Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Special education Special education Educational accountability'

The Education for All Handicapped Children Act (EHA) was signed into law on November 29th, 1975 by Republican President Gerald Ford and as he signed it, he acknowledged that while the intent of the law was a step forward, the aspirations were complex. The law was renamed the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) in 1990, and has undergone updates and revisions roughly every five years since its inception. Despite these continual modifications, the academic and social outcomes for students with disabilities lags far behind that of their regular education peers. In 2012, the Office of Special Education Programs initiated Results-Driven Accountability (RDA) to measure and improve the efficacy of Special Education programs.

In contrast to previous iterations of IDEA monitoring, RDA is not based solely on procedural compliance but makes a critical shift to evaluating special education services by also weighting student outcome based indicators. The literature traces the data that led to the practical and philosophical change to RDA and points to the critical role of State Education Agencies (SEAs) in the success of this initiative. SEAs, long expected to offer training, technical assistance, support and monitoring to all districts with special education programs, are now tasked with the implementation of RDA.

Through this qualitative case study, the researcher sought to investigate the efforts of a SEA in leading the implementation of RDA by focusing on the initial phases of that process with select Local Education Agencies who are participating in the pilot program. Seven school districts were involved in that program and three of those participated in semi-structured, one-on-one interviews with the researcher. During the interviews, participants were asked to reflect on the process of the RDA pilot program, known as the State Identified Measurable Result (SIMR), and how, in the perception of each district representative, the SEA had best assisted with the implementation scheme. Those interviews were analyzed for recurrent themes about the implementation process and the role of the SEA as perceived by each district. The researcher then conducted a comparative document review to triangulate the information from the interviews with the written plans from the SEA to check for congruency and response to the concerns and perceptions of the initial implementers.

The researcher concluded that the SEA, in providing a designated literacy coach and instructional strategy assistance through the implementation process, helped to create an environment for improved educational outcomes for students with disabilities in the schools that were part of the pilot program, and that the SEA did incorporate the SIMR LEA’s input on areas of challenge in the implementation of RDA.

The researcher also concluded that LEAs face many barriers to the implementation of RDA, and although most of the barriers are not directly under the control of the SEA, they cannot be ignored as the SEA prepares for a state-wide implementation of RDA.

Thesis advisor: Andy Hargreaves
Most policies and initiatives in education travel the same, well-worn path: they are designed high above the ground by elected leaders or by public officials in departments and ministries of education. These ideas soon become projects for district-level leaders and school-level staff to implement. The process of implementation is often a challenge for local educators. When schools are asked to implement several initiatives concurrently, these difficulties can be compounded. This is especially true when schools try concurrently to include students with special needs and to meet the targets of high-stakes accountability programs (McLaughlin & Thurlow, 2003; Ramanathan, 2008). This study examined two multi-level and multi-district projects that were unique in their objective and designs. Each fostered complementary restructuring and reculturing of school districts. These two projects--Essential for Some, Good for All (ESGA) in Ontario and NH Responds (NHR) in New Hampshire--sought to facilitate greater participation and achievement for students with special needs as well as to cultivate greater collaboration between general and special educators. The dissertation is comprised of four mixed-methods case studies across the two jurisdictions, looking at two districts in each country as the units of analysis. Interviews with participants from all three levels--policy and planning, district, and school--were accompanied by effect-size analysis taken from quantitative achievement data to assess achievement gaps before and after each project. Ultimately, the study proposes a workable theory for the field of policy design and implementation that would facilitate simultaneous engagement with multiple, competing policies, in particular balancing the inclusion of students with special educational needs and mechanisms for standards-based accountability
Thesis (PhD) — Boston College, 2012
Submitted to: Boston College. Lynch School of Education
Discipline: Teacher Education, Special Education, Curriculum and Instruction

This case study was concerned with examining the role of principals supervising programs for students with disabilities in effective schools as defined by the Virginia Department of Education's Outcome Accountability Project (OAP). In order to do this, three questions were framed, and after reviewing the literature, a research design was developed allowing data relative to the study questions to be collected. Multiple data sources were used in this investigation.;From the data collected in this study, three major conclusions may be drawn. The first finding is that the role of the principal in a school with an effective special education program, defined by the Outcome Accountability Project (OAP) indicators, differs from the role of a principal in a school with a lower OAP rating. Differences were found in practices that addressed behaviors in the following performance areas: communication, staff development, systematic evaluation of instruction, collaboration, and instructional programming.;The second conclusion is that interaction between the special education administrator and principal of an effective OAP defined school does differ from that of a special education administrator and principal in a school with less effective OAP ratings. Interviews with principals and special education administrators and results from responsibility charts delineated best practices for principals of effective OAP schools.;The third major finding identified the lack of time, lack of knowledge of special programs/curriculum and lack of central office assistance as the three main obstacles that impede the instructional effectiveness of principals. Supporting documentation from the interviews indicated the effects of these obstacles.

Special education is a field inherent with compliance and accountability issues. Special Education Administrators are tasked with the responsibility of implementing programs and maintaining compliance with state and federal standards while ensuring high quality educational performance. This research examined how the current Special Education Administrators are being held accountable under NCLB and IDEA. In addition, the previous roles and responsibilities of Special Education Administrator were reviewed in order to provide background information and to provide insight into Special Education Administrators' perceptions of key responsibilities under NCLB and IDEA 2004. The guiding questions for this study are: (1) What do Special Education Administrators perceive as their role and responsibilities under NCLB and IDEA 2004? (2) Do Special Education Administrators perceive their evaluation tool as an adequate measure of the current roles and responsibilities by which they are held accountable under NCLB and IDEA 2004? (3) Does the criteria by which Special Education Administrators are evaluated reflect what the research supports as those components related to roles and responsibilities under NCLB and IDEA 2004? The research design included quantitative and qualitative methods of analysis. The population for this study was stratified sample of 30 Special Education Administrators for the Commonwealth of Virginia. An online survey was utilized to conduct the initial research. In addition, in-depth interviews of special education administrators were conducted in order to gain a better understanding of how they are currently being held accountable. Research revealed that Special Education Administrators perceive they are currently being held accountable under NCLB and IDEA; though research concludes that current performance evaluation methodology does not measure the professional standards, including the roles and responsibilities of the Special Education Administrator. The conclusions of this study emphasize the importance of examining the performance evaluation procedures for Special Education Administrators in the Commonwealth of Virginia.
Ph. D.

Research studies and commentaries have analyzed the formal mechanisms associated with special education conflict such as the use of mediation and impartial hearings to resolve disputes. However, specific information regarding the management of special education conflict at the school level is in shorter supply. This study addresses special education conflicts between school personnel and parents of children with disabilities to understand better how these conflicts might be managed more successfully. The purpose of this study was to develop recommendations and implications for managing special education conflicts at the school building level. Multi-vocal synthesis methods were used to collect and to analyze data in an iterative process incorporating results from a content analysis of previous research with analysis of interviews with stakeholders having a vested interest in managing special education conflict at the school level (Gersten & Baker, 2000; Ogawa & Malen, 1992). Findings suggest that providing parents with evidence that their child’s needs are being met would pave the way for successful school-based special education conflict management. In conclusion, the participants indicated that conflicts could be avoided or managed successfully if school personnel could provide parents with clear evidence (a) that their child’s IEP was being followed in the classroom; (b) that accommodations were provided; (c) that staff were knowledgeable about providing services in an inclusive environment; (d) that administrators were knowledgeable about special education compliance issues; and (e) that staff would be held accountable for providing an appropriate education and for demonstrating trustworthy behavior.
Ed. D.

In this descriptive study, I researched five elementary general education teachers' reading assessment practices as they worked within the context of IDEA (2004), NCLB (2002) and Response to Intervention (RTI). My own connection to the classroom and reading assessment practices brought me to this research. I presented my personal and professional connection through vignettes about my own classroom assessment practices. Relevant literature on both the context and culture of assessment were pertinent to this research. I used a qualitative design, specifically, Colaizzi's (1978) method of phenomenological analysis. Data were three in-depth phenomenological interviews, relevant documents and artifacts, and use of a researcher reflective blog. I summarized the initial findings of this research through 10 clustered themes; shift of focus, ever changing accountability, independent efforts with data, collaborative efforts with data, working environment, interventions and reading assessment practices in action, authenticity in practice, lack of decision making power, teacher emotion, and teacher needs and wants and a composite narrative in order to describe the lived experience of these teachers reading assessment practices. Implications from my research with regard to policy include a perceived incongruence between an RTI framework and the teacher evaluation system with regard to active collaboration. Those toward practice include difficulty with the day-to-day implementation of an RTI framework and the perception of a singular focus of RTI as disability determination. My recommendations for future research include an action research agenda designed to explore increased involvement of stakeholders such as students, parents and other school personnel.

Educational Administration
Ed.D.
In 2003, Mid-County North High School (pseudonym), a large suburban, rather affluent school did not make Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) under the No Child Left Behind Act. The school's special education population was unable to meet the proficiency requirements of the Mid-County's state, and as such received a "failing" label from the state. The irony in this is that North High School (NHS) and the Mid-County District have a documented legacy of excellence -even on the very assessments upon which the "failing" assessments were based. This single-site, qualitative case study, was designed to investigate the real-life dilemmas, ethical, professional, and personal, that the school leaders at NHS and in the Mid-County School District encountered after the school did not make AYP. The perceived internal pressures caused by the possible competition of a school leader's personal and professional values, as well as the necessity for leaders to guide their school toward making AYP, were investigated. In addition to internal pressures, the study attempted to uncover the perceived pressures faced by the leaders within the organizational structure of the school and school district, from the community, media and government. In addition, the study was designed to unveil school leaders' reactions to these perceived pressures. This study used semi-structured interviews with 12 school leaders, including central office and building level leaders, as well as teachers, a parent, and a school board member. In addition to interviews, pertinent documents, and artifacts were analyzed. The interview and document data were then coded using a qualitative analysis program, TAMSAnalyzer. The constant comparative method (Glaser and Strauss, 1967) was used to analyze the data in terms of the study's two theoretical frameworks: Turbulence Theory (Gross, 1998) and Multiple Ethical Paradigms (Shapiro and Stefkovich, 2001). The data revealed three dominant themes: (a) Turbulence Happens: School Leaders Are Forced to Respond to Externally Imposed Accountability in the Era of NCLB and AYP; (b) Flight School: School Leaders' Ethical Codes and Experience Prepare them to Navigate Through Turbulence; (c) Pilot to Co-Pilot: School Leaders Communicate, Collaborate, and Innovate to manage the Turbulence of Not Making AYP.
Temple University--Theses

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEIA) 2004 requires schools to provide students with disabilities with all the academic opportunities, services, and extracurricular involvement afforded non-disabled peers and with non-disabled peers. Accountability measures resulting from the law, No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB), place increased emphasis on the performance of students with disabilities who must be included in the state assessment system, and meet the levels of proficiencies identified by the state for Adequate Yearly Progress in reading and math no later than 2013-2014. According to the literature, principals felt unprepared to provide the leadership in special education. The purpose of the case study of the leadership of a principal was to provide descriptions of practices in implementing and supporting inclusion so that instruction for children with disabilities can be delivered in general education classrooms. The data were triangulated from an interview with the principal, a focus group discussion of general and special education teachers, and examinations of physical artifacts. The findings revealed that the principal organized the school to support instruction of children with disabilities in general education classroom, planned intentionally for scheduling and grouping of students, expected general education and special education teachers to share equal responsibilities for instruction, used data to monitor the progress of students, developed visible and written procedures for academic and behavioral expectations, and collaborated with parents. Underlying each of the findings was the expectation that the faculty collaborate in understanding the impact of the disability upon learning, and problem solve interventions to positively affect academic outcomes for children with disabilities.
Ph. D.

I denna studie riktas fokus mot hur samhället ordnar för barns välfärd när de generellt inriktade insatserna inte räcker till. Studien baseras på observationer och intervjuer i tre olika verksamheter för unga i åldern 12-16 år: 1) ett hem för vård eller boende, HVB, med egen skola, 2) en kommunal särskild undervisningsgrupp, f d skoldaghem, och 3) ett HVB för utredning och behandling utan egen skola. Kännetecknande för dessa verksamheter är att de fått i uppdrag att fostra unga och att arbetet utförs i gränsområdet mellan undervisning och behandling. Vad händer i verksamheter som samtidigt ska åtgärda både sociala och pedagogiska problem och där diskurser från olika institutionella och vetenskapliga fält korsas? Genom att studera hur samhället hanterar unga som avskilts från den reguljära skolan syftar studien till att synliggöra hur olika diskurser om ”problembarn”, undervisning och behandling, skapar möjligheter och begränsningar för verksamheternas mål, medel och aktörer. Studiens metodologi är en kombination av etnografi och diskursanalys. Studien tar sin utgångspunkt i interaktion, vardag och identitetsformande processer. I dessa kommunikativa praktiker som är intimt relaterade till identitetsskapande, arbetar lärare och behandlare. Analys av vardagssituationer i dessa pedagogiska och sociala praktiker samt intervjuer av de unga och de anställda ger en ökad förståelse för vad som händer där och vad arbetet betyder för dess aktörer. Miljöerna består till stor del av informella mötesplatser där en flexibilitet i tolkningsmöjligheterna skapar förhandlingsutrymme om både vad som sker där, men också vilka de unga är. Användningen av informella miljöer, lekfullhet, kroppskontakt och humor upprätthåller konsensus och bygger relationer. Relationen möjliggör att de anställda kan skapa tillit och förtroende hos de unga och används för att stödja de unga och påverka dem i önskvärd riktning. Relationen innebär att de unga, samtidigt som de får stöd och omsorg, också kan kontrolleras. Två olika strategier, omsorg och kontroll, kopplas samman i vad Foucault beskriver som en pastoral maktutövning. Relationen är grunden för intersubjektivitet, d v s en delad kunskap om situationen och dem själva. Diskurserna som används utgår från att de unga ska förändras. Diskurserna tydliggör att de ungas förändring främst ses som avhängiga dem själva, men att förändring är sannolik och möjlig genom de ungas involvering. De unga själva ses i hög grad som ansvariga för att leva upp till de krav som samhället ställer på individer i den åldern. De anställda förväntas klara av fysisk gränssättning, använda tvångsåtgärder och hantera andra repressiva inslag. De ungas aktörskap synliggörs genom deras motstånd inför det som strider mot deras motiv och det som står på spel för dem, d v s deras normalitet. Intervjuer med de unga har sammanfattat de möjliga identitetsalternativ de unga uppfattar finns tillgängliga för dem och handlar om skapandet av vilka de varit och vilka de kan bli. Identiteterna beror på vilka tolkningsrepertoarer som används i de olika verksamheterna. Repertoarerna gör det möjligt att skapa olika identitetskonstruktioner där en del kan ses som mer normala än andra. En del av identitetsalternativen innebär att se sig själv som kriminell eller med brister av olika slag. Kamratkretsen på hemmaplan och som elev i skolan är den plats och det sammanhang där de unga känner sig mest som alla andra.
This study examines how society handles children who for different reasons can’t manage, or be managed, in compulsory schools. Observations and interviews were made in three different settings: 1) a foster home with its own school, 2) a small school for troubled youth, and 3) a home for assessment and treatment, without its own school. Common for these arenas are that the children have been separated and set apart from regular school, and they take place on the boundary, or in the intersection between, teaching and treatment. The aims are to reveal how different discourses about troubled youth, education and treatment create possibilities and limitations in relation to the goal of the practices targets, their means, and the actors. The study is based on research into interaction, daily life, and processes of identity transformation. The data is collected by ethnographic methods in the form of participant observations, and the analysis is informed by discourse analysis. In these communicative practices, educators and social workers were active in an area of research that is intimately related to identity. Analysis of everyday situations in pedagogical and social practices provides valuable knowledge for understanding what is going on in this practices and what the implications are for the actors. Examinations of the studied children’s environments and activities reveal the different emphases of efforts addressing the children’s needs which are informed by (connected to) the use of different discourses. The use of informal settings, playfulness, humour, and body contact help maintain consensus and build relationships. The relationships provide a basis for exerting influence. To offer support is also a means by which the young people can be controlled. Two strategies care and control are found to be linked in what Foucault describes as an exercise of pastoral power. These relationships are also the basis for intersubjectivity, that is, shared knowledge of the situation, including self-knowledge of the actors involved. The emphasis on informal environments and flexibility in interpreting the situation allows negotiation about who the children are and what they are expected to become. The balance in child welfare activities between coercion and free choice can be described as a balancing act in which employees have great responsibility for the children. The study discusses how different discourses affect young people’s identity. Considering the various working methods based on different discourses together with the specific child welfare activities suggests that there are several different ways to define the problem situation affecting the children; the children are in this way exposed to a number of troubled identities. The results also indicate that the children can refuse to make these identities their own. The children are actors who become visible through their resistance to what threatens their motives and through what is at stake for them, that is, their normality. Interviews with children have identified possible alternative identities that depend on repertoires of identities, in which some constructions are seen as more normal than others. The children prefer seeing themselves with friends at school and as pupils in school.

This study is concerned with those pupils registered as having 'special educational needs' within mainstream schools and also those who attend special schools of non normative designations and seeks to explain the over - representation of white working class boys amongst such populations. The processes of identification and subsequent allocation to non normative special categories are argued to be both class and gender biased and to represent the placement of pupils so identified along a continuum of exclusion, being an indication of their failure in conventional terms. An approach is developed which attempts to make the link between such failure and wider social and educational processes, viewing schooling as a form of cultural politics and seeing such politics as being intimately linked to wider structural relations. To this end the work of Pierre Bourdieu is employed. The aim of the research is to test and also to develop Bourdieu's theories of social and cultural reproduction and particularly his concept of habitus and its gendered embodied nature, as a means of illuminating the processes involved in the generation of these differential outcomes. The study takes the form of qualitative in-depth semi structured interviews with teachers from eight schools, five special and three mainstream, in order to generate detailed contextualised knowledge of the processes by which pupils may have been identified as having special educational needs within mainstream schools and then possibly allocated to special schools and of the assumptions perceptions and understandings of those teachers in special schools at the 'receiving end' of these processes. The resultant data is analysed using a conceptual framework provided by Bourdieu's theories. The study is placed within the context of the recent history I politics of special educational practices through a consideration of legislative and other developments of the past twenty years or so which are argued to have led to an increase in exclusionary pressures despite the rhetori~al emphases throughout most of this time firstly on Integration and latterly on inclusion.

Special education students with many different disabilities are taught in today’s classrooms, and since the passing of the No Child Left Behind Act in 2001, they are required to take the same standardized assessments as their regular education peers (Resmovits, 2013). Within this study, data were analyzed to determine the perceptions of two groups, which included third-grade regular education teachers and special education teachers of special education students who took the same standardized assessments as their regular education peers. In addition, data were also examined to determine if there was a relationship between how teachers from the two groups responded to survey statements and how students actually scored on the Missouri Assessment Program (MAP) for the years 2012-2014. Finally, data were analyzed to determine the perceptions of the two groups on the use of special education students’ assessment results for teacher evaluations. Sixty-three (N = 63) teachers, 30 regular and 33 special education teachers, from the Southwest Missouri region participated in completing a survey. Results indicated teachers in both groups negatively viewed the idea of special education students taking the same standardized assessments, with or without accommodations, as their non-disabled peers. In addition, a statistical relationship was found between the regular education teachers’ perceptions and special education students’ MAP scores in the area of communication arts (2013, 2014), and a statistical relationship was found between special education teachers’ perceptions and special education students’ MAP scores in the area of communication arts (2012) and math (2013). Finally, the data showed teachers in both groups negatively viewed the idea that special education students’ MAP scores should be used in teacher evaluations.

This thesis is based on a six year research study and is set against the implementation of Local Management of Schools and the formula funding arrangements for pupils with special educational needs (SEN). The main aim of the research is to investigate the principles and practice for allocating additional resources to provide for pupils with SEN but without statements. Two theoretical perspectives are used: the 'special needs pupil' discourse and the 'school and teacher effectiveness' discourse (Galloway, Armstrong and Tomlinson, 1994). The study is in two main parts. First the theoretical component whereby a critical examination is given to the conceptualisation of special educational needs, to the principles or criteria for evaluating a funding formula and to the historical arrangements for funding pupils with SEN. The second part of the thesis is the empirical component consisting of two national surveys, a case study carried out in two LEAS Mercia and Whiteshire, and computer budget modelling for different funding formulae for all primary and secondary schools in Whiteshire (n=690 schools). Evidence is obtained throughout the study relating to the design of an 'improved' SEN formula which is evaluated according to the principles or criteria of simplicity, equity, effectiveness, responsiveness to needs, efficiency, stability of funding, cost containment and accountability

Dissertation (PhD)--University of Stellenbosch, 2004.
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: With current legislation focusing on the implementation of inclusive education, more learners with diverse needs are entering the regular classroom. In order to effectively address the needs of all learners, it is necessary for educators to implement effective teaching 'strategies in educating learners with diverse needs. Many educators have not been trained to address the needs of learners with special educational needs with the help of specific teaching strategies. Because of this, effective in-service training programmes for educators are necessary. The primary aim of this research study was to determine whether the following outcomes of an in-service programme on co-operative learning for educators have materialised in the academic achievement, social skills and motivation of learners with special educational needs have improved. The research design was evaluative in nature and specifically addressed the question of whether the participants (the learners with special educational needs) changed in the direction that the programme was planned. An integrated qualitative and quantitative methodology in evaluation research was followed and involved observations before, during and after the intervention. Research findings indicated that both learners with special educational needs and regular classroom learners benefited favourably from the co-operative learning lessons in terms of academic achievement, motivation and social skills.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Met die huidige wetgewing wat die fokus toenemend op die implementering van inklusiewe onderrig laat val, betree al hoe meer leerders met diverse behoeftes die gewone klaskamer. Ten einde in die behoeftes van alle leerders te voorsien, is dit nodig dat opvoeders by die opvoeding van leerders met diverse behoeftes effektiewe onderrigstrategieë implementeer. Baie opvoeders is nie opgelei om met behulp van spesifieke onderrigstrategieë die behoeftes van leerders met spesiale opvoedkundige behoeftes aan te spreek nie. Vir hierdie rede is effektiewe indiensopleidingsprogramme vir opvoeders noodsaaklik. Die hoofdoel van hiedie navorsingstudie was om vas te stelof die uitkomste van 'n indiensopleidingsprogram in kooperatiewe leer vir opvoeders verwerklik is en of die akademiese prestasie, sosiale vaardighede en motivering van leerders met spesiale opvoedkundige behoeftes verbeter het. Die navorsingsontwerp was evaluerend van aard en het spesifiek die vraag aangespreek of die deelnemers (die leerders met spesiale opvoedkundige behoeftes) verandering getoon het in die rigting wat deur die programbeplanning in die vooruitsig gestel is. 'n Geïntegreerde kwalitatiewe en kwantitatiewe metodologie in evalueringsnavorsing is gevolg en het waarneming voor, tydens en ná die intervensie behels. Navorsingsbevindings het getoon dat sowel leerders met spesiale opvoedkundige behoeftes as gewoneklaskamer-Ieerders ten opsigte van akademiese prestasie, motivering en sosiale vaardighede by die koëperatieweleer-lesse baat gevind het.

This research was conducted in order to find out what takes place in the process of integration of pupils with special educational needs from special schools into mainstream schools. A design was chosen that allowed the study of the various stages of transfer from a special school into a mainstream school. The design chosen was an "overlapping longitudinal" design i.e. pupils going through the different phases of the transfer process were studied in parallel. Three phases were identified: the pre transition phase. the transition phase and the post transition phase. Three groups of pupils were studied representing each phase of the transfer. In total twenty pupils were studied their ages ranging from six to nine with a range of Special Educational Needs. The first group the Pre transition group comprised pupils for whom a decision was not made yet to transfer them to mainstream school. The second group the Transition group comprised pupils for whom a decision had been made to transfer them to a mainstream school. The third group the Post transition group comprised pupils who had already transferred into a mainstream school during the previous academic year. The case study approach was chosen in order to study the three groups and the methods of data collection were interviews, observation and consultation of documents. Interviews were held with parents, special school staff, educational psychologists, mainstream school stff and staff at the Local Educational Authorities' Support Services. Two schedules of observation were devised, one of them aimed to capture the general occurrences in the classroom "Classroom Observation Schedule" and the other aimed at capturing the pupils' interactions in detail, "Classroom Interaction Schedule". Tests of reliability were carried out to ensure the reliability of both schedules. A research diary was kept to compliment the observation gathered from both schedules. As for the documents that were consulted, these were pupils' statements, schools' SEN policies, LEA SEN policies and some examples of pupils' work. The analysis of the data gathered through the different sources were discussed for each group individually and emerging themes from the three groups were discussed in the final chapter.

Special education complaint management is federally mandated with regulations promulgated in the Education Department General Administrative Regulations. Despite these federal regulations, little attention and no research has ever focused on this area. Special education complaint management systems have access to valuable information necessary for thorough compliance monitoring and this information should be used to benefit children requiring special education services.;This study examined special education complaint management systems and complaint issues in each of the 50 states in the United States, the District of Columbia, the territories, and the Department of Defense Schools. State level complaint managers were asked to complete a survey instrument regarding staffing patterns, implementation procedures and practices, complaints and complainants, complaint issues, as well as assistive services available to complainants.;Results of the study show increasing numbers of complaints, issues, record keeping, and information dissemination. Recommendations for technical assistance and future research are provided as they relate to state level special education complaint management.

In this paper, we review findings from 19 studies of alternative route programs and conclude that they have not been shown to be inferior to traditional programs. These programs are program evaluations and lack many of the controls typical of experimental work; as a result, the findings may be less trustworthy than necessary for reasoned decision-making. Problems inherent in conducting studies of this sort are discussed and illustrated with examples from this literature. The appropriateness of the secondary content area model for elementary and special education is considered from both theoretical and empirical perspectives.

Disproportionality in special education has been examined from various perspectives over a 50-year period. English Language Learner (ELL) students have been included in the discussion among researchers in the past two decades as a disproportionate number of ELL students are referred to special education. Though the problem of disproportionality has been acknowledged, documented and discussed over a period of decades, there is a lack of research from the voices of special educators. The purpose of this study was to describe special education teachers’ experiences teaching students currently or previously enrolled in an English language learner program who are receiving special education services. This study explored teachers’ views of what supports, resources and strategies contribute to student success and their views of the eligibility determination and referral process . In order to address this gap in the literature, an exploratory descriptive qualitative study was conducted by interviewing special educators. The results indicate the participants lacked support in all areas examined including professional development, resources, instructional strategies and the referral and assessment process. This study indicates structural inequity, a systematic bias in the form of a patterned and differential distribution of resources, contributing to limited opportunities for students who are English language learners who are receiving special education. Implications of the study to address structural inequity include the use of culturally responsive pre-referral strategies and knowledge of the acculturation process when considering the needs of an ELL student who is struggling academically and incorporating culturally response teaching methods in both general and special education.

The purpose of this study was to examine the roles and responsibilities of elementary level assistant principals in the supervision of special education at the building level. Elementary assistant principals in Virginia (N = 219) were surveyed to identify delegated roles and responsibilities, perceptions of level of preparedness to perform assigned duties, and formal preparation for these duties. The survey addressed five leadership domains---Organization, Collaboration, Instruction, Program Evaluation, and Professional Development. Findings indicate that assistant principals fulfill organization duties more often than duties in the other domains, and felt more prepared for this area of responsibility as well. Knowledge and skills were most often attributed to conference attendance and interactions with special education teachers. Findings suggest that assistant principals obtain their knowledge and skills to supervise special education by attending conferences, and reading special education journals. However, they rely even more on special education teachers for information regarding special education.

This study examines parental perceptions of their participation in the special education process at a high school in southern Illinois. Eleven parents were interviewed based on either self-reported low socioeconomic status or non-participation in a formal IEP meeting during the previous year. Regarding the quality and the quantity of their participation in the special education process, parents reported favorably in both areas. Most parents placed greater importance on more frequent and less formal methods of communication with trusted staff members, and less importance on IEP meeting participation. Some barriers to effective parental participation were noted, such as doubt as to whether or not their input in the IEP meetings was relevant and taken into consideration. Draft copies of IEP paperwork may inadvertently communicate predetermination of meeting results, and many parents did not fully understand the IEP paperwork. Technical language used at IEP meetings was also noted as a possible barrier. Parents also indicated a desire to avoid conflict with the school. Initial special education eligibility meetings were a negative experience for over half of the participants. This study also noted a fundamental difference in how parents and schools perceive children with disabilities. Nearly all parents focused on positive aspects of their children and similarities to their peers without mentioning any disabling conditions. The theoretical framework of this study suggests that schools approach special education through a “defectological” approach that emphasizes a child’s disabling condition. This extreme difference in perception could account for some lack of parental involvement in the IEP process. The implications of this study call for a re-examination of the definition of parental participation in the special education process, exploration of ways to minimize the barriers to parental participation in formal IEP meetings, inclusion of parents and students into the process of developing the IEP document itself and a focus on similarities and abilities of children rather than the current practice of emphasizing disabilities and limitations.

The importance of principal preparation in special education has increased since the Education for All Handicapped Children Act was passed in 1975. There are significant financial reasons for preparing principals in the area of special education. Recent research also shows that all children learn better in an inclusive environment. Principals who are not prepared in the area of special education have a difficult time implementing an inclusive culture at their schools. This qualitative inquiry study set out to explore principals’ perceptions of their preparation in special education and subsequent district support in building their understanding and implementation of an inclusionary culture in their schools.

Grounded in Critical Disability Theory (Hosking, 2008) and Social Justice Leadership Framework (Furman, 2012), the conceptual framework of this study, Inclusive Leadership Framework, outlined characteristics of an inclusive leader and a framework for building an inclusive culture. Some principals interviewed for the study demonstrated these characteristics and some did not. Principals wanted to learn more about special education and wanted their students to succeed. The Inclusive Leadership Framework evolved throughout the study, but was remained grounded to prevailing praxis of reflection and action.

This study examined the attitudes of principals in K-12 settings in nine Southern California school districts in order to discover their perceptions of the effect their administrative credential preparation in special education had on building an inclusive culture. In addition, principals offered their perceptions relative to how district support in special education helped inform leadership practice regarding building a culture of inclusion. Finally, participants shared anecdotal experiences revealing ways they “learned on the job” as they navigated the world of special education. Recommendations for policy and practice for administrative preparation programs and the Clear Administrative Credential process, professional development and coaching of administrators is addressed in this study.

Significant findings revealed that principals who feel unprepared in special education do not always develop an inclusionary culture, or understand its benefits to student learning. In addition, participants revealed that they would have preferred knowing more about the process of special education before taking their first administrative position. One interesting anecdotal finding suggested that administrators who are parents of a special needs child or were one themselves are very well educated in the realm of special education and take a personal interest in it. A key recommendation for policy/practice/research included making a special education goal in the Individual Induction Plan for the Clear Administrative Credential. The program includes coaching and coaches need to be provided that can instruct in special education and the building of inclusive school culture.

This study is a replication of Janet Jabs’ “What’s my job? Perspectives on Paraeducators Roles” completed in 2000. This study focused on the perceived role of educational assistants held by teachers and educational assistants themselves. Participants included teachers and educational assistants employed by the Saskatoon Public School Board in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. Each participant completed a 24-question survey. Overall results revealed that there were some discrepancies and agreements between teachers and EAs as to what tasks an EA is responsible for within the classroom.

The purpose of this study was to explore variables related to student placement in alternative educational settings in the state of Texas. Archival research was conducted utilizing the Academic Excellence Indicator System (AEIS) of all Texas public school districts for the 2011-2012 academic year, excluding charter schools. The variables utilized in the study were percentages of discretionary disciplinary placements, special education enrollments, economically disadvantaged, at-risk, limited English proficient, African American, Hispanic, and white students. Multiple linear regression was used to examine variables contributing to disciplinary alternative placement for students in Texas. The findings indicated that students identified as at-risk and those of African American heritage have higher percentages of disciplinary placements than students identified as economically disadvantaged, limited English proficient, Hispanic, white, or receiving special education services.

This study explores parents' perspectives on their children's special educational needs and relates those perspectives to legal and other professional discourses. The key concepts used to organise the enquiry are Special Educational Needs (SEN), the Duty of Care and parents' expectations. Ten case studies were undertaken and the findings compared with a number of set-piece, land-mark cases which were followed through the legal process, from the High Court, through the Court of Appeal and finally, on 27 July 2000, the unanimous judgement of seven law lords in the House of Lords. Comparison of the local case studies with the legal cases produced interesting implications for the future of special educational needs. Ten parents were interviewed at the local level, as well as the local authority officer responsible for statements of SEN, the LEA parent partnership officer, and an parent advocate employed by a charity. At the national level, interviews were carried out with the solicitor acting for the plaintiff and the Principal Educational Psychologist of the defendant Local Education Authority. The main conclusions are first, that parents' definitions of their children's special educational needs, despite much exhortation in the academic literature about parental involvement, are still undervalued by professionals. Further, some parents are less able than others to articulate those needs and further their children's interests, and will be reliant on professionals or interest groups to assist them. Second, those professionals owe them a legal duty of care and can be liable for negligence if they give inadequate or wrong advice. This is relevant to the current debates about the role of educational psychologists and the promotion of inclusion. The third conclusion is that the recent decisions in the House of Lords will have resource implications for LEA insurance as well as for the delivery of the education service, and finally the commitment to equality of opportunity and inclusive education means that all children with any kind of need, special or otherwise, statemented or not, must have access to an education which will help them reach their full potential.

The purpose of this study was to compare the attitudes of trained and untrained school administrators toward inclusive education initiatives. The “Principal’s Inclusion Survey,” developed by Cindy Praisner and G.H. Stainback, was distributed electronically to 3,250 school administrators in the southeast region of the United States and a quantitative study approach using a convenience sampling methodology was used to test the research hypotheses. In this study, the following research question was answered: What is the difference in the attitudes toward inclusion of school administrators who are trained in special education compared to school administrators who are not trained in special education? The following research hypotheses were the primary focus of the research: H1 There is a difference in the special education attitudes of school administrators who are trained in special education compared to school administrators who are not trained in special education toward inclusive education initiatives. H0 There is no difference in the special education attitudes of school administrators who are trained in special education compared to school administrators who are not trained in special education toward inclusive education initiatives. The results of the study indicated that there is no difference between trained and untrained administrators’ attitudes toward inclusive education initiatives based on their special education training. Therefore, the analyses of the data resulted in failure to reject the null hypothesis. Implications for practice based on the results of this study can be applied to university administrator training programs, school district administrators, educational leaders, and state and federal departments of education.

This qualitative case study explored how secondary special education teachers and transition specialists perceived their collaborative efforts when transitioning students with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) from secondary to higher education. The theory of transition established the platform for this study. Two of the theoretical principles of situation and support were used as a lens to determine the collaborative perceptions between these two educator groups. The research questions specified educator perceptions of collaboration throughout the transition process and building collaborative relationships. The sample consisted of seven secondary special education teachers and seven transition specialists within the State of Arizona. Data collection sources the secondary transition plan document, semistructured individual interviews and two focus group sessions. Data coding procedures determined specific patterns that emerged in the analysis. A total of seven themes emerged: Collaboration ongoing, team effort, unrealistic expectations affect transition, attitude of specialists affecting student success, trust is vital to building relationships, lack of knowledge in preparing students during transition, and the importance of parental involvement throughout the transition process. The results that provided the greatest influence to the collaborative process included parental involvement and relationships, trust building between educators, continued training, provision of resources, and the development of the transition plan. The implications of this study suggested that educational organizations provide opportunities for these specialists to attend trainings for continued professional development.

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act of 2004 allows schools to utilize response to intervention (RtI) as early intervention to prevent at-risk students from becoming labeled as learning disabled. Using action research methodology and school change theory, the purpose of this project study was to determine the RtI implementation needs of a rural elementary school (LE). The guiding research question was to identify the components of an RtI framework currently being utilized during the pre-referral process at LE. This study employed a qualitative method triangulation design to analyze data from key stakeholders including questionnaires; individual interviews from six reading teachers, one reading interventionist, and one special education teacher; and campus documents analysis. Analysis included data transformation of frequency statistics from surveys and coded data from open-ended questionnaire responses, individual interviews, and document analysis. These data were triangulated revealing the current level of practice in collaboration, data-based decision making, parent involvement, professional development, and implementation monitoring. Findings indicated utilization of several RtI components inconsistently across grade levels and subjects. As a result, an RtI action plan was developed including a description of RtI background, identification of current levels of practice, implementation steps including timetable, and an RtI glossary. This resource has the potential to aid other districts by providing an implementation plan that could be adapted to their campus needs. This study promotes positive social change by identifying an effective implementation process for a unified service delivery model at LE resulting in improving the education of all students.

This study examines parents of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) children in Individual Education Plan (IEP) meetings within a school in the Northeastern United States. School districts have created programs to seek feedback from the parents of ASD students to improve disconnect and confusion. The study examines the parent point of view on the IEP meetings and seeks to gain information from the parents to improve a disconnection or confusion they may be feeling. The information secured in the research provided vital information for both parents and the School District to sustain or improve the overall interactions within the IEP team. The research data focused on the experiences of the parents. The research had completed 5 interviews and 26 questionnaires to gain study information. The parents felt secure and comfortable when teachers and special education staff included them in the meeting process. The parents felt lost, confused, and insignificant when communication was not used in the meetings. The study recommends workshops, training, and education to improve communication. The study recommends transparency, workload mapping, and accountability to improve the parent and teacher relationship. The study is a unique process which gives the parents a sounding board and a voice.

This study utilized a qualitative case study interview methodology to explore the transition to postsecondary education and first-year postsecondary educational experiences of four students with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). This research provided a comprehensive understanding of the first-year postsecondary educational experience of the students who were enrolled in a private, selective four-year postsecondary educational institution. It explored the ecological factors that impacted the students' first-year postsecondary experiences through analyzing the perspective of the students, the students' parents, and the students' disability resource and service (D/RS) provider. It also investigated how students' prior experience and perception of ASD influenced their first-year postsecondary experience.

Reviewed literature found that research focusing on postsecondary educational experiences was scarce and mainly consisted of anecdotal accounts of students with ASD and limited research on the experiences of students with ASD after their first year. There was no prior research focusing on the first-year postsecondary experiences of students with ASD.

The study's findings provide an analysis of each student's prior experience and first-year postsecondary educational experience and then present a cross-case analysis. The study revealed that the students' academic and transition services in high school and parental support were the most notable prior experiences that influenced the students' transition to postsecondary education. It also found that the students experienced academic and social successes and challenges. Internal attributes, including students' persistence and stress impacted their experience. Parental support and D/RS support were perceived to have positively impacted the students' experience. The study also found that the students perceived their diagnosis of ASD as both a positive asset and a hindrance to their experience.

The discussion provides an analysis of the factors within the postsecondary environment and from the students' prior experience that impacted their first-year and how these four students' experiences related to the previous literature. It also discusses the importance of implementing effective support services. Recommendations for policy, practice, and further research are also provided.

The disproportionate nature of special education, notably with African American students, is longstanding and most pronounced in judgmental eligibility categories such as intellectual disability and emotional disturbance. Numerous studies on disproportionality conclude there is not a single causative factor, but point to the multifactorial nature of the issue and the complex interplay among different factors. Research related to the role social factors exhibited in an institution have on special education referral and eligibility determination is more limited. This is important since practices employed during the eligibility process take place within the institution?s social environment and are underpinned by the beliefs and values of those that administer the process. By employing a mixed methods study design, the author examined the following questions: 1) are minority students, particularly African American elementary school students, more likely to be disproportionately represented in special education eligibilities across school districts in the county, and if so which ones; 2) within the referral and eligibility process employed, what criteria are used to determine the eligibility emotional disturbance; and 3) do the commonly held perceptions and practices present within the school district?s culture influence the process and decision-making for eligibility? Quantitative data were obtained from appropriate Illinois State Board of Educations (ISBE) websites and through a Freedom of Information Act request to the State Board of Education for specific data and statistics related to the special education population for 116 elementary school districts in a suburban midwestern county. Data showed 11 school districts demonstrated disproportionality, a risk ratio >3.0, for years 2011-2013. Of these, eight involved the African American student, with six school districts disproportionality centered on emotional disturbance thereby qualifying as potential candidates for Phase 2. Important to note, unlike previous research on disproportionality that examined school districts with predominantly Caucasian or even more diverse student populations, this study?s school district was primarily Hispanic, 94%, with African Americans making up 2% of students. This provided a unique opportunity to study two minority populations. The second phase of the study employed a qualitative approach of in-depth, semi-structured face-to-face interviews of key professionals involved in special education eligibility determination from the selected school district. Findings revealed two broad points related to the social environment of the school district that appeared to impact the referral and eligibility process. First is the strength of administrative leadership vis-a-vis process implementation and second is the sociocultural environment of the district. In this case, leadership was passive when it came to ensuring fidelity to tiered intervention plans, a critical component of the referral process. Basically leadership allowed fidelity and accountability to the intervention process by teachers to be lackluster at best or worst case absent. Consequently, teachers more resistant to engaging in the intervention process tended have higher student referrals. The sociocultural environment of the school district studied is comprised basically of two divergent economic classes, the middle class predominately Caucasian educators/administrators and the student population who are of low to very low economic status and predominately of two racial/ethnic minorities. Comments consistently emerged from interviewees regarding differences seen between the Hispanic and African American students culturally, their perceived value structures, and observable behaviors. A key insight from this research was being a racial/ethnic minority does not per se lead to disproportionate representation in the emotional disturbance eligibility, the dominant culture of the social composition of the student population influences the perceptions and understanding of the educators and professionals who, for the most part, are Caucasian, middle class and more often than not female. Basically, there is an acclimatization of the educators to the culture, behaviors and values of the dominant group against which other racial/ethnic behaviors and values are positioned and judged. The culture, values and behaviors of, in this case, Hispanics students were perceived to be different than that of the African American student and less tolerated. The intent of this researcher was to provide data that advanced the knowledge of how the social environment of a district interplays with its? professionals? belief to shape decision-making and how, in turn, this impacted the issue of overrepresentation of African American students in special education, specifically emotionally disturbed. This study has shown primary contributors to referral and eligibility was poor school leadership over intervention implementation and differences between the social norms and cultural perspectives of the school environment stakeholders and those of African American students. It is critical from both scholarly and applied practice perspectives that an ongoing effort to implement culturally responsive pedagogy within the school environment. Similarly, research focusing on interventions designed to shape teachers? perceptions of student behavior is essential to ensure not only equitable educational opportunities, but also eradicate disproportionality.

This study is a program evaluation of a small, rural school district’s special education program’s compliance with key processes, including the child study, eligibility, and individual education plan (IEP) processes. The goals of the evaluation were to identify potential weaknesses in the special education program implementation, and to provide suggestions for improvement. The program evaluation model used is the Context, Input, Process, Product (CIPP) model, which was developed by Daniel Stufflebeam. The research questions assessed the alignment of the school district’s special education handbook with federal and state guidelines for special education, as well as the implementation of the special education processes and procedures as intended, including the use of standards-based IEPs. Additionally, the evaluation focused on factors that either contributed to or inhibited the successful implementation of the special education program. The study used a mixed methods approach with three data sources, which included document analysis of student files, focus groups, and interviews with key staff members. Results indicated that the school district’s handbook was generally compliant with state and federal guidelines, and that the vast majority of students’ IEPs were standards-based. The district was less compliant with documenting research-based interventions during the child study process and with documenting eligibility decisions. The hiring of a compliance specialist was seen as a positive factor in successful program implementation, while high staff turnover appears to be a barrier.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Illinois State University, 1992.
Title from title page screen, viewed January 27, 2006. Dissertation Committee: Ronald L. Laymon, David L. Franklin (co-chairs), Robert Arnold, Jack C. Eisele, Jack E. Matheney. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 213-224) and abstract. Also available in print.