<p> Since the inception of ESEA of 1965 student achievement has been one focus on public education. Fast-forward to NCLB of 2001, a reenactment of the ESEA of 1965; school leaders have been pushed to demonstrate student achievement to all learners. With increased demands to close the achievement gap and track struggling learners co-teaching models have become increasingly popular in public schools. </p><p> This study took place in a public high school located in the Southwest region of the United States. The study consisted of mix-methods using both quantitative and qualitative measurements. The study examined student achievement among general education and special education students who participated in co-teaching model core classes. Academic achievement using quarter one and quarter two benchmark assessment findings were compared between general education and special education students. </p><p> The ATTMS survey was administered to both general education and special education teachers who work in co-teaching model classes in English, mathematics, science, and social studies in the study school. The survey was distributed to 23 teachers at FKHS and secure software was used to ensure the survey respondents remained anonymous. The survey consisted of nine Likert-scaled questions to measure teacher attitudes toward teaching all students. </p><p> After the survey was administered, five general education and five special education teachers volunteered for a one-hour focus group interview. The interview was transcribed and common response sub-items were discovered. </p><p> The quantitative results did not show a significant difference between academic achievement among general education and special education students enrolled in co-teaching model classes in each of the core content areas. The focus group interview portion of the study revealed several response sub-items from general education and special education teachers who participate in co-teaching model classes. Teachers did not provide negative feedback during the focus group, rather they provided positive input regarding the need for more support to ensure all students are successful. The survey question teachers responded to were not necessarily supported by the focus group discussion. Interestingly the focus group discussed the interpretations of the survey questions and most of the survey questions were not fully supported by the focus group discussion. The response sub-items provided more insight as to why respondents selected positive, negative, and neutral choices. Overall teachers had a vested interest in all of the students they serve including students with mild to moderate disabilities.</p><p>

<p> This study examines how students who are experiencing reading difficulties in school are being supported. Topical interviews were conducted with eight special education administrators focusing on how their school district addresses students who are experiencing reading difficulties. Three major findings emerged through a qualitative coding process: (1) Reading support for students who are struggling to read before the referral process (general education students) includes a pre-referral process that usually consists of the reliance and focus on a purchased reading program in the participating districts. These programs typically focus on isolated skills and minimize meaningful reading and writing experiences within the context of the framework of the federal policy, Response to Intervention (RtI). I learned about how district administrators implement mandated RtI policies, including pre-referral intervention structures. (2) Special education administrators usually develop their descriptions of the roles, expertise, and service provision of the classroom teacher, literacy specialist, and special education teacher from the position of either prior to or after the referral process. Participating administrators spoke in-depth about their views the roles of the reading teacher/literacy specialist, general education, and special education teacher and how these types of professionals come together inside and outside of the general education classroom to provide reading support. Specifically, students are not always supported by the reading specialist or professionals that possess literacy expertise. (3) The nature of collaboration among professionals, specifically literacy specialists, is influenced by the resources available to the district, including availability of literacy specialists. The more resources available to the district, the more collaboration occurs among professionals, and more professionals are available to support students who are struggling. </p><p> Implications of this study suggest that school districts include literacy specialists when making instructional decisions about students who struggle with reading. School districts should consider focusing on professional collaboration as a district initiative in order to develop opportunities to increase professional collaboration district-wide. Additionally, school districts should consider comprehensive reading support to include both skills-based and meaning-making learning events, not limiting the district&rsquo;s use of programs to those outlined by policy. These reading supports should be contextualized within meaningful learning experiences, especially for less experienced or readers who struggle. Additionally, there are policy implications for governing bodies and school districts in terms of equitable resources for supporting the literacy development of students struggling to read.</p><p>

No description available.

<p> The purpose of this constructivist grounded theory study was to seek out high performing special education school districts and generate an interpretive theory, through a symbolic interactionist lens, to help explain how certain educational leaders have been able to construct, implement and sustain a process to achieve more equitable outcomes for special education students. The target participants for the study were individuals primarily involved in the creation, implementation, management and evaluation of special education programs in the school districts selected. The school district participants were selected using criterion based sampling. The primary investigative technique for this study was interviewing and data was analyzed using line by line open coding, as well as selective and focused coding. A total of ten sub-themes emerged as the various categories of data were intersected, with the sub-themes subsequently organized and explained by research question. Ultimately, three major themes emerged: Process, Parents and Students. Using the major themes and sub-themes, a Working Model of Special Education was developed and an explanation of how to apply it described.</p><p>

<p> The purpose of this research project was to compare the effectiveness of co-taught teaching classrooms to non-co-taught teaching classrooms through an analysis of grades in geometry classes. Data for this project was collected through the use of a high school's grading software system. During the 2016&ndash;2017 school year, special education students had the opportunity to be placed in a co-taught geometry classroom. For the 2017&ndash;2018 school year, the high school no longer offered co-taught geometry classes. Special education students participated in geometry with no special education teacher. </p><p> All grades for special education students were printed for each marking period. This was done for both the co-taught geometry classes for the 2016&ndash;2017 school year, and the non-co-taught geometry classes for the 2017&ndash;2018 school year. In order to see if co-taught teaching is more beneficial, and aids in student success in the subject area of geometry, for students with special needs, grades were compared.</p><p>

Thesis (Ed.M.)--Boston University

Thesis (Ed.M.)--Boston University

Text in Afrikaans / Hierdie studie handel oor die identifisering van sagte neurologiese uitvalle deur die opvoedkundige sielkundige. Die navorser het gevind dat neuraal gestremde kinders dikwels eers op 'n laat stadium na buitengewone onderwys verwys word. Dit het die vraag na kriteria vir sagte neurologiese uitvalle en neuropsigologiese evaluasies in die brandpunt van die studie gestel. Die literatuur het bevestig dat daar verskeie neuropsigologiese verkenningsmedia oorsee bestaan, maar Suid-Afrikaanse navorsing op die gebied, is nog beperk. Daarom is die doelstelling van die studie om aan die hand van kriteria vir sagte neurologiese uitvalle, 'n neuropsigologiese evalueringstabel saam te stel wat toeganklik is vir enige opvoedkundige sielkundige. Die evalueringstabel is aan die praktyk getoets. Die navorsing bevestig dat dit moontlik is om neuraal gestremde kinders te identi:fiseer deur die toepassing van die neuropsigologiese evalueringstabel. Die identifisering van die neuraal gestremde kind is slegs die vertrekpunt in die wyer pedagogiese bemoeienis met die opvoedeling / This study deals with the identification of neurological soft signs by the educational psychologist. The reseacher became aware of the fact that neurologically impaired children were referred to extraordinary education at a very late stage. The above mentioned situation gave rise to the search for criteria for neurological soft signs as well as neuropsychological means of assessment It was found in the literature that neuropsychological assessments were well in existance abroad, but the South African literature lacks in depth research. Therefore the aim of this study was to use existing neuropsychological criteria to compile a neuropsychological evaluation table that will be accessible to every educational psychologist. This neuropsychological evaluation table was put to practice and it proved that neurologically handicapped children can be identified by means of this assessment. The identification of the neurologically impaired child remains simply the point of departure in the broader pedagogic dealing with the child / Psychology of Education / M. Ed. (Voorligting)

<p> Using a mixed-methods approach, the researcher investigated the generalization of Positive Behavior Supports Skills (PBIS) within an Early Childhood Special Education (ECSE) program, implemented with fidelity, as evidenced by statewide recognition for 10 years in a row, to the kindergarten setting in a Midwestern School District. Through investigating the generalization of PBIS social-emotional skills, the researcher aimed to identify possible frameworks for schools to better prepare students for the kindergarten transition. To investigate the generalization of skills, the researcher used secondary data in the form of 175 externalizing behavior screener scores for students who participated in a PBIS ECSE program in the 2015&ndash;2016 school year and the 460 kindergarten behavior screener scores from the fall of the 2016&ndash;2017 school year. The researcher analyzed the scores by student subgroups: participation in a PBIS ECSE program, gender, birthdate range, English Learner (EL) status, special education participation, and free and reduced (F/R) lunch eligibility. Despite the observable reductions in externalizing behavior, only the student subgroup of birthdate range from August through February demonstrated a statistical significance in generalizing social-emotional skills learned in a PBIS ECSE program. Through analysis of the qualitative data, the researcher concluded two random kindergarten teacher participants and two random elementary administrator participants found prior preschool experience better prepared students socially and emotionally for the rigors of kindergarten. The qualitative data and observable differences in the quantitative data sources suggested prior participation in a PBIS ECSE preschool program would prepare students for the transition to kindergarten, while previous research determined the PBIS framework would aid schools in helping children adjust socially and emotionally to new academic settings through the use of universal expectations and tiered levels of behavior supports.</p><p>

<p> Historically, African American male students have been disproportionately overrepresented in special education under the eligibility categories emotional disturbance, and behavior disorders. Additionally, African American male students with disabilities have consistently underperformed academically. If a student does not perceive that the teacher cares for him, it may be more difficult for a teacher to be successful in engaging the student in the learning experience. The literature indicates that care is a basic need that is grounded in relationships. In schools, those relationships are based on the interaction between the student and teacher. There is a lack of data that specifically addresses the care of African American male students with special needs in nonpublic-school settings. This qualitative study utilized interviewing as a methodology to better understand how the care of a teacher supported the educational experience of African American males for the purpose of informing teachers and leaders in how to work with this specific population of students by addressing the following research questions: (a) How do African American male secondary school students with special needs define care? (b) To what extent do African American male secondary school students with special needs&rsquo; perceptions of teacher care affect their educational experiences? (c) Based on African American male secondary school students' with special needs perceptions of teacher care, how are the components of the ethic of care demonstrated in the classroom by the teacher? (d) How are the three suppositions of culturally relevant pedagogy demonstrated by the classroom teacher, according to the perceptions of African American male secondary school students with special needs?</p><p>