensive policy acts that make the policy equity in education. The results bring out the contextual factors that influence teachers’ mission. However, some teachers do not perceive themselves to be influenced by external factors policy documents even though the statements are based on them, which may be due to a naturalization among teachers, having become an ideological and general human legitimization of the teachers as shown in the discourse.

The problem is this study is to locate and analyze the retarded pupils in the Stockton Elementary Public Schools. A retarded pupil is defined as one who is eight years or over in the first grade; nine years or over in the second grade; ten years or over in the third grade --- and so on. The following chart shows the ages that are considered normal for each grade: [see PDF]