Search

Reading comprehension is a complex and multifaceted process that is often difficult for striving readers to access. Researchers have reported that an explicit and systematic approach to tea...

Skilled reading is a complex process in which many subskills are involved, including an awareness of the morphological structure of language. Morphological awareness is the ability to understand how words are broken into meaningful units (e.g., affixes, root words). Explicit and systematic teaching of morphological concepts are reported to help striving readers, particularly those in upper elementary, middle, and secondary grades, with reading. To teach morphological concepts and their relation to reading, teachers need to have both awareness and knowledge of morphology. In the present study, general and special education teachers’ knowledge of morphological concepts are examined. Results indicate that teachers, regardless of type of certification (general vs. special education) or grade level (elementary vs. secondary), have difficulty identifying morphemes in both simple and complex words. Suggestions for what and how teacher educators can integrate the teaching of morphological concepts into teacher preparation contexts are provided.

This chapter examines general and special education teacher candidates’ perceptions about teaching reading and writing and how their perceptions change with coursework, fieldwork, and over the span of a teacher preparation program. Survey findings revealed that the majority of teacher candidates held “moderate” or “very good” perceptions about their ability to teach reading-related concepts. Teacher candidates also indicated that they have “some” or “quite a bit of influence” to teach reading in a variety of ways. When these authors examined certification levels, elementary teacher candidates report high levels of perceived ability to teach constructs related to beginning literacy and to teach struggling readers. Significant associations were observed for previous exposure to reading-related content on certain perception items and self-efficacy items (e.g., teaching struggling readers) but not on others (e.g., teaching comprehension). The authors share a tool to query the synergy among pedagogical content knowledge, perceived ability, and self-efficacy beliefs about teaching reading.

Data collected from teachers in a racially diverse, high-poverty high school were used to inform the initial steps in developing a school–university partnership to create a culturally responsive trauma-informed community school. The project utilized community-based participatory research to explore sensitive areas of school system functioning. School–university partnerships and community-based participatory research (CBPR) projects offer important opportunities for innovation, but the process of how these relationships evolve is not often described. Thus, the process of the research as it unfolded over the course of a school year and lessons learned are described along with findings. Findings include teachers’ perceptions of the impact of trauma on students, their own stress level and self-efficacy in addressing students’ social-emotional and behavioral concerns, and the role of race in the teachers’ perceptions.

In this methodological review, the authors apply special education research quality indicators and standards for single case design to analyze mathematics intervention studies for secondary students with emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD). A systematic methodological review of literature from 1975 to December 2012 yielded 19 articles that met inclusion criteria. Findings revealed eight studies investigated functional relation between mathematics interventions and mathematics performance for secondary students with EBD. The remainder investigated functional relation between behavioral interventions and mathematics performance. The body of research had limitations in methodological rigor that prevented identification of evidence-based practices for mathematics interventions for learners with EBD. Implications and directions for future research are discussed.

Preparing pre-service special educators to meet classroom demands requires teacher preparation programs to design experiences for students to demonstrate routine expertise, while also building adaptive expertise. In this article, the authors describe a capstone project that meets these needs and prepares pre-service special educators for their role in the development of practice-based evidence. These aims align well with the Council for Exceptional Children’s Professional Standards. To describe this project and how it meets these aims, we used the Implementation Stages framework. Outcomes reflect an increase in pre-service special educators’ ability to research and design usable interventions based on evidence-based practices. Implications for special education teacher preparation programs include the need for faculty to provide instruction in a wide variety of interventions, and to provide channels for the pre-service special educators to disseminate their research within the field.

For many striving readers in the early grades (Grades K–3), difficulty learning to read manifests at the word level. As a result, such readers are likely to need explicit instruction in the structure of the English language, also referred to as basic language concepts (i.e., concepts and skills related to phonology, phonics, morphology). However, researchers have found that preservice and in-service teachers generally lack knowledge about and skills related to these concepts. Thus, the purpose of this article is to provide recommendations for teacher educators in both general and special education preparation programs to support preservice teachers' learning and application of basic language concepts.

In this review, the authors offer a critical analysis of published interventions for improving mathematics performance among middle and high school students with EBD in light of the Common Core State Standards. An exhaustive review of literature from 1975 to December 2012 yielded 20 articles that met criteria for inclusion. The authors analyzed the body of research for the nature of participants, settings, interventionists, interventions, and alignment with Common Core State Standards. Despite limitations with the body of research, the results of the review indicate a number of promising practices exist for secondary students with EBD in mathematics, including: (a) peer-mediated approaches, (b) interventions that address academic performance as well as behavior, (d) use of technology, and (e) use of strategy instruction to support conceptual understanding. Implications for research and practice are provided.

The current study focuses on results from a national survey of special education mathematics teachers in secondary psychiatric schools. A total of 115 (33.04%) respondents completed a mail or online survey concerning school-level mathematics curriculum and assessment policies and practices. No statistically significant differences existed between respondent and nonrespondent schools on demographic variables. Results indicate a disconnect between the mathematics curriculum and state assessments. Approximately half teachers responded that their school relies on standard district or state curriculum, and the curriculum and instructional materials are aligned with assessments to a great extent. Only about 40% and 30%, respectively, reported that schools are supervised and teachers are provided professional development to facilitate the alignment of curriculum with state assessments to a great extent. Additional results and implications are discussed.

Evidence of disparate identification of autism at national and local levels is accumulating, but there is little understanding about disparate identification of autism at the state level. This study examined trends in state-level administrative identification of autism under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. Prevalence rates and odds ratios were calculated for each state using enrollment counts for years 2000 and 2007. Results indicated increases in administrative prevalence of autism for all racial groups from 2000 to 2007, but increasing underidentification of Black and Hispanic students in 2007 compared with White students. Variability existed in the identification of autism among Black and Hispanic students across states over time. Implications for the findings are discussed in the context of the field’s need to establish rigorous policies and practices for eligibility determinations due to autism and equitable access to evidence-based intervention practices.

This article describes a single-subject study of the effects of a contextualized instructional package on the area and perimeter performance of middle school students with emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD). The instructional package included area and perimeter problem-solving activities embedded in contextualized, or real-life, scenarios; use of manipulative techniques to reinforce concepts; and a self-monitoring component, a critical behavior management component to instructional interventions for students with EBD. Results indicated that the instructional package was effective for improving area and perimeter performance among the participants; transfer and maintenance results were mixed.

This article presents the findings of a literature review of reading research investigations in juvenile corrections settings. Six studies met criteria for inclusion in the review and were examined for methodological rigor and the importance of the findings. Authors of two of the articles reviewed demonstrated adequate experimental control, and concluded that intensive, empirically validated research programs can improve reading outcomes for incarcerated youth. The remaining studies had methodological shortcomings that limited the interpretation and generalization of the findings. Recommendations for future research are provided and discussed.

Few research studies have investigated the effectiveness of instructional strategies for students in juvenile corrections. The dearth of research on effective instruction for this population may be due in part to difficulties encountered in carrying out methodologically rigorous studies in these settings. This article reports barriers and challenges we experienced while conducting a multi-site intensive reading intervention study in juvenile corrections. We discuss the issues we encountered, including adequacy of collaboration with administrators, facility staff, and research staff; defining roles and responsibilities of research staff; sampling and attrition; securing appropriate instructional settings; and identifying instrumentation and materials. For each area, we discuss the outcomes and make recommendations for future research.

Currently, there is limited research about the relationship between academic, mental health needs, and special education status among populations of incarcerated youth. Additionally, little is known about differences between special education and general education students, or about differences between detained and committed populations. This article reports the results of an investigation of the academic achievement, mental health history, and special education status of 555 detained and incarcerated boys in one mid-Atlantic state. Descriptive data and results from a logistic regression analysis are reported. We found that mean standard scores of participants on standardized achievement tests were one standard deviation below the population mean. We also found high rates of participants with disabilities, and high rates of participants reporting prior therapy and prior use of psychotropic medication. In addition, we found that student academic and mental health characteristics obtained through an intake screening protocol were predictive of special education status, but not of placement in detention or commitment settings. Finally, we found that African American students had a significantly higher risk of being committed than Caucasian students. Implications for future research and practice are discussed. ********** Special education service delivery rates in juvenile corrections settings are as high as seven times the rates in public school settings (Quinn, Rutherford, Leone, Osher, & Poirier, 2005). In addition, detained and committed (1) youth experience higher rates of academic underperformance, school failure, and identification of mental health needs than their peers in the community (Cocozza, 1992; Cocozza & Skowyra, 2000; Foley, 2001: Krezmien & Mulcahy, 2008). Researchers have identified high rates of mental health needs among incarcerated youth (Caufmann, 2004; Teplin, Abram, McClelland, Dulcan, & Mericle, 2002; Wasserman, Ko, & McReynolds, 2004), but they have not examined the academic abilities of these youth in the context of mental health needs and special education status. Additionally, there is a dearth of research examining whether youth in detention facilities awaiting adjudication exhibit different characteristics from those placed in commitment facilities. Knowing more about the academic, mental health, and special education needs of youth in juvenile corrections facilities is critical to the planning, development, and delivery of effective special education and related services. Understanding differences between characteristics of youth in detention and commitment placements is also essential for allocation of resources for special education and related services to short-term and long-term facilities based upon documented needs. Recently, investigators have used diagnostic instruments to identify specific psychiatric disorders among delinquent populations (Atkins et al., 1999; Cauffman, 2002; Duclos et al., 1998; Garland, Hough, McCabe, Yeh, Wood, & Aarons, 2001; Randall, Henggeler, Pickrel, & Brondino, 1999; Teplin et al., 2004). None of the studies however, determined if youth were eligible for services as disabled students under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act of 2004 (IDEA, 2004) nor have they examined the relationship between mental health needs and academic achievement. The absence of information about special education eligibility is problematic because disability status under the IDEIA directly affects students' access to mental health care and can provide a statutory entitlement to mental services for students in public schools and in juvenile corrections settings (20 U.S.C. 1401 et seq.). Current Knowledge about Detained and Committed Youth Several researchers have examined the mental health symptomology of juvenile detainees. Teplin and her colleagues (2002) used the Diagnostic Interview Schedule for Children (DISC) with a sample of more than 1800 youth aged 10 to 18 in juvenile detention in Cook County, Illinois, and reported that approximately two thirds of the males met diagnostic criteria for one or more psychiatric disorders. …

This article extends a previous review of the literature (Maccini & Hughes, 1997) on mathematics interventions for secondary school students with learning disabilities (LD). A systematic review of the literature from 1995 to 2006 yielded 23 articles that met the criteria for inclusion. It was determined that a number of practices demonstrated significant gains for secondary school students with LD in math, including mnemonic strategy instruction, graduated instructional approach, cognitive strategy instruction involving planning, schema-based instruction, and contextualized videodisc instruction. We also discuss the nature and focus of math interventions and implications for both research and practice based on the findings.

Youth in juvenile corrections settings have significant academic, behavioral, and mental health needs. Additionally, a disproportionate percentage of them are identified with a diagnosed disability, with Emotional Disturbance (ED) as the most common diagnosis. Despite these facts, appropriate education and intensive mental health care is often lacking in these settings. Furthermore, there is evidence to suggest that some facilities use methods such as disciplinary confinement as a response to behavioral infractions; a practice that is not only counterproductive to rehabilitation, but violates federal education law and established legal standards. This study examined the use of disciplinary confinement in a juvenile justice system and investigated factors associated with frequency of this practice and time spent in disciplinary confinement. Participants were 2,353 youth with and without identified disabilities at state-run juvenile corrections facilities. Results indicated that students with disabilities spent considerably more time in disciplinary confinement than students without disabilities. Students with ED spent considerably more time than students in other disability categories and students without disabilities. Additionally, Black students, Black students with ED, and Hispanic students with ED spent considerably more time in disciplinary seclusion than other groups. The authors discuss results with respect to disproportionate use of disciplinary confinement and provide subsequent recommendations including the reexamination of disciplinary confinement practices by leaders in juvenile corrections.

With few exceptions, youth in juvenile corrections in the USA do not receive education services commensurate with those received by youth who are not incarcerated. Education services in many juvenile correctional facilities fail to meet minimal standards associated with quality education programs and they fail to use evidence-based practices. In spite of a history of school failure and educational disabilities, youth in juvenile corrections are capable of learning new skills and leaving juvenile corrections more competent and capable than when they entered (Leone et al. 2005). This chapter examines the association between education attainment and successful life experiences of adults, reviews the current status of education services for youth in juvenile corrections, and describes administrative structures and instructional practices associated with quality education services for youth.