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Policy and professional standards shape the way that special education teachers partner with parents. Such partnership is key to engaging parents in the process of special education and can serve as the foundation for collaboration and information sharing. Although the literature describes recommendations for how teachers can provide information to parents, few studies examine what information teachers provide. The purpose of this exploratory study was to investigate how teachers perceive school information sharing and parents' knowledge relative to special education. To understand these perspectives, we developed and piloted the Parent Knowledge and Resources in Special Education--Teacher Version survey, with a group of 142 special education teachers. Results indicated that 67.6% of teachers perceived parents to be satisfied or very satisfied with the special education information received from schools. However, teachers had varied perspectives on how well parents understand special education, and the majority (56%) did not feel resources and supports to help parents better understand special education exist. Teachers perceived that schools most frequently encouraged parents to access information through conversations with teachers (75.9%), conversations with school administrators (44.4%), and paper handouts provided by the school (41.9%). Teachers also reported that how well school districts provided information varied by special education topic. We also identify implications of the study results and areas for future research.

Parents who are knowledgeable of special education are more likely to engage in their child's education. Parents seek information about special education from a number of sources including State Departments of Education (SDEs). However, little is known about the web-based special education resources SDEs provide to parents. We sought to address this gap by conducting a comprehensive review of SDE websites and special education resources. Two-thirds of SDEs provided special education resources in a parent-designated section of their website. The number of resources provided varied greatly by state and the majority of resources were specific to conflict/dispute resolution. Future research should explore how information provided can best support increased parental knowledge to improve parental engagement. Limitations and implications are discussed. [For the corresponding grantee submission, see ED605808.]

For foster care involved children and youth, the primary goal is placement permanency into safe, supportive, and stable home environments. Although schools play an integral role in permanency planning and success during this transition, little is known about educator perspectives regarding education related transition planning and student needs. In this exploratory study we sampled education professionals' perspectives (N = 10) on student and caregiver educational related preparedness, supports, and primary needs through surveys and focus groups. Nearly 60% perceived students to only be "somewhat" prepared for this transition and believed caregivers to be even less prepared (70% perceived caregivers as only "somewhat" prepared). Likewise, half believed that the schools were only "somewhat" prepared, and 40% believed that schools are "not all prepared" for student transitions. Educators perceived school-based access to mental health supports as most important and academic assistance as least important to transition success. Finally, when examining educator identified recommendations for education related transition supports, four themes emerged: access to social-emotional supports, collaboration across team members, incorporating transition-based supports, and documentation related to the student's educational history and records. Discussion, limitations, and implications are provided.

The Scales for Assessing Emotional Disturbance Screener--Third Edition (SAED-3) is a standardized, norm-referenced measure designed to identify school-age students at risk for emotional and behavioral problems. Four studies are reported to address the psychometric status of the SAED-3 Screener. Study 1 examined the internal consistency of the Screener using a sample of 1,430 students. Study 2 investigated the interrater reliability of the Screener results across 123 pairs of teachers who had worked with the student for at least 2 months. Study 3 assessed the extent to which the results from the Screener are consistent over time by examining test-retest reliability. Study 4 examined convergent validity by comparing the "Screener" to the Strength and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ). Across all studies, samples were drawn from populations of students included in the nationally representative normative sample. The averaged coefficient alpha for the "Screener" was 0.88. Interrater reliability coefficient for the composite was 0.83. Test-retest reliability of the composite was 0.83. Correlations with the SDQ subscales ranged from 0.74 to 0.99, and the correlation of the "Screener" to the SDQ composite was 0.99. Limitations and implications for use of the "Screener" are discussed.

School environments provide an opportunity to address health-related topics and ensure students graduate prepared to manage health needs, including populations at risk for poor physical health or low health literacy, such as those with disabilities. Presently, little is known about the physical health status, health literacy, or approaches to address these topics in school environments for youth with high-incidence disabilities. The purpose of this study was to conduct a comprehensive review of the literature from 1994-2014 to understand the physical health status and health literacy of youth with Learning Disabilities (LD) and Emotional Disturbance (ED) as well as identify approaches to address these topics in school environments. A two-phase systematic process was used to examine the literature in each respective topic. This included identifying search parameters, an electronic database search, ancestor search, and coding of relevant articles. The initial search yielded 130 articles. After coding, 11 articles remained. Eight focused on physical health status, two on health literacy, and one on interventions related to health literacy. Although study results are tentative, youth with LD and ED are likely at risk for poor health outcomes and low health literacy. A need exists to develop school-based approaches that will contribute towards improving these outcomes.

Background: Supports following reunification play an important role in successful transitions from out-of-home care to home and school settings for children and their families. There are several stakeholders who play critical roles supporting families during this transition. One key role is tied to legal professionals, who often work closely with the child or family while in care and then continue to monitor family progress during the transition from foster care to the home setting. Although work has been conducted to understand what supports other stakeholders feel children and families need during this transition, little is known about the perspectives of legal professionals. Objective: This exploratory study gathered perspectives from legal professionals regarding the challenges these youths and families face and necessary supports to promote successful reunification. Three research questions guided this work: (1) How prepared do legal professionals feel youth and families are for the reunification period? (2) What do legal professionals perceive as existing barriers for youth and families during reunification? and (3) What services do legal professional perceive as necessary to promote successful reunification and the effectiveness of existing supports? Methods: Participants (N=13) completed a brief survey including demographic items and questions on reunification supports following departure from foster care. Participants also engaged in a focus group using the nominal group technique to address two primary questions that addressed challenges faced by families during reunification and necessary supports or services to promote positive youth and family outcomes. Results: Participants felt that families were not well prepared for reunification and that current supports were somewhat effective to support this transition period. They also indicated supports in the mental health domain to be most important. A total of 36 independent barriers were generated for the first question and 27 supports were identified for question two. Conclusion: Establishing effective and accessible supports for families during reunification is necessary for positive family outcomes. This study highlighted barriers in preventing successful reunification, namely limited access to resources and supports in preventing successful reunification and the importance of mental health support for the entire family in promoting successful outcomes.

Supporting the needs of youth with emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD) and their families can be challenging in rural settings. Implementing strategies that take into account for and address barriers in rural settings is important. One strategy to improve outcomes for both students with EBD and their families in rural settings is providing parental support. Parent Connectors is a phone-based parent-to-parent support program designed to improve parental engagement in their child's education and mental health services. Parent Connectors is described in detail along with preliminary outcomes and implications for rural communities.

Parental engagement in special education promotes positive student outcomes and parent-school relationships. In order to promote engagement, parents must possess a basic knowledge and understanding of special education processes and parent and student rights. Little is known regarding parental knowledge about special education or how they learn about and access information on the special education process. This exploratory study surveyed 133 parents of students with disabilities to identify how they received special education related information, specific information received or searched across primary special education topics, and their perceived current and retrospective understanding of these topics as well as how these may differ based on specific parent and special education status characteristics. Findings indicate that parents gain the majority of information from personal communication (i.e., conversations with special education teachers, other parents), often independently search out additional information on key aspects of special education, and feel most knowledgeable about Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) and least knowledgeable about the legal aspects of special education. Significant differences were noted on some family characteristics in areas of satisfaction with resources, overall special education knowledge, and ways in which parents obtain information (e.g., school or on their own). Limitations, implications, and future research are discussed.

"The Scales for Assessing Emotional Disturbance--Third Edition Rating Scale" (SAED-3 RS; Epstein et al.) is a standardized, norm-referenced measure designed to aid in the identification process by providing useful data to professionals determining eligibility of students with an emotional disturbance (ED). Three studies are reported to address the reliability of the SAED-3 RS. Study 1 investigated the internal reliability of the SAED-3 RS using data from a nationally representative sample of 1,430 students and 441 with ED. Study 2 examined interrater reliability between 123 pairs of educators who had worked with the student for at least 2 months. Study 3 assessed the test-retest reliability over a 2-week period to determine stability of the SAED-3 RS. Across all studies, scores collected from the SAED-3 RS were determined to be a reliable, stable for measuring the emotional and behavioral functioning of students. Specifically, the averaged coefficient alpha for internal consistency ranged from 0.79 to 0.92 for each subscale and 0.96 for the composite score; interrater reliability coefficients ranged from 0.77 to 0.89 for each subscale and .89 for the composite score, and test-retest reliability coefficients ranged from 0.79 to 0.92 for each subscale and 0.96 for the composite score. Limitations, future research and implications for use of the SAED-3 RS are discussed.

One strategy to improve outcomes for students with emotional and behavioral disorders and their families in rural settings is providing parental support. Through interviews with special education administrators and student services personnel representing several rural regions, this exploratory study sought to identify the needs of youth with emotional and behavioral challenges and their families, potential barriers to accessing school and community services, and the feasibility of implementing a phone-based parent-to-parent support program in rural communities. Findings indicated increased efforts in providing mental health services in the school, several service access barriers, and strategies for improving parent support in rural settings.

Empowerment has been established as an important factor in resilience in adolescence. It has also been deemed critical for youth with emotional and behavioral disorders to achieve successful outcomes across academic, social, and behavioral domains, especially during a major transition. There is currently one measure used to evaluate empowerment in youth with mental health difficulties, yet it is unclear if this is a reliable measure for youth in therapeutic residential care. The purpose of this study was to examine the reliability and validity of this measure of empowerment in a sample of youth departing therapeutic residential care (N = 138) and to examine whether or not specific factors contribute to varied levels of empowerment. Findings indicate that the empowerment measure is reliable and valid for use with youth departing therapeutic residential care. Overall, youth report high levels of empowerment at discharge from care. None of the predictors in the three multivariate general linear models were statistically significant. Limitations and implications are discussed.

Mathematical reasoning involves comprehending mathematical information and concepts in a logical way and forming conclusions and generalizations based on this comprehension. Computer-based learning has been incorporated into classrooms across the country, and specific aspects of technology need to be studied to determine how programs are influencing student reasoning and learning. This article explores how one aspect of computer-based learning, electronic support tools (ESTs), influences students' mathematical reasoning over the course of an online supplemental mathematics program, the Math Learning Companion (MLC). Students in Grades 3, 4, and 5 (N = 31) from two private schools participated in MLC, and their reasoning was assessed before and after participating in the program. EST use was measured by using frequency counts for each tool. Results describe students' tool use and reflect an overall change in their reasoning over the course of the intervention, indicating that students use ESTs as needed to individualize the learning program. Students specifically used ESTs as needed to improve their mathematical reasoning, their correctness of response, and their mathematical explanations of their answers over the course of the intervention.

Interventions are implemented with greater fidelity when their core intent is made explicit. The core intent of this intervention was to increase access to higher order learning opportunities for students with learning disabilities or difficulties in mathematics through use of research and practice from the fields of special education and mathematics education. Four steps undertaken in the development of a Tier II fraction-based mathematics intervention designed to improve the conceptual understanding of students with learning disabilities or difficulties are described in this article: (a) articulation of a logic model, (b) delineation of intervention components, (c) analysis of reliability data related to implementation fidelity, and (d) pilot testing to measure implementation fidelity and student outcomes. Results of the pilot study demonstrated no significant effect for the component of technology; however, significant pre-post differences were found in the performance of all groups on their conceptual understanding of fractions as numbers.

Informal science education (ISE) programs serve as a method for developing, encouraging, and increasing both participation in, and enthusiasm for, STEM learning. One type of ISE program is provided by Challenger Centers through their space education curricula. Unfortunately, published evaluations related to space education programs are rare. The lack of research on informal space education programs has created a gap in our knowledge about the effectiveness of these programs in developing students' understanding of STEM related topics, their interest in STEM careers, and the connections they make to formal science learning outcomes. Even less is known about how subgroups of students respond to ISE space education programs. The purpose of this study was to report on the effectiveness of the space education program at one Challenger Center. Specifically, the attitudes and perceptions of middle school students on STEM related constructs were investigated at three points (pre, during, and post space mission), to determine how their beliefs changed over time. Additionally, we examined subgroups of students to further explore how involvement in the program influenced beliefs about STEM related constructs. Results demonstrate that students (N = 2945) felt very positive about their experience in the program and reported positive changes in attitudes and perceptions two weeks post-mission experience. Males (n = 719) had significantly greater changes in beliefs when compared to females (n = 748), and the program had a greater influence on the beliefs of students who are typically well represented in ISE programs (n = 949) compared to the subgroup of students who are typically underrepresented (n = 519) in ISE programs. Study limitations, future research, and implications are provided.

Youth served in residential care often demonstrate significant educational and behavioral gains during treatment; however, struggles evidenced during the reunification and reintegration process underscore the importance of continued aftercare services and supports. While these needs have been widely noted in the literature, little is known about youth perceptions regarding the importance of aftercare or preferences regarding specific supports. The purpose of this study was to assess the views of youth discharging from a residential program on perceptions of transition planning and aftercare, preparedness for the reintegration, and perceptions regarding specific services and supports. One-hundred and thirty-two youth served in a large residential care facility were asked to complete a Youth Aftercare Survey prior to departure to determine youth perceptions. Overall, results revealed high levels of youth optimism about their preparedness for the upcoming transition and identified supports in education, relationships, physical health, independent living, and family as most important to the reintegration process. Although promising findings were revealed regarding youth perceptions of the importance of continued supports across broad domains, youth were less concerned about mental health supports; a factor critical to long-term success. Implications, limitations, and future research are discussed.

Several studies show that using technology as an intervention tool in mathematics influences student outcomes, motivation to learn, and attitude about learning. However, no meta-analysis exists that examines all three of these characteristics combined along with several facets of the interventions. Understanding how motivation and attitude changes and influences student learning when technology is involved is essential in effectively using technology to enhance mathematical achievement. The current study uses a systematic review process to determine the effects of technology use on student achievement, motivation, and attitude. Different aspects of the intervention are examined (type of intervention, type of treatment, duration of the intervention, mathematical content area, and context of the learning environment). Results from 24 articles (4,522 subjects) indicate a significant overall impact of technology on student achievement, motivation, and attitudes; however, results vary based on the different aspect of the intervention examined.

Meaningful inclusion of quantitative reasoning into mathematics instruction requires meaningful ways to evaluate it. Few formative assessments exist to evaluate the strategies students use when reasoning mathematically. The Framework for Evaluating Quantitative Reasoning Strategies presented in this article provides teachers with categories for evaluating types of quantitative reasoning strategies students use for problems in the mathematical domain of number and operations. Numerous examples of the types of strategies students use for comparing fractions and how to evaluate the complexity of these strategies are provided. Included are research-based instructional recommendations for moving students toward a deeper conceptual understanding of fractions as numbers.

All students should have opportunities to develop their ability to reason mathematically. Gersten and Chard (1999) support this stance with respect to students with learning disabilities: "Even if students are not automatic with basic facts, they still should be engaged in activities that promote the development of number sense and mathematical reasoning" (p. 25). However, the typical instructional model for struggling learners does not incorporate these opportunities (Gersten & Chard, 1999). Further, although the "IES Practice Guide, Assisting Students Struggling with Mathematics: Response to Intervention (RtI) for Elementary and Middle Schools," advocates for "explicit and systematic" instruction that involves "verbalization of thought processes," little emphasis is placed on the role of peers (Gersten at al., 2009, p. 6). In this article, the authors share an instructional model that incorporates discussion between all students and the teacher. The model is based on a learning progression that uses student reasoning as well as concept development. It was implemented by the authors to help low-performing students develop their fraction sense in the context of comparing fractions.

This study investigated students' use of electronic support tools within a computer-based mathematics program. Electronic support tools are tools, such as hyperlinks or calculators, available within many computer-based instructional programs. A convenience sample of 73 students in grades 4-6 was selected to participate in the study. Students completed online lessons over the course of 6 weeks. Lessons were chosen to supplement the core instruction students' received in their mathematics classes. Correlations were found between students' use of specific electronic support tools and their basic academic skill fluency. A significant difference was also found between the pre and post mathematics test [t(72) = 6.463, p < 0.001, Cohen's d = 1.52]. Structural equation modeling was used to examine the direct and indirect effects of prior academic skills (a latent variable comprised of working memory, math fact fluency, and reading rate) and the overall use of electronic support tools on gains between the pre and posttest. Results indicated that having stronger prior academic skills contributed to significantly lower levels of EST use for students, and having weaker prior academic skills contributed to significantly higher levels of EST use. EST use, in turn, positively predicted gains from the program, indicating an indirect effect of prior academic skills on gain scores.

Proficiency in mathematics, including mathematical reasoning skills, requires students to communicate their mathematical thinking. Mathematical reasoning involves making sense of mathematical concepts in a logical way to form conclusions or judgments, and is often underdeveloped in students with learning disabilities. Technology-based environments have become a strategy to enhance students' reasoning in mathematics. Unfortunately, little research investigates the effects of technology on the reasoning skills of students with learning disabilities. This study examines the effects of an intervention intended to promote the communication of mathematical thinking through a digital writing environment for students with learning disabilities. We examined how students used the digital writing environment, the information communicated, and differences in mathematical reasoning for a small group of elementary students with learning disabilities (N = 13). Findings revealed students communicated primarily mathematical knowledge, preferred typing most of the time, and engaged in mathematical conversations with peers. Furthermore, significant differences in mathematical reasoning occurred over time.

In this paper, we describe the design, development, and initial validity evidence for the Screening to Assign Accommodations Tool (SAAT). The purpose of the SAAT is to identify students for whom construct irrelevant variance (CIV) might obscure measurement of their knowledge, skills, and abilities in mathematics. Once students are identified as having risk factors that might interfere with accurate measurement of the tested construct, additional information can be collected to determine the most appropriate accommodations that will reduce the impact of construct irrelevant variance on their observed academic performance. Implications, limitations, and future research for the refinement of this instrument are discussed.

Although much is known about the behavioral and educational characteristics of youth at entry to residential care, little is known about youth language performance. Given the impact of language deficits on outcomes, this study assessed the specific language skills of 70 adolescents at entry to a residential treatment setting. Results revealed elevated levels of risk across Core Language and comprehensive language indexes. Areas of greatest concern were with receptive language skills with just over 75% of the sample indicating some level of impairment. Implications for treatment and practice, study limitations, and recommendations for future research are discussed. (Contains 1 table and 1 note.)

At the time of entry into residential treatment, many youth have prescriptions for one or more psychotropic medications. It is not well understood why some youth are prescribed only one psychotropic medication while others may be prescribed more. We sought to determine if differences existed between youth entering residential treatment with monopharmacy (n = 77) versus youth entering with polypharmacy (n = 103). Youth were compared across demographic, family, behavioral, mental health, and psychotropic medication variables. The only significant differences identified were related to the numbers of youth with prescriptions across the different psychotropic classes. As would be expected, youth experiencing polypharmacy were more likely to have prescriptions within each class. Implications, limitations, and recommendations for future research are discussed. (Contains 3 tables.)

The article discusses the transition involves numerous stakeholders including the child, service providers, caregivers, educational professionals, and legal professionals. Preparing for this transition involves numerous stakeholders including the child, service providers, caregivers, educational professionals, and legal professionals.

Parental engagement in special education promotes positive student outcomes and parent-school relationships. In order to promote engagement, parents must possess a basic knowledge and understanding of special education processes and parent and student rights. Little is known regarding parental knowledge about special education or how they learn about and access information on the special education process. This exploratory study surveyed 133 parents of students with disabilities to identify how they received special education related information, specific information received or searched across primary special education topics, and their perceived current and retrospective understanding of these topics as well as how these may differ based on specific parent and special education status characteristics. Findings indicate that parents gain the majority of information from personal communication (i.e., conversations with special education teachers, other parents), often independently search out additional information on key aspects of special education, and feel most knowledgeable about Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) and least knowledgeable about the legal aspects of special education. Significant differences were noted on some family characteristics in areas of satisfaction with resources, overall special education knowledge, and ways in which parents obtain information (e.g., school or on their own). Limitations, implications, and future research are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Scales for Assessing Emotional Disturbance Screener–Third Edition (SAED-3) is a standardized, norm-referenced measure designed to identify school-age students at risk for emotional and behavioral problems. Four studies are reported to address the psychometric status of the SAED-3 Screener. Study 1 examined the internal consistency of the Screener using a sample of 1,430 students. Study 2 investigated the interrater reliability of the Screener results across 123 pairs of teachers who had worked with the student for at least 2 months. Study 3 assessed the extent to which the results from the Screener are consistent over time by examining test–retest reliability. Study 4 examined convergent validity by comparing the Screener to the Strength and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ). Across all studies, samples were drawn from populations of students included in the nationally representative normative sample. The averaged coefficient alpha for the Screener was.88. Interrater reliability coefficient for the composite was.83. Test–retest reliability of the composite was.83. Correlations with the SDQ subscales ranged from.74 to.99, and the correlation of the Screener to the SDQ composite was.99. Limitations and implications for use of the Screener are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: More than 50% of children who depart foster care will experience a permanency placement after being involved in the child welfare system. The struggles faced by children and families during the transition into the home and community setting following foster care are well-known and often result in child welfare re-entry. Presently, little is known about preparation for permanency placements or appropriate supports to aide in this critical transition period. This includes understanding the perspectives of key stakeholders such as foster parents, who are essential to the transition. This descriptive study begins to address this need by examining the perspectives of foster parents (N = 60) on: (a) transition planning, (b) the importance of specific supports and services critical during to transition period, and (c) availability of supports during the transition period. Findings: Results indicate that the most frequently addressed areas during transition planning process were family, medical/physical health, and education. Participants rated mental health and safety as the most important supports for youth. Most respondents indicated being unsure about the availability of nearly all supports. However, of those reported as available, safety and mental health supports were identified most often. Application: Findings have practical application for service provision and transition planning for youth and their families departing foster care to permanency placements. Specifically, a continued focus on mental health and an increase in educational supports during the transition process. These are discussed in depth as well as implications for practice. Limitations and future research are also presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]