The Perception of Special Education Teachers Regarding the Effects of NCLB and IDEA on the Academic Achievement of Students with Disabilities

The purpose of this study was to evaluate and determine how special education teachers perceived the effectiveness and impact of NCLB and IDEA on the academic achievement of high school students with disabilities. The purpose of the "No Child Left Behind Act" (NCLB) and the "Individuals with Disabilities Education Act" (IDEA) was to bridge the achievement gap among students and to ensure they developed proficiency in focus subjects. One of the NCLB goals was to staff each classroom with a special education teacher. According to the study findings, special education teachers believed that NCLB did result in significant improvement of instructional methods. Study results indicated that the implementation of IDEA did lead to significant improvement of instructional methods. Study findings showed that educators perceived the NCLB strategies did lead to a decrease in the achievement gap between the two groups of high school students. This study used a quantitative descriptive research methodology to evaluate the perceived level of effectiveness of NCLB and IDEA strategies in the special education program. Use of a quantitative research methodology enabled the researcher to determine, measure, and analyze data to test the hypotheses developed from the three research questions. The population of interest consisted of special education teachers, specifically the highly qualified special education teachers. The research instrument for the study was a survey questionnaire distributed to 130 special education teachers. The selected sample included highly qualified and effective high school special education teachers from five urban inner-city schools in an urban Midwestern U.S. school district. This sample was selected because these teachers were the ones executing and evaluating the effectiveness of NCLB and IDEA and they could describe the tangible implications of the changes. The findings of this research are important because they provide noteworthy insight into NCLB and IDEA strategies for improving the academic achievement of students with disabilities. This study establishes that more efficient instructional practices and educational leadership are significant requisites for improving the quality of education for students with disabilities. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]