Models of word pronunciation have tended to emphasize either generalized knowledge in the form of letter-to-sound correspondence rules or item specific knowledge in the form of rote associations. Simple formulations of both types of models have been found to be clearly insufficient to account for the pattern of results obtained with three types of items: regular words, exceptional words and pseudowords. The general findings are: 1-pseudowords take longer for response initiation than words; 2-although slower, pseudowords are pronounced quite easily by most readers; 3-exception words take longer for response initiation than regular words. Even a dual-process formulation, based on item specific knowledge for some type of items and generalized correspondence rules for other items, fails to account for some of the differences in pronunciation latencies which have been observed between regular and exceptional words. Glushko (1979a) has proposed that the regular-exceptional distinction should be replaced by a consistent-inconsistent distinction. The thrust of his argument is based on his finding that regular words like MINT have the same pronunciation latencies as exceptional words like PINT. Hence when one controls for a certain type of similarity between words, there is no difference between regular and exceptional words. However, a difference is found between words whose final three letters share a consistent pronunciation {such as MINK and PINK) and words whose terminal letter groups have more than one pronunciation {such as MINT and PINT). Glushko's model, the activation-synthesis model, is based on the elimination of the regular-exceptional distinction. On the basis of this elimination, it is possible to make a number of extensions to the activation-synthesis model. Empirical verifications of these potential extensions were attempted using manipulations intended to increase or decrease the amount of conflict present when target items were presented for pronunciation. Inconclusive results were obtained from a first manipulation which used a repeated list paradigm. A second manipulation revealed that it was possible to speed up the pronunciation of a pseudoword by priming with regular words but not by priming with exceptional words. However, priming with exceptional words increased the number of exceptional pronunciations which were emitted for the subsequent pseudoword. The pattern of results is consistent with the conclusion that the regular-irregular distinction should be maintained and superimposed on the consistent-inconsistent distinction. The argument is made that the inconsistency effect may be due to the activation of inconsistency detectors by words which contain specially coded letter groups. It is further suggested that the activation of inconsistency detectors would modify the usual response generation or retrieval process. This modified process would allow access to the exceptional information which would be somewhat resistant to the usual generalization phenomena observed in word pronunciation. Suggestions are also made as to the nature of the cues which could activate the inconsistency detectors. / Thesis / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

<pre>The degree of freedom brought about by breaking the directional symmetry of space through the use of anisotropic media finds applications in numerous photonic systems. Almost all these systems are based on physical principles that are generalized extensions of their isotropic counterparts, much in the same way an ellipse is related to a circle. However, as we show, there are examples where, in the presence of loss, disorder or even coupling to the measurement apparatus, emerges a completely new behavior which is qualitatively different from the isotropic case. In this work we study these emergent phenomena found in open anisotropic photonic systems.</pre> <pre><br></pre> <pre>We demonstrate that open systems based on biaxial anisotropic medium can support exceptional points which are singularities in the parameter space of the system where the mode frequencies as well as the modes themselves coalesce. We also show that topological insulators, which are novel materials that behave as dielectric in the bulk but metallic in the surface and exhibit bianisotropy through the coupling of their electric and magnetic response, can emit thermal radiation that carries nonzero spin angular momentum. Next, after describing how the strong anisotropy of hyperbolic metamaterial can support electromagnetic fields propagating with high wavenumbers unbounded by the frequency, we show that a super-resolution imaging scheme based on such material is quite robust against substantial loss and disorder. Finally, we consider an example of an incoherent perfect absorber and show that loss and anisotropy in this case can work together to recover the ideal lossless limit for the absorbing performance. In addition to making new conceptual connections between photonics and other branches of science such as condensed matter physics, biotechnology and quantum mechanics, these new emergent phenomena are shown to have thermal, imaging and sensing applications.</pre>

Teacher attrition affects the quality of services for students in K-12 education and poses an ongoing challenge for educational leaders, especially in the area of special education. Special educators leave the profession at higher rates than general educators. As a growing state, Florida has identified special education as a critical teacher shortage area. This study evaluated the Skills, Tips, and Routines for Teacher Success (STARTS) initiative of Volusia County Schools, a large district in east central Florida. Implemented in 2001 for new ESE teachers, STARTS offered four days of training in policies and procedures, curriculum, and classroom management. Research questions addressed whether STARTS influenced retention of new ESE teachers. Because the literature cited age, ethnicity, special education program area, and grade level assignment as factors in attrition, these were assessed as well. Incorporating employment histories from school year (SY) 1998-1999 through SY 2003-2004, the study evaluated 771 new ESE teachers. Of these, 422 teachers did not participate in STARTS; 349 teachers participated in STARTS. The study reported whether they returned the following year to an ESE position, a general education position, or exited the school system. Contingency table analysis with crosstabulation was used to evaluate statistical relationships among variables. Effect size was assessed with Cramer's V and the contingency coefficient. All analyses were conducted with an alpha of .05. A significant difference existed between the retention rates of new ESE teachers hired before STARTS and during STARTS. In 2000-2001, the school year preceding STARTS, 54.3% of new ESE teachers returned to an ESE position whereas in the first year of STARTS, 71.1% of new ESE teachers returned to an ESE position, an increase of 51%. By SY 2003-2004, 89.7% of new ESE teachers returned to an ESE position, an increase of 65% from the SY 2000-2001 baseline.

ABSTRACT We know that many students with learning disabilities struggle throughout their school years with the writing process. High school is no exception. Writing is a life skill that can directly impact the quality of life for older students preparing to graduate and progress to college, a career, or simply the world of work. A need in society exists to improve the writing of all students including those who are on the threshold of high school graduation. Students with learning disabilities enter their ninth year of school with a performance gap of 4 to 5 years placing their equivalent learning in the late elementary years. Few studies however have investigated the impact of explicit written expression strategy instruction for students with mild disabilities in high school. Thus, expanding the knowledge base for this group of students becomes especially critical. The present study examines the effects of explicitly teaching a writing strategy to high school students with learning disabilities. A multiple baseline design across subjects was used to observe changes in student writing. A total of 11 students in three subject groups participated in the study. Eleventh grade students in three learning strategies classes were pretested to determine the level of their organizational skills for written products. Scoring criteria were described to students using a written expression rubric to provide them with the specific expectations for their daily writing. Mind-mapping, an organizational strategy for writing, was explicitly taught to each of three classes during their daily learning strategy period. Data were collected relative to the students' rubric scores and visually inspected for changes in writing performance before, during, and following the strategy instruction. Pre- and post-tests were administered to the student groups. Following data collection and the post-test, interviews were conducted with the teacher and each of the participants. Findings indicate that the mind-mapping intervention had limited success in improving students' written products when measured by the multiple baseline across subjects design. Pre- and post-test data, however, show that writing quality certainly did improve. The participants' teacher specifically noted during her interview that, in her perception, improvements in student writing as a result of using the mind-mapping strategy did occur. The teacher also felt strongly enough about the efficacy of the mind-mapping intervention that she plans to teach the strategy to her future students. Most of the students reported during their interviews that they felt that learning mind-mapping helped them to become better writers. The vast majority of students also stated that they planned to use the strategy for tests and writing assignments.

京都大学 / 0048 / 新制・課程博士 / 博士(情報学) / 甲第22583号 / 情博第720号 / 新制||情||123(附属図書館) / 京都大学大学院情報学研究科数理工学専攻 / (主査)教授 中村 佳正, 教授 矢ヶ崎 一幸, 准教授 辻本 諭 / 学位規則第4条第1項該当 / Doctor of Informatics / Kyoto University / DFAM

Although there is a great deal of research on students with disabilities, there has been little exploration of twice exceptional students, those who have both learning disabilities and gifts and talents. There are even fewer studies of twice exceptional students who are gifted and talented in the arts. This research was based on extensive interviews with eleven twice exceptional students at a public arts-focused high school. This school employed a dual differentiation approach for these students: educational services to address their disabilities as well as school-based enrichment in their artistic talent areas. Discourse analysis and thematic coding of the interviews revealed that despite this school’s positive focus on students’ artistic talents all eleven informants considered themselves academic failures. The study revealed that these students had a strong negative identity as learners: their academic careers were characterized by being bullied, forced to repeat grades, and frequently getting in trouble at school. They expressed feelings such as loneliness, anger, and anxiety. In terms of talent or giftedness, the participants described themselves as talented but not exceptional because of their belief that everyone has a special talent. Most of the students did not describe their own disabilities in terms that are typically used in special education. Nor did they describe their talents in language that teachers would apply to them. In the academic area students described themselves as powerless and their teachers as powerful in determining success. But in their artistic work they claimed greater power than their teachers, taking an expert’s stance

No description available.

Twice Exceptional students, gifted students with learning disabilities, run a higher risk of becoming homebound and leaving primary school without grades. Supporting Twice Exceptional students in their reading development is a tricky track and research results are very limited. It is therefore necessary to contribute to new knowledge in the field. With our research review we aim to help teachers working with Twice Exceptional students, to support their 2E-students in their reading development. Adequate scientific articles were found through systematic searches in the ERIC and ERC databases which we gained access to through Malmö University's library. We have chosen ten peer reviewed articles, all processing results of how Twice Exceptional students learn best. The question for our research review is, How can 2E-students be supported in their reading development? The implementation of a thematic analysis showed themes to compile results from. These themes are: *Identifying Twice Exceptional students *Differences between Especially Gifted and Gifted with reading disabilities (2E) *2E students' need for support and challenges for continued reading development *Cognitive strategies and learning methods that leads to 2E students' reading development There are difficulties identifying Twice Exceptional students and an even bigger challenge to support Twice Exceptional students correctly. A clear majority of the results show that Twice Exceptional students need both support and challenge to benefit their reading development. 2E-students need to be taught learning strategies in their early school years and be able to be a part of the construction of the lessons. Unfortunately, the results also highlight teachers' knowledge gaps. Keywords 2E – Reading disabilities – Reading development - Support - Gifted - Twice Exceptional

No description available.

No description available.