Augmentative-alternative communication (AAC) systems are used to give voice to individuals who are nonverbal. As AAC systems become more complex and prevalent in the classroom expectations of school-based professionals expand. However, the roles of those expected to support AAC systems, primarily teachers and speech-language pathologists (SLPs), are not clearly defined. Without clearly defined roles, professionals may not provide needed support to students who use AAC. Dewey's theory of community suggests that role confusion leads to insufficient and ineffective services. The purpose of this cross-sectional quantitative study was to determine how teachers and SLPs view their roles in supporting AAC. The key research question examined associations linking the instructional role of the individual to perceptions of who is responsible for implementing and supporting AAC in the classroom. An Internet-based survey, consisting of 21 questions set on a categorical scale, was sent to teachers and SLPs who are members of a technology advocacy and support center located in a mid Atlantic US state. Responses collected through the survey site were analyzed using a chi squared test. Overall findings indicated that the teacher was perceived as primarily responsible to provide support within the classroom; SLPs provided additional support outside of the classroom, such as creation of overlays and vocabulary selection. Assistive technology coordinators also provided support in terms of obtaining the AAC system. In general, leadership changed as support tasks changed. Results of the survey may aid in the development of guidance to support teachers and SLPs working with students who use AAC in the classroom. Improving services for students with AAC needs supports social change by enabling them to use their voice and become more independent.

Over the past decade, the number of students with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) in public schools in a northeastern US state has almost tripled in number. Given a lack of preservice training on autism topics, many beginning special education teachers are ill prepared to meet the challenges of working in classrooms for students with ASD and current induction practices do not specifically support special education teachers. The perceived effectiveness of induction programs for beginning teachers in self-contained classrooms for students with ASD were examined in this phenomonological inquiry grounded in theories of adult learning. Through semi structured interviews that were analyzed using a modified modified Stevick-Colaizzi-Keen method, 7 beginning special education teachers in 3 types of public school settings discussed their perceptions regarding induction supports and the challenges they faced. Participants reported mentoring as the most effective induction component. Challenges were related to paraprofessionals, paperwork, student behaviors, and parent communication. The teachers expressed a need for induction activities relevant to the responsibilities of special education teachers and contexually relevant professional development. School districts need to understand challenges faced by beginning teachers in self-contained classrooms for students with ASD and develop induction components that support teachers in the autism field. The social implications for creating relevant induction programs are great; supporting beginning special educators in self-contained classrooms for students with ASD will retain effective teachers and may have a positive influence on student achievement and long term outcomes for students with ASD.

Through the lens of Bandura's social-cognitive theory, which proposes that one's sense of self-efficacy can foster positive beliefs, the purpose of this descriptive, quantitative study was to determine whether the attitudes held by general education teachers have an influence on their perceptions of inclusion. General education teachers' beliefs in their abilities regarding teaching in inclusive classrooms may have an influence on the success of inclusion. This study examined the difference in attitudes toward inclusion between elementary school general education teachers whose previous teaching experience was with solely general education students but who now teach in an inclusive classroom, and those whose only teaching experience has been in the inclusive classroom. Eighty one general education teachers from public elementary schools in a suburban school district completed the Scale of Teachers' Attitudes Toward Inclusive Classrooms (STATIC). Results from independent-samples t-tests and Mann-Whitney difference tests showed no significant statistical difference between mean STATIC scores and indicated the attitudes of both groups were positive towards inclusion. The acknowledgement of current teacher attitudes towards inclusion promotes positive social change by serving as a rationale for other school districts to create professional development opportunities. These opportunities will allow general education teachers to become better prepared in supporting and educating special needs students in their classrooms.

According to IDEA and NCLB requirements, students with disabilities are held to the same standards established for nondisabled students. The purpose of this quantitative study was to examine the impact of a special education inclusion program for middle school students with mild to moderate learning disabilities. Student outcomes were measured based on the Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment Program (TCAP) test scores for reading/language and mathematics. The theoretical foundation for this study was Vygotsky's social development theory applied to special education inclusion programs to support learning within the general curriculum for students with mild to moderate learning disabilities. An independent samples t test was used to measure the difference in the means of the TCAP scores for 2 cohorts of Grade 6, 7, and 8 students with disabilities (one group taught before the implementation of an inclusion program and one group taught after the implementation of an inclusion program). The findings indicated that inclusion had a significant positive impact on TCAP scores in both reading/language and mathematics. The implications for positive social change generated by this research include a better understanding of the impact of an inclusion program on the TCAP scores of students with mild to moderate learning disabilities at one middle school in Tennessee. Effective IEP decisions have implications for social change because positive educational experiences for middle school students with mild to moderate disabilities increase the likelihood such students will graduate from high school to enter higher education or the work force.

The increasing populations of students with special academic needs included in general education classrooms in American public schools are providing a growing teacher preparation challenge. The purpose of this study was to analyze both strengths and weaknesses in how general education teachers perceived their pre-service preparation for teaching in mixed-ability classrooms. A constructivist learning theory paradigm was used to interpret shared experiences of general education teachers working in mixed-ability public elementary schools. The research question was centered in how this group of teachers assessed preparation to provide instruction for Autism Spectrum Disorder, English Language Learners (ELL), general education, gifted, and Inter-Related Resource students. A sequential explanatory mixed methods research design was used in the study, and a teacher survey and interviews with teacher focus groups served as data collection instruments. Triangulation of data sources and peer review ensured reliability and validity of findings. Comparison of categorical sample data using percentages revealed that teachers did indeed identify differences in their perceived training. Teacher focus group data was then coded and analyzed to reveal; a need for more in-depth training for general education certification to better meet the specific needs of Autistic, ELL, gifted, and Resource students; sustained environmental support; and comfort in essential professional knowledge and abilities. Recommendations include the addition of specific special education coursework for general education certification in higher education and ongoing in-service training for public school teachers. Adopting these recommendations in both arenas may affect positive social change by increasing the likelihood of retaining general education teachers in American public schools.

The concepts of professional learning communities and organizational disciplines support staff development and leadership that lead to sustainable systems. Little research has examined the ability of rural schools to achieve sustainable systems. This quantitative design study considered the relationships between predictor variables of administrative roles and staff development and the criterion variable of Response to Intervention (RtI) implementation level. Administrator roles included planning and scheduling training, participating in training, planning implementation, building knowledge and commitment, selecting RtI teams, participating on teams, promoting parental involvement, evaluating RtI, and implementing follow-up and targeted training. Staff development practices addressed commitment and support, team processes, the three-tiered system, selfassessments, evidence based practices, and monitoring and action planning. A stepwise regression was used to analyze data based on survey responses of 131 RtI team members in rural schools in the western United States. Results indicated high correlations between level of implementation and training in evidence-based practices, self-assessments, and monitoring and action-planning. Leadership roles related to building knowledge and commitment, selecting RtI team members, promoting parental involvement, and including RtI in evaluations were strong predictors of overall level of implementation as well. This study may have a significant and positive impact on social change by identifying areas for training and leadership focus. This may reduce the misallocation of funds and negative perceptions toward RtI, leading to higher quality, targeted training, better use of leadership time, and increased satisfaction and sustainability.

The topic of the thesis is a look at special and pre-school education in the Czech Republic in the past 30 years. To better understand the interdependence of the development of special education, however, some chapters are devoted to the period before 1989. The theoretical part of the diploma thesis is focused on legislation and documents that significantly influenced special and pre-school education, on the topic of integration / inclusion in education and also on the system of teacher education after 1989 to the present and the position of teaching assistant. The practical part analyzes information obtained in the form of an interview with the kindergarten teachers addressed. The aim of this work was to find out how kindergarten teachers perceive the changes that preschool and special education have undergone during the past 30 years.

Federal and local school system reports demonstrate an academic achievement gap in inclusive classrooms between students with and without disabilities, prompting attention to alternative instructional practices that support motivation and performance of included students. The purpose of this concurrent nested mixed method study was to fill a void in the literature and explore the impact of interdisciplinary thematic instruction on the motivation levels and performance outcomes of 6 included 5th-grade elementary students with special needs. A multiple case study design guided observations and interviews of 3 participants receiving interdisciplinary, theme-based instruction and 3 participants who continued to receive the traditional, single subject, textbook-driven instruction used prior to the study. Field notes and interview transcripts were analyzed using a coding system of pre-existing typologies derived from a constructivist theoretical framework. An academic content assessment was administered and analyzed with SPSS software using descriptive statistics to explore mean performance variation as an outcome of motivation. Individual and cross-case analysis revealed that participants receiving interdisciplinary thematic instruction had greater motivation for participation and better academic performance than participants receiving traditional instruction. Emergent themes of social integration, self-relevance, and cross-curricular connections identified collective factors that influence motivation and participation of included students, and provided implications for social change among school systems in instructional practices employed in inclusive classrooms. The researcher recommends training for administrators, educators, and parents to facilitate and support instructional delivery reformation among inclusive learning communities.

Limited information exists on early childhood first year teachers' training for accommodations for diverse student abilities in classrooms. This mixed methods sequential explanatory study examined the self-efficacy of 28 first year early childhood teachers from Midwest urban schools. Vygotsky's social learning theory and Gardner's multiple intelligences were used as the conceptual framework. Email survey data were collected and analyzed using a t-test to answer the quantitative questions on the relationship between perceived efficacy and type of and amount of special education training provided in preservice programs. Qualitative questions on self-efficacy to instruct diverse students within the regular classroom were examined using interviews with 28 first year teachers and analyzed for patterns and themes. Quantitative results indicated no relationship between perceived efficacy and amount of special education training provided in preservice programs. Qualitative analysis revealed that teachers with perceived high efficacy were more prepared through university preparation to work with diverse students in the classroom than those teachers who perceived themselves to have low efficacy with such students. This study contributes to social change by providing insight into requirements for effective preservice diversity training of early childhood teachers. The qualitative aspect of this study supports other research for more special education training that would be beneficial for preservice early childhood teachers along with better placements in field experiences that include inclusive classrooms. Higher education can improve teacher education programs by implementing such changes that will improve education for all children and make early childhood educators better able to attend to all students' needs.

The demands of national educational reforms require high school biology teachers to provide high quality instruction to students with and without special needs. The reforms, however, do not provide teachers with adequate teaching strategies to meet the needs of all students in the same context. The purpose of this grounded theory study was to understand high school biology teachers' perspectives, practices, and challenges in relation to teaching students with special needs. This approach was used to develop a substantive model for high school biology teachers who are challenged with teaching students with and without special needs. Data were collected via in-depth interviews with 15 high school teachers in a Midwestern school district. The data were analyzed using open coding, axial coding, and selective coding procedures in accordance with the grounded theory approach. Essential model components included skills and training for teachers, classroom management strategies, teaching strategies, and student skills. The emergent substantive theory indicated that that teacher preparation and acquired skills greatly influence the effectiveness of inclusion implementation. Key findings also indicated the importance of using of a variety of instructional strategies and classroom management strategies that address students' special needs and their learning styles. This study contributes to social change by providing a model for teaching students and effectively implementing inclusion in regular science classrooms. Following further study, this model may be used to support teacher professional development and improve teaching practices that in turn may improve science literacy supported by the national educational reforms.