Although standards-based IEP goals have been mandated in many states for almost a decade, their effectiveness is unknown. Standards-based IEP goals were first created to meet the requirements of No Child Left Behind and Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act, which increased accountability for all students as well as those with disabilities, while providing targets for state standardized test scores and ensuring access to, and progress in, the general education curriculum for students with disabilities. Factors, such as teacher training, collaboration, and accountability may influence teachers’ perceptions of aligning IEP goals to grade level expectations. Using a survey, this study examined teachers’ perceptions of the efficacy of standards-based IEP goals. One hundred prekindergarten and kindergarten female teachers responded to the survey. Calculations from a linear regression indicated that a relationship existed between the usage of standards-based goals and curriculum-based measures. Results also indicated that teachers may choose to ignore standards-based IEP goals at times to focus on individual students’ needs. Overall, teachers reported that they wrote or gave input into the development of IEPs. However, not all teachers recognized the benefits of students with disabilities in general education classrooms, despite indicating that accommodations and modifications were generally defined. Future research suggestions include investigating perceptions regarding standards-based IEP goals in terms of type of disability of the student. Additionally, a review of personnel preparation programs could provide additional information about the training that teachers receive regarding standards-based IEP goals.

The purpose of this study was to determine if there was a difference in Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment Program Modified Academic Achievement Standards (TCAP MAAS) achievement test scores for special education students who receive their instruction in the resource classroom or in an inclusion classroom. The study involved third, fourth, and fifth grade special education students in an east Tennessee school district. The TCAP MAAS scale scores used were from the 2011-2012 school year. An independent samples t-test was implemented in this study. The dependent variable in the study was the TCAP MAAS scaled scores. The independent variable was student placement. Placement was regular education inclusion or special education resource class. The study included 11 elementary schools and 210 special education students’ scores. The results indicated significantly higher TCAP MAAS scaled scores of those students receiving their instruction in a regular education inclusion classroom in every analysis except for fifth grade Reading/Language Arts scores.

Self-determination and self-advocacy skills, necessary for students to successfully transition to secondary education and beyond, are often missing in students with disabilities. These skills are an important part of the process of addressing transition in an Individualized Education Program (IEP). The purpose of this case study was to gain an understanding of general education teachers' perceptions about self-determination and self-advocacy skills in students with disabilities. Guided by Deci and Ryan's self-determination theory, this study examined general education teachers' perceptions about self-determination and self-advocacy skills in students with disabilities, and attempted to determine how these skills changed after students with disabilities worked with a peer advocate. General education teachers' perceptions about self-determination and self-advocacy were identified, as well as differences in perceptions regarding students who worked with a peer advocate and those who did not. A purposeful sample of 5 general education teachers was selected to participate in this study. Teachers participated in 1 interview, completed an anonymous survey, and participated in 1 classroom observation. Descriptive analysis was used to present the information in a narrative. Participants felt that self-determination and self-advocacy skills were important for students with disabilities. Teachers with the experience of having peer advocates in their classroom noticed an increase of self-determination and self-advocacy skills in students with disabilities. This study may provide positive social change by giving insight to educators on ways to utilize peer tutors or advocates with students with disabilities to aid in their academic and social success, resulting in successful student participation in the IEP process and transitioning from middle school to high school.

Self-advocacy for persons with disabilities involves demonstrating knowledge of oneself and knowledge of rights afforded to individuals with disabilities through one's communication with others and leadership skills. These self-advocacy skills are significantly associated with positive outcomes after high school for students with a range of disabilities. However, knowledge of elementary students' self-advocacy skills is limited. One reason for this lack of evidence is that a psychometrically sound instrument designed to measure the cumulative skills within the self-advocacy construct did not exist. The purpose of the current study was to create a measure of self-advocacy skills that can be used with elementary students identified as having ADHD: the Self-Advocacy Measure for Youth (SAMY). Seventy-six parents/caregivers of elementary school youth identified as having ADHD and an IEP or Section 504 plan were included in the preliminary validation study. Analyses of their responses provided initial support that the items included in the SAMY fit the theoretical construct of self-advocacy as no items were indicated for removal or modification. Strong internal consistency was indicated for the Total Scale (α = .93) and subscales (Knowledge of Self, Knowledge of Rights, Communication and Leadership Skills α = .87, .87, .79, and .84 respectively), and test-retest analyses based on 20% of respondents (n = 14) provided evidence for the reliability of the interpretation of Total Scale (r =.865, p < .01) and subscale scores across one month of time. The theoretical framework, principal components analysis, and parallel analysis supported four-, six-, and two-factor measurement models, respectively, indicating the need for additional research prior to determining the most appropriate model for interpreting the SAMY scores for youth identified as having ADHD. A moderate correlation (r = .47, p < .01) between overall scores on the SAMY and on the American Institutes for Research Self-Determination Scale (AIR) provided evidence of discriminant validity. An independent t-test indicated no significant difference in the Total Scale scores for students with an IEP (M = 49.66, SD = 19.75) compared to students with a Section 504 Plan (M = 52.54, SD = 16.52); t(74)=0.68, p = .50); similar analyses performed for each subscale revealed no significant differences. A statistically significant difference existed between the Total Scale scores for students in grades K-2 (n = 23; M = 41.57; SD = 14.30) compared to students in grades 3-5 (n = 53; M = 55.08; SD = 18.41; t(74)= -3.13, p = .003) based on independent t-tests. The Pearson correlation coefficient revealed a significant, moderate correlation between school level and SAMY Total Score, r =.34, p < .01. This positive correlation between overall self-advocacy skills and elementary school level supported the theoretical progression of self-advocacy skill growth mirroring overall development. Implications for school psychologists and suggestions for future research are discussed.

This small-scale qualitative, action research study sought to establish the efficacy of using the Individualised Education Programme (IEP) as an assistive tool towards the differentiation of reading programmes for young, gifted and talented readers. Despite a growing awareness about the importance of curriculum differentiation for all students, research indicates how little some classroom teachers do to meet the needs of gifted readers. The literature reviewed reveals how the prolonged mismatching of instructional reading programmes to the academic and emotional maturity of the gifted reader may well result in underachievement, and a diminished opportunity to learn how to react to challenge. In November 2006, the New Zealand Ministry of Education launched its personalising learning initiative, which promotes the active participation of students in their education by creating their own learning pathways. Students are encouraged to articulate their learning needs and preferences, and set goals in collaboration with their parents and family/whanau and teachers. With its underlying principles based on collaboration and communication, together with its seemingly flexible structure, this study utilised the IEP as a personalising learning framework for young gifted and talented readers, and as a differentiation tool for their teachers. Over a five month period, the researcher worked alongside three Year Two/Three teachers from an urban, decile five primary school as they each identified one gifted reader from their classes, and together with the student and the student's parents, set about planning and implementing an IEP, using strategies and approaches suggested by the literature as the most apposite for gifted readers. Data was gathered through in-class observations, participants' journals, focus group meetings, IEP meetings, and semi-structured interviews. This study reveals the use of the IEP holds great promise as a differentiation tool towards the personalisation of learning programmes for young, gifted readers. Each student attended his or her own IEP meetings, indicated their learning preferences and needs, helped to set his or her own learning goals, and assessed their own achievement using the IEP goal indicators. Significantly, for the teachers involved in this project, the IEPs proved not only useful as qualitatively differentiated planning frameworks for the students in the study, but many of the goals and strategies used proved pertinent for all children, in particular, for the 'top' reading groups. In this regard, IEPs proved to be 'work-smarter' tools for the teachers involved, serving as planning blueprints for the most able readers in their classes, thereby creating inclusive rather than exclusive conditions for the gifted readers. Furthermore, the insights gained by the teachers involved into the needs of their gifted readers ultimately challenged their personal teaching philosophies, and resulted in changes to their teaching practices for their gifted students.

<p>The Swedish school law says that students who need special education should have all the support they need to reach the qualification that is set up. The arrangements have to be written down in an Individual education plan (IEP). Before the IEP is set up there has to be an investigation about what kind of support and measures the student needs to reach the qualification that is set up. The aim of this study is to examine student’s participation in school and in the progress with their own IEP.</p><p>I have accomplished a qualitative study by interviewing eight students during the letter part in the nine-year school. Each student has an IEP. My study has been accomplished in a first person perspective where I have rendered the student’s own stories as I understood them. The result shows that the student’s participation varies between active and passive participation independent of whether the participation is social or task-orientated. The main reason for the students to come to school is to join their friends. The result also shows that the students describe that they are participating in school and in the progress with their IEP even if their participation often is described as a passive involvement. Connecting to earlier researches shows that participation is more often recognised when the respondents are adults in school than if the respondents are students.</p><p>My conclusion of this study is that students have to participate earlier and more often in the junior school. That will lead to more engagement and motivation and the students will take more responsibility for learning in school. In that way they will get more knowledge according to our curriculum which is necessary for the examination in the ninth year.</p> / <p>I skolans styrdokument står att elever i behov av särskilt stöd ska få det stöd som krävs för att de ska ha möjlighet att nå målen. Detta stöd ska dokumenteras i ett åtgärdsprogram där mål och åtgärder ska beskrivas. Innan själva åtgärdsprogrammet upprättas ska det göras en kartläggning av vilket behov av stöd som krävs för att eleven ska ges möjlighet att nå målen. I denna studie vill jag undersöka hur några elever i grundskolans senare år upplever skolan och då med särskilt fokus på hur de ser på sin delaktighet i skolan och i arbetet med sitt åtgärdsprogram..</p><p>Jag har genomfört en kvalitativ studie genom att intervjua åtta elever i grundskolans senare år med upprättade åtgärdsprogram. Studien har genomförts ur ett elevperspektiv där jag har återgett elevernas beskrivningar så som jag har uppfattat dem. Resultatet visar att elevernas delaktighet varierar mellan aktiv och passiv delaktighet oberoende av om delaktigheten är social eller uppgiftsorienterad. Aktiv delaktighet kräver motivation och engagemang. Med passiv delaktighet avser jag ett deltagande utan engagemang eller motivation. Resultatet visar också att eleverna i första hand kommer till skolan för att träffa och umgås med kamrater. När det gäller delaktighet i skolan och i arbetet med sitt åtgärdsprogram visar studien att eleverna anser att de varit delaktiga även om delaktighet ofta beskrivs som ett passivt deltagande. Vid jämförelser med tidigare forskning framkommer att elevers delaktighet beskrivs större i de studier som genomförts med skolpersonal som informanter än i de studier som genomförts med elever som informanter.</p><p>Min slutsats av denna studie blir att elever behöver göras delaktiga oftare och tidigare i skolåren för att eleverna ska känna motivation och engagemang för sitt lärande. Därmed får eleverna den kunskap som är nödvändig för att efter nionde skolåret nå de mål som beskrivs i läroplan och kursplaner.</p>

The Swedish school law says that students who need special education should have all the support they need to reach the qualification that is set up. The arrangements have to be written down in an Individual education plan (IEP). Before the IEP is set up there has to be an investigation about what kind of support and measures the student needs to reach the qualification that is set up. The aim of this study is to examine student’s participation in school and in the progress with their own IEP. I have accomplished a qualitative study by interviewing eight students during the letter part in the nine-year school. Each student has an IEP. My study has been accomplished in a first person perspective where I have rendered the student’s own stories as I understood them. The result shows that the student’s participation varies between active and passive participation independent of whether the participation is social or task-orientated. The main reason for the students to come to school is to join their friends. The result also shows that the students describe that they are participating in school and in the progress with their IEP even if their participation often is described as a passive involvement. Connecting to earlier researches shows that participation is more often recognised when the respondents are adults in school than if the respondents are students. My conclusion of this study is that students have to participate earlier and more often in the junior school. That will lead to more engagement and motivation and the students will take more responsibility for learning in school. In that way they will get more knowledge according to our curriculum which is necessary for the examination in the ninth year. / I skolans styrdokument står att elever i behov av särskilt stöd ska få det stöd som krävs för att de ska ha möjlighet att nå målen. Detta stöd ska dokumenteras i ett åtgärdsprogram där mål och åtgärder ska beskrivas. Innan själva åtgärdsprogrammet upprättas ska det göras en kartläggning av vilket behov av stöd som krävs för att eleven ska ges möjlighet att nå målen. I denna studie vill jag undersöka hur några elever i grundskolans senare år upplever skolan och då med särskilt fokus på hur de ser på sin delaktighet i skolan och i arbetet med sitt åtgärdsprogram.. Jag har genomfört en kvalitativ studie genom att intervjua åtta elever i grundskolans senare år med upprättade åtgärdsprogram. Studien har genomförts ur ett elevperspektiv där jag har återgett elevernas beskrivningar så som jag har uppfattat dem. Resultatet visar att elevernas delaktighet varierar mellan aktiv och passiv delaktighet oberoende av om delaktigheten är social eller uppgiftsorienterad. Aktiv delaktighet kräver motivation och engagemang. Med passiv delaktighet avser jag ett deltagande utan engagemang eller motivation. Resultatet visar också att eleverna i första hand kommer till skolan för att träffa och umgås med kamrater. När det gäller delaktighet i skolan och i arbetet med sitt åtgärdsprogram visar studien att eleverna anser att de varit delaktiga även om delaktighet ofta beskrivs som ett passivt deltagande. Vid jämförelser med tidigare forskning framkommer att elevers delaktighet beskrivs större i de studier som genomförts med skolpersonal som informanter än i de studier som genomförts med elever som informanter. Min slutsats av denna studie blir att elever behöver göras delaktiga oftare och tidigare i skolåren för att eleverna ska känna motivation och engagemang för sitt lärande. Därmed får eleverna den kunskap som är nödvändig för att efter nionde skolåret nå de mål som beskrivs i läroplan och kursplaner.

It is well known that individuals with disabilities have poor postsecondary outcomes. As a result, state and local education agencies are held accountable for the post-school achievements of their students with disabilities. The purposes of this study were (a) to determine the extent to which the transition components of Individualized Education Program (IEP) documents were compliant with the transition requirements of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act of 2004 (IDEIA), (b) to determine the extent to which the transition components of the IEP documents provided evidence of best practices, (c) to determine the effects that disability category and ethnicity had on compliance and practices as evidenced in the transition components of the IEP documents, and (d) to determine the relationship between overall compliance and best practices. The sample for the study included 212 secondary students who had a developmental disability, an emotional disorder, or a learning disability and who were African American, Caucasian, or Hispanic. Several types of analyses were conducted including descriptive, multiple logistic regression, and Spearman's rho correlation. The overall level of compliance was 2.03 (SD = 1.238). The range of possible scores was 0 - 5, with 0 indicating that none of the components of compliance were 100 percent compliant, and 5 indicating that all of the components were 100 percent compliant. The overall level of best practices as evidenced in the IEP documents was 4.89 (SD = 1.569). The range of possible scores was 0 - 8, with 0 indicating that there was no evidence of any of the practices in the IEP document, and 8 indicating that evidence of all the practices was found in the IEP document. A student's disability category and ethnicity were found to be influencing characteristics for increasing or decreasing the probability of an IEP document being compliant and/or having evidence of best practices. A statistically significant correlation of r = .429 was found between the overall levels of compliance and best practices, indicating that as the level of compliance increased, so too did the level of best practices evident in the IEP document.

AR is hypothesized to comprise above-threshold academic language proficiency, personal characteristics, topical knowledge, academic skills, and academic auxiliaries (motivation, study skills, engagement, work drive, emotional stability, affective schemata, and metacognitive strategies).The participants were 36 international adults, studying pre-university academic English at intensive institutes in Florida who volunteered to take the CLEAR during the summer of 2004. Data were collected via the CLEAR multiple-choice knowledge test and essay test, teacher ratings, examinee feedback, and external measures.Results showed the CLEAR knowledge test functions well at the item level although overall scores are only moderately consistent. The essay scoring consistency was satisfactory, perhaps partly due to the purpose-built scoring tool Good support for content-related validity claims was found for the dynamic simulation overall, for the stimulus materials, for the knowledge test items, for the essay prompt, and for the essay scoring tool. The concurrent measure of teacher ratings correlated with the knowledge test, but not with the content-based essay. Concerning construct-related claims of validity, support was evinced through the literature review as well as through inter-subtest correlation. External measures suggested some discriminant evidentiary support. Examinees perceived that the CLEAR closely resembled the target environment, they judged the CLEAR quality to be a key feature, and they would recommend the CLEAR to a friend for the growth experience.

This qualitative case study drew on Positioning Theory (e.g., Davies & Harré, 1990) to explore the ways in which the negotiation of power and positioning affected language learning. Participants were nine students and their female teacher in a university-level English for Academic Purposes (EAP) Oral Skills (Listening and Speaking) class. Methods of data collection included the video- and audio-taping of classroom activities for 3.5 months, interviews with students and their teacher, field notes of classroom observations, diaries, and relevant teacher and learning artifacts. As a participant observer, I explored positioning, which refers to locating oneself and others with certain rights and obligations to allow or limit certain actions, in classroom talk and investigated its interaction with second language learning and use. After spending a certain amount of time in the field, I chose two male students as my focal participants, as their positioning and participation differed in terms of quantity and quality of their talk. Through a recursive micro-analysis of classroom interaction and qualitative analysis of other data sources, the findings indicated that the two focal participants constantly dominated classroom conversations and positioned themselves in ways beneficial to them, while other students in the same classroom experienced difficulties in negotiating symbolic power and gaining access to learning opportunities. Additionally the findings showed how interactive and reflexive positioning of learners, which were impacted by a large number of factors, including age, socio-cultural backgrounds, and beliefs, assigned students certain identities and social status over the course of the semester. If second language acquisition is fostered in the classroom by communicative interactions, teachers should attempt to minimize students’ differential access to second language learning opportunities as much as possible. / text