In 2 experiments, I tested the effects of a writing/editing package for middle school students with disabilities who performed below grade level in math and reading. The participants were grouped into dyads based on math grade level, and each dyad consisted of an editor and writer. There were 8 participants in Experiment 1. The design was a multiple probe across 4 dyads design. The dependent variables were : 1) algorithm components including functional and rationale descriptions; 2) functional accuracy of a written math algorithm; 3) structural components of written responses including grammar, spelling, and punctuation; 4) social validity measure to determine whether the was a significant difference in the means of scores assigned by naïve readers for pre- and post-intervention samples; 5) resistance to extinction measures for solving above grade level algebra problems as a measure of reinforcement value. During the pre-intervention assessments, each participant was given a word problem which corresponded to their math performance level. Participants solved the word problem, then wrote an explanation so a naïve adult reader could complete the steps of the problem to produce the solution without seeing the problem. Participants also wrote responses explaining the rationale for the operations used in the word problem and the practical application for the word problem. Participants were then given untaught algebra equations to measure resistance to extinction. In Experiment 1, the independent variable was an editing and writing package for producing a written explanation for specific steps to solve a multi-step math problem. The participant as the writer produced a written math algorithm, and the participant as the editor provided questions to the writer so that a rewrite would help the editor solve the math problem correctly. Structural elements were not consequated, and rationale components were not directly taught. Criterion for the independent variable was achieved when the writer produced a written explanation with all four necessary functional components and required no additional rewrites. The results demonstrated a functional relationship for functional accuracy and functional components. A functional relationship was not shown for the rationale. In Experiment 2, the dependent variables remained the same. The independent variable was changed so that the experimenter only edited the first round of the writer’s responses for structural elements, and the writer corrected for structural elements. The editor also had to write a word problem based off the writer’s written algorithm. Results for Experiment 2 show a functional relation for functional accuracy, functional components, and rationale components.

Thesis (M.S.E.)--Missouri State University, 2008. / "August 2008." Includes bibliographical references (leaves 95-110). Also available online.

In the modern classroom, computer software systems are commonly being used by students to practice and learn academic skills. School systems are increasingly being encouraged to provide technology resources to their students. Physically providing computer software systems for student use does not guarantee that these programs will have an impact on student learning or they will be properly implemented. Two separate studies were conducted to determine how an integrated learning system (ILS) impacted the mathematics achievement of students receiving special education services in math. The first study compared the growth of students' standardized testing scores from Spring 2005 to Spring 2006 between the ILS group (n = 56) and the comparison group (n = 43). Students were receiving special education services for either a primary disability area of a Specific Learning Disability or an Other Health Disability in a Midwestern elementary school setting (grades 3-6). Results indicated no significant difference between the ILS and comparison groups' growth scores. The second part of the study investigated 10 students' math achievement in relation to the math skills practiced, either solely on the ILS or through the ILS and teacher instruction. Students in the second part of the study were receiving special education services in the primary disability area of a Specific Learning Disability or an Autism Spectrum Disorder. Descriptive data gathered suggested that students gained math skills when the ILS was combined with teacher instruction. The discussion focuses on ILS features that were barriers for students with special education needs and how an ILS can be differentiated to become accessible for all learners. / Department of Educational Psychology

Over the last decade, the inclusion of students with disabilities (SWD) in the general education classroom has increased. Currently, 60% of SWD spend 80% or more of their school day in the general education classroom (U.S. Department of Education, 2013). This includes students with autism spectrum disorders (ASD), a developmental disability characterized by impairments in behavior, language, and social skills (American Psychological Association, 2013). Many of these SWD struggle with mathematics in the elementary grades; fewer than 20% of SWD are proficient in mathematics when they begin middle school, compared to 45% of their peers without disabilities. Furthermore, 83% of SWD are performing at the basic or below basic level in mathematics in the fourth grade (U.S. Department of Education, 2013). As the rate of ASD continues to increase (Centers for Disease Control, 2013), the number of students with this disability who are included in the general education classroom also continues to rise. These SWD and students with ASD are expected to meet the same rigorous mathematics standards as their peers without disabilities. This study was an attempt to address the unique needs of SWD and students with ASD by combining practices rooted in the literature, strategy instruction and video modeling. The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of an intervention on the ability of students with and without disabilities in inclusive fourth and fifth grade classrooms to solve word problems in mathematics. The intervention package was comprised of a graphic organizer, the K-N-W-S, video models of the researcher teaching the strategy to a student avatar from a virtual simulated classroom, TeachLivE, and daily word problems for students to practice the strategy. The researcher used a quasi-experimental group design with a treatment and a control group to determine the impact of the intervention. Students were assessed on their performance via a pretest and posttest. Analyses of data were conducted on individual test items to assess patterns in performance by mathematical word problem type. The effects of the intervention on SWD, students with ASD, and students without disabilities varied widely between groups as well as amongst individual students, indicating a need for further studies on the effects of mathematics strategy instruction on students with varying needs and abilities.