English/language arts (ELA) is one of the core content areas of the general curriculum. Through ELA instruction, students gain a means for accessing and understanding the various forms of text they encounter in daily life as well as skills in research and communication. The overarching goals of ELA focus on effective communication, including comprehension: a goal critical to students with significant disabilities. Typical ELA curriculum creates opportunities for students to communicate in different contexts, for different purposes through exposure to culturally diverse text (Browder & Spooner, 2014). The challenge in developing language-arts instruction for students with significant disabilities, however, is that they may have few skills to engage with text (Mims et al., 2012). Recent research has helped to bridge the gap between the incoming skill set of individuals with a significant disability and the gains in effective literacy skills, communication, writing and comprehension skills. This presentation will highlight some of the most recent research that features strategies for providing meaningful-access, grade-aligned fiction and nonfiction text depicting diverse cultural and socioeconomic themes, but adapted for greater student access. Highlighted strategies will include a discussion of how grade-aligned adapted books and systematic instruction such as response-prompting strategies, error correction, positive reinforcement, data collection and graphic organisers can promote student gains in literacy, communication, writing, student-led research and comprehension across Bloom’s Taxonomy. In addition, this presentation will discuss ways to meaningfully adapt grade-appropriate text for students who have limited-to-no reading ability, as well as provide resources for fiction and nonfiction texts that have already been adapted. Finally, this presentation will provide participants with strategies to promote personalised learning in concert with maintaining a high level of rigour for students with intellectual disability and autism. - See more at: http://sydney.edu.au/education_social_work/professional_learning/teachers/2016/major-events/successful-learning-conference.shtml#sthash.hTRDzYbP.dpuf

This session will provide a text comprehension research overview for students with intellectual disability (ID). The presenters will review the instructional strategies and text supports (accommodations) that have been used to improve student text comprehension, with emphasis on strategies that teachers can immediately implement, and discuss opportunities for future research. Learner Outcomes: • Participants will gain knowledge of the text comprehension research base, as well as explore practical issues related to researching text comprehension. • Participants will learn about the instructional strategies and supports that have been used to improve student text comprehension and how to implement these in their classrooms. • Participants will describe recommendations for implementing research-based instruction and supports into their practice.

Research shows use of data based decisions for students with severe disabilities is highly beneficial, yet few teachers implement them in the classroom. This session will present the results of a study on the effects of DBD training on teacher/student outcomes. Also, participants will learn about the five most common DBDs. Learner outcomes: Provide participants with procedures and outcomes from a study conducted on training teachers of students with significant disabilities and autism from diverse backgrounds to make informed data-based decisions; and Participants will be provided a handout with a data based decision-making guide as well access to the online modules used in the study.

Special education teachers in California acquire advanced degrees, credentials, and authorizations to serve students with disabilities who are English language learners (SWD-ELLs), yet continue to be challenged to meet the complex instructional needs of these students. Performance on statewide tests of achievement show continued disparities between the academic achievement of SWD, ELLs, and their non-disabled English-only speaking peers. Bandura's theory of self-efficacy was the theoretical foundation for this research study given that teachers' perceptions of their abilities across the span of their careers can directly affect the achievement of their students. To compare and examine the self-reported sense of self-efficacy of special education teachers in California who serve SWD-ELLs, a concurrent mixed methods design was used. Quantitative, Analysis of variance (ANOVA) and F-tests were utilized to determine statistical significance between the self-reported ratings of novice and experienced special education teachers (N=67) on the Teachers' Sense of Self Efficacy Scale (TSES) questionnaire. Statistically significant differences between the 2 groups of teachers were not found. Coding and thematic analysis of teachers' responses to qualitative open-ended questions resulted in teachers reports of having received some training related to teaching SWD-ELLs. Both teacher groups also expressed a desire for mentorship, in-class coaching, collaborative training with parents, and cooperative training with general education teachers, to increase their ability to meet the complex instructional needs of SWD-ELLs. Results of this study provides educational leaders with insight regarding the needs of special education teachers in California to effectively increase educational outcomes for SWD-ELLs.

Despite a rural Georgia school district's effort to increase the academic performance of all students, the achievement gap persists between general education and special education students. The purpose of the study was to explore what factors hindered coteachers from consistently applying differentiated instruction in elementary inclusion classrooms. The conceptual framework for the study emanated from Vygotsky's social development theory as it related to teachers learning from each other through professional collaboration. The research questions explored coteachers' perceptions about differentiated instruction for students with disabilities. Using a case study methodology and purposeful sampling of 6 general education and 6 special education teachers, who met the criteria and agreed to participate, qualitative data were gathered through surveys, semistructured teacher interviews, and lesson plan documentation. Open-ended surveys, transcribed interviews, and lesson plans were coded and analyzed through open and axial coding to generate themes. The major themes identified included teacher perceptions of differentiated instruction, implementing differentiated instructional practices, and supports needed for successful differentiated instructional practices. The findings indicated a need for a systematic approach to professional development on differentiated instructional strategies to improve educational growth for students with disabilities. The recommended professional development may contribute to positive social change by increasing coteachers' impact on the learning environment for special needs students. This increased impact may lead to higher graduation rates and more self-sufficiency among students.

The purpose of the study was to question rural general education teachers’ perceptions and attitudes on the inclusion of students with significant disabilities. The investigator surveyed rural general education teachers on their perceptions of what should be occurring in terms of inclusion and on what they saw as occurring in terms of inclusion of students with significant disabilities. The results yielded mixed perceptions and were generally positive in terms of the inclusion occurring within that school district.

The educational rights of students with disabilities are supported through federal mandates, as the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) safeguards a free and appropriate public education (FAPE) in the least restrictive environment (LRE). Special education students encompass a wide range of individual and unique learning needs, thus the creation of educational environments that utilize fluid and flexible service delivery models is warranted. Furthermore, students with moderate to severe disabilities (MSD) require specialized academic instruction that promotes advancements across several developmental areas, which includes cognition, adaptive skills, communication, and emotional awareness. Exploring educational service delivery models that proficiently address the unique needs of students with MSD is essential, as limited research exists in this specific area. Utilizing a qualitative phenomenological research methodology, this study sought to explore an informal class reassignment program that provides educational instruction to students with MSD. Additionally, the intent behind this study was to explore how the informal class reassignment program influenced the special education teachers’ perspectives regarding learning outcomes for students with MSD, if at all. Moreover, this study sought to explore how moderate to severe special education teachers experience, define and describe an informal class reassignment program specifically designed to target the individual earning needs of students with MSD. This inquiry incorporated semi-structured interviews combined with reflective field notes to gain a deeper understanding of the participants’ lived experiences. Consequently, the findings shed light on factors that relate to optimal service delivery models for students with MSD.

Understanding how students endorse affirmative consent in their sexual relationships is essential to sexual violence prevention. Some research has indicated that LGBT students and students with disabilities may negotiate and endorse consent uniquely because of socially constructed traditional sexual scripts. Research indicates gender differences may exist as well. The proposed research examines differences based on gender, LGBT status, and disability in affirmative consent endorsement and peer norms around sexual violence. Results indicated that women, nonbinary students, LGBT students, and students with disabilities were significantly less likely than their privileged counterparts to indicate low endorsement of affirmative consent. Results also indicated that women and some LGBT students are significantly less likely than their privileged counterparts to indicate high peer norms supporting sexual violence. Limitations, implications, and future directions are discussed.

Accommodating students with disabilities in a general education class often requires instructional modification and extra student support. Research has shown that making required changes can evoke different responses from teachers and can influence their willingness to accommodate the needs of students with disabilities. However, research has not examined the relationships between middle school teachers' preparation for and experiences with inclusion instruction and their attitudes toward inclusion. The purpose of this correlational study was to explore possible relationships between middle school teachers' attitudes about including students with mild to moderate disabilities in the general education setting and the teachers' education level, length of time teaching, and role as general or special education teachers. Social learning theory informed the study. Teachers from 3 middle schools in a large, primarily suburban school district in the southern United States were identified and sent the link for an online survey that included both demographic questions and the Attitude Toward Teaching All Students validated research instrument (N = 220). Despite several efforts to acquire enough responses to determine statistical significance, the sample obtained (n = 55) was too small for those calculations. However, Spearman correlations calculated with the smaller sample acquired indicated possible relationships between variables and indicated conducting the study in another location with a larger sample would provide valuable insights into teachers' behaviors and beliefs. This study contributes to positive social change by demonstrating a need to examine teachers' background and experiences and their attitudes toward and, as a result, behaviors in inclusion settings.

At ABCD High School, students with disabilities (SWDs) pass state-mandated English High School Assessments (HSA) at a lower rate than do their nondisabled peers, even with remediation. The purpose of this study was to investigate teachers' perceptions of appropriate remediation for preparing SWDs for the English HSA. The theoretical foundation for the study was based on social constructivism with an emphasis on individual experiences. The 3 key research questions investigated how teachers perceive their role in the delivery of remediation, how they describe the remediation program, and what factors they say influence their ability to remediate SWDs effectively. Data were collected from observations of remediation instruction (n = 12), individual interviews of English teachers (n = 6), and school documents pertaining to remediation. A qualitative data analysis was conducted with constant comparison and open, axial, and selective coding in order to identify emergent themes and sub-themes. Findings indicated inadequacies in instructional materials, teachers' poor understanding of student disabilities, a lack of formal teacher training, scheduling problems, difficulty motivating students, and a lack of collaboration among colleagues. The creation of teacher professional development workshops was recommended to study various disabilities and to share strategies for improving remediation of SWDs. Implications of positive social change include improved teacher buy-in regarding SWDs, a more cohesive learning community, and an openness to innovative strategies of remediation, leading to greater instructional effectiveness.