bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Role of Needs Assessment in Program Planning and Evaluation
Authors: Marrs Lawrence W. , Helge Doris I.
Published: December 2008

Appropriately interrelating needs assessment strategies with program planning and evaluation efforts aids a school district's abilities to fulfill increasing demands for "accountability." The discrepancy approach to needs assessment facilitates short- and long-term planning processes necessary for effective leadership and flexibility in our rapidly changing culture. Needs assessment may be used to develop program standards as a process of formative evaluation and as a process of summative evaluation. The needs assessment process utilizes principles of organization development, including involvement of all levels of individuals within the organization and developing congruency between individual and organizational needs and goals. Intra-organizational professional growth results from increased interaction and communication by participants using this model.
Teachers' Judgments of Class-Related and Teaching-Related Problem Situations
Authors: Gesten Ellis L. , Cowen Emory L. , DeStefano Michael A. , Gallagher Richard
Published: December 2008

The development of a measure of teacher reactions to a variety of pupil, parent, and class-management problems is described. Factor analyses identified four child factors, two parent factors, and three class-management factors. Less frequently occurring problem situations were found to pose more serious handling difficulties. Situations relating to parents were more difficult for teachers to handle than ones involving individual children or class management. Suburban teachers had more serious handling problems than urban teachers, and less experienced teachers had more serious problems than experienced ones.
Effects of Different Environmental Conditions On Leisure Time Activity of the Severely and Profoundly Handicapped
Authors: Wehman Paul
Published: December 2008

This study explores the efficacy of three different environmental conditions — Toy Proximity, Modeling, and Instructions plus Modeling — on the independent leisure activity of three severely and profoundly handicapped individuals. The effects of the three different conditions were evaluated in a combination simultaneous treatment design and ABA reversal design with each of the experimental conditions presented in a Latin Square sequence. It was found that each of the three antecedent events resulted in substantially higher levels of independent play than baseline activity. Instructions plus Modeling led to the highest level of independent play while Toy Proximity and Modeling resulted in lower but almost equivalent rates of responding. Implications of this research include more systematic approaches to behavioral assessment and stimulus-fading maintenance strategies in recreation settings.
Mental Retardation Research, Ecological Validity, and the Delivery of Longitudinal Education Programs
Authors: Gaylord-Ross Robert J.
Published: December 2008

The paper discusses the schism that has developed between mental retardation research and the programmatic reform activities taking place in the educational and residential sectors. Principles for conducting more ecologically valid research are advanced to end this separation between fields and to improve the scientific status of mental retardation research. It is suggested that the researcher redefine his/her professional role to a more collaborative one with the staff of the research site. Finally, two examples are presented where ecologically valid research could be fruitfully generated.
Special Class Exit Criteria: A Modest Beginning
Authors: Algozzine Robert , Whorton James E. , Reid William R.
Published: December 2008

Identification and placement practices in the area of mental retardation have been widely discussed; they are considered by many to be problemmatic. Little research has been completed with regard to exit criteria for children who should be reassigned to a regular classroom. The focus of this study was exit criteria. Typical assessment information as well as measures of achievement efficiency were used to predict program placement for a group of educable mentally retarded youngsters. Actual class placement was correctly predicted for 84% of the development sample. The results are discussed with regard to implications for assessment practices for the mentally retarded.
Availability, Usability, and Desirability of Instructional Materials and Media for Minority Handicapped Students
Authors: Bland Elwood , Sabatino David A. , Sedlak Robert , Sternberg Les
Published: December 2008

A national cross-section of 270 educators of minority-group handicapped children and adolescents in 13 states was interviewed regarding their present and past media/materials usage with minority-group handicapped learners, the availability of materials, and the need for new materials. The perceptions of educators of Spanish-speaking students regarding the appropriateness of existing media/materials differed from those of teachers of either blacks or native Americans. The majority of educators of Spanish-speaking handicapped students felt that the existing media/materials were not compatible with the cultural background of their students and that the products on the market slighted this population. Educators indicated that they used many different media and materials ranging from print to multimedia packages. Games were used by 82% of the educators, and workbook consumable materials were used by over 70% of the educators. Teachers' comments reflected a growing concern for the rising, often excessive cost of commercial products.
Deficit or Delay: Neuropsychological Models of Developmental Dyslexia
Authors: Dalby J. Thomas
Published: December 2008

This review examines issues and research relating to the involvement of the central nervous system in reading disorders. Questions regarding subtypes, pre- and perinatal influences, genetics, sex differences, and early identification are briefly surveyed along with a summary of major research findings in neuropsychology and neurology. Particular attention is devoted to the assessment of the brain-deficit model vis-à-vis the maturational-lag model of developmental dyslexia. Neither theory can adequately account for the entire population of dyslexics. For progress to be made in this area, attention must be focused on theory articulation and reformulation in addition to methodological and taxonomic advances.
Diagnosing Instruction
Authors: Engelmann Siegfried , Granzin Alex , Severson Herbert
Published: December 2008

Traditional diagnostic approaches usually occur outside the instructional context and focus on the learner. Accurate conclusions about the learner, however, can only be reached after an adequate diagnosis of instruction. Failure to consider instruction as a variable results in diagnoses that lack specific implications for teaching. Assumptions and procedures critical to an adequate diagnosis of instruction are discussed and applied to a variety of examples. The process of derivation of remedies and its relationship to the diagnostic process is illustrated with examples. Implications for the diagnostician and the consequences of failing to provide adequate instructional diagnoses are discussed.
Survey of Sex Education Coursework in Special Education Programs
Authors: May Deborah C.
Published: December 2008

Much has been written about the need to prepare handicapped individuals to deal with their sexuality. If they are to be taught sex education effectively, their teachers must receive adequate instruction in this crucial curriculum area. A survey was sent to the chair-persons of 185 special education teacher-training programs to determine the amount and type of coursework in sex education that their students received during their special education teacher preparation. Of the 146 programs that responded, 61% indicated that their students received some preparation in sex education. Further analysis indicates that the majority of the coursework was either elective options or a few hours of coverage within existing courses. The need for training programs to assist teachers in integrating sex education into their coursework is stressed.
Publishing Policies of Special-Education-Related Journals
Authors: Milne Nidia Moreno , Mountain Lee
Published: December 2008

A study was conducted to investigate and identify the publishing policies of professional journals that deal with topics related to special education. It appears from the study that a how-to, practical-type manuscript, in APA or Chicago style, stands a better chance of being published in special-education-related journals. Furthermore, 2 to 3 copies, between 8 and 11 pages, are preferred.
Training Resident Advisors: a Product-Process Competency Approach
Authors: Margolis Howard , Meddock Terry D. , Fiorelli Joseph S.
Published: December 2008

The resident advisor (RA) is viewed as an essential deliverer of services to the handicapped as the human services field responds to deinstitutionalization. The complexity and importance of the RA's role is related to RA training programs. The article discusses a product-process competency approach (PPCA) for training RAs, in which goals are translated into competencies from which instructional objectives are derived. The PPCA incorporates the input of significant others (e.g., administrators, agency providers, service consumers) in developing competencies and monitoring training efforts. Suggestions are presented for creating flexible RA training programs based on this approach. The critical need for intensive, systematic RA training programs is discussed in terms of the future of deinstitutionalization.
Are Appropriate Educational Programs Operationally Achievable Under Mandated Promises of P.L. 94-142?
Authors: Sabatino David A.
Published: December 2008

The author discusses financial and administrative obstacles to successful implementation of P.L. 94-142. He points out that P.L. 94-142 has established new and higher performance objectives for special education without providing sufficient monetary resources. Despite the limited resources, the special education cost spiral continues upward. A major administrative obstacle to the implementation of the Law is the failure of its drafters to recognize the importance of the local special education administrator in carrying through on the Law's provisions and intent. In marked contrast to other special education legislation, which is generally limited to broad policy statements, P.L. 94-142 hands down specific policies and operational procedures. However, the need to prepare the local administrative cadre on whom falls the burden of implementation has not been addressed. External mandates alone cannot ensure change in the quality of services delivered to exceptional children. Yet the leadership training needs of local administrators, especially directors of special education, have been ignored by the Law. Class placement is discussed. It is suggested that special education is referenced to a type of student; this is in contrast to regular education programs, which are defined by the subject-matter content. In this sense, special education is "population sensitive," not "content sensitive." P.L. 94-142 has shifted emphasis from population characteristics to settings, with a decided trend toward placement in the least restrictive environment. Either approach loses sight of the meaning of diagnosis, classification, and labeling. A range of placement alternatives is needed, not a narrow interpretation of federal mandate. Regarding the individualized education program (IEP), the author calls for some uniformity in practice, codification of objectives, and materials so as to capitalize on the information about learner characteristics and programs. The IEP, if codified and unified, could be the basis of a data-collection process providing invaluable information to state and local education agencies and to Congress. These issues are cited in support of the author's basic thesis that "appropriate special education curricula cannot be mandated." Best educational practices will not evolve from legal mandates or governmental directives; rather, our best hope lies in programs and curricula developed by day-to-day teachers of exceptional children exploring alternatives of appropriate education and service.
Developmental Diagnostic Reports: Reliable and Effective Alternatives To Guide Individualized Intervention
Authors: Bagnato Stephen J.
Published: December 2008

With the rise of mandated services for young handicapped children, school psychologists, early educators, and parents need to combine their efforts to accurately assess and program for them. The diagnostic psychoeducational report is a vital step in the process of clearly communicating information regarding child capabilities so that individualized interventions can be designed. However, descriptive research, as well as the criticisms of parents and teachers, suggests that traditional diagnostic reports are ineffective as guides to curriculum planning. This study employed in-service workshops and simulated exercises with groups of early childhood teachers ( N = 48) to evaluate the effective features of diagnostic reports that make them useful to teachers for individualized curriculum planning. Results support the advantages of using developmentally based reports to facilitate program planning. Suggestions for enhancing diagnostic reports are discussed.
Modifying Undergraduates' Attitudes Toward the Handicapped By Videotapes
Authors: Dailey Jane L. , Halpin Gerald
Published: December 2008

The primary purpose of this study was to determine if undergraduates' attitudes toward the handicapped could be positively modified by observing videotapes of handicapped children. Fifty-two special education and non-special education majors enrolled in an introductory special education course were randomly assigned to either an experimental group that observed videotapes of handicapped children or a control group that did not. The Attitude Toward Disabled Persons Scale (ATDP) and the Handicapped Subscale of the Special Vocational Needs Attitude Scale (SVNH) were used as pre-test and posttest measures. Experimental-group subjects had significantly more positive attitudes toward the handicapped as measured by the ATDP. A significant interaction of treatment and academic major on attitudes toward the handicapped, as measured by the SVNH, indicated that the treatment was differentially effective for special education majors and non-special education majors.
Tables for Quick Power Estimates When Comparing Means
Authors: Hopkins Kenneth D. , Coulter Diane K. , Hopkins B.R.
Published: December 2008

This paper includes 3 tables for quick power estimates that require no computation for the most common designs involving comparisons of 2 and 3 means in ANOVA and ANCOVA situations. Power can be estimated for (from .1σ to 1σ) for 4 effect sizes at alpha levels from .01 to .20, for samples sizes from 5 to 400 per group, and for directional and nondirectional tests.
Learned-Helplessness Theory: Implications for Research in Learning Disabilities
Authors: Canino Frank J.
Published: December 2008

The application of learned-helplessness theory to achievement is discussed within the context of implications for research in learning disabilities. The etiology of academic helplessness is reviewed with respect to attributional style in children who experience performance deficits. Of interest are gender differences, mediating variables, information processing, and strategies of intervention. Research has established that helpless students have a maladaptive style of attribution. Attributing academic failure to an internal, invariant source of poor ability has been significantly associated with an expectancy of noncontrol and poor achievement. Teacher and parental practices have been shown to have an important influence on the development of negative self-attribution. Finally, the similarities between helpless children and learning disabled students in terms of problem-solving and attention are discussed.
Special Education Administration and Supervision: the State of the Art
Authors: Finkenbinder Ronald L.
Published: December 2008

This study reviews the literature relating to the role and function of administrators and supervisors in special education; reviews the literature concerning requirements for supervisory or administrative certification in special education; examines the major components of the supervisor/administrator role; and suggests expanded role and areas of research in administration and supervision of exceptional children.
DSM III Psychiatric Diagnoses and Special Education Categories
Authors: Forness Steven R. , Cantwell Dennis P.
Published: December 2008

The process of psychiatric diagnosis has recently undergone major revision with the appearance of DSM III. The present article is an effort to acquaint school personnel with the new system of multiaxial diagnoses in relation to existing special education categories. Use of DSM III in reference to special education categories is illustrated with data on 40 children admitted to a psychiatric hospital school.
The Competencies Needed By Persons Responsible for Classifying Children With Learning Disabilities
Authors: Cegelka Walter J.
Published: December 2008

Placement decisions regarding children with learning disabilities rest heavily on the assessment data generated by school psychologists and related psychological personnel. Critics contend that current tests do not accurately measure or predict learning and that large numbers of children continue to be incorrectly classified. This article delineates the training and competencies individuals should possess if they have primary responsibility for classification and placement decisions.
Similarities and Differences Between Low Achievers and Students Classified Learning Disabled
Authors: Ysseldyke James E. , Algozzine Bob , Shinn Mark R. , McGue Matthew
Published: December 2008

Considerable evidence suggests that the learning-disabilities (LD) category is primarily one of underachievement. The research reported here compared school-identified LD children with a group of low-achieving students (non-LD) not identified as LD. Both groups were administered a battery of psychoeducational tests and their performances were compared on all measures. While discriminant function analysis indicated 78.4% correct classification of the students, further analysis showed it would be impossible to discern classification on an individual basis. An analysis of the results indicated considerable similarities between the groups; in fact, an average of 96% of the scores were within a common range, and the performances of LD and low-achieving children on many subtests were identical. The findings could be interpreted to support either of two major conflicting viewpoints: (a) that schools are failing to identify many students who are in fact LD or (b) that too many non-LD students are labeled LD. This investigation demonstrates that as many as 40% of students may be misclassified. The implications of these results with regard to identification and placement practices are discussed.
Increased Lead Burdens and Trace-Mineral Status in Mentally Retarded Children
Authors: Marlowe Mike , Folio Rhonda , Hall Debra , Errera John
Published: December 2008

Recent research has suggested that children with a moderate increase in body burden of lead, although clinically asymptomatic, may be subject to impaired mental development. This study investigated the relationship between low-level lead absorption and mild and borderline mental retardation, and evaluated the relationships among nutrient minerals, heavy metals, and increased lead burdens. Hair trace-mineral concentrations were compared in a group of retarded children with a non-retarded control group. The retarded group had significantly raised hair-lead concentrations. There were also differences in the mean levels of six nutrient minerals. Further, there were indications that lead and other toxic metals occur together in the retarded. It is concluded that continuing research is needed to study the relationship between retardation and lead burdens.
Effects of Mass-Media and Group Instruction On Increasing Parent Awareness of Early Identification
Authors: Kurtz P. David , Devaney Barbara , Strain Phillip , Sandler Howard
Published: December 2008

The differential outcomes produced by mass-media and group instruction campaigns on immediate and long-term changes in parent attitudes and knowledge regarding early identification were examined. During Phase I, for 3 months, parents in 1 community were exposed to Child Check through mass-media instruction, and in the other community, through group instruction. During Phase II, the campaigns in each community were reversed. A third community received no exposure. Pre- and post-Phase I and post-Phase II surveys were conducted. Group instruction increased parent knowledge of legal rights and services, ensured parents use of the Child Check Diary, and temporarily changed parent attitudes. Mass media did not have an effect on either parent attitudes and knowledge or their use of the Diary.
Application of the Changing-Criterion Design in Special Education
Authors: Schloss Patrick J. , Sedlak Robert A. , Elliott Connie , Smothers Marlene
Published: December 2008

Educator accountability has been a major theme in special education for the past decade. While it is primarily important that an educator evaluate and substantiate the progress of a student over a school year, it is also important that progress be attributable to specific educational procedures. The ability of the educator to make valid statement regarding the efficacy of educational procedures in developing specific skills is central to a diagnostic-prescriptive orientation. The present paper presents a rationale for use of the changing-criterion design in special education. This single-subject research strategy is designed to establish valid causal statements regarding the association between educational treatments and behavior change. A changing-criterion design by a special education teacher in the public schools is presented in the paper; it is discussed with particular reference to its applications in special education settings.
Children's Experience With, Knowledge of, and Attitude Toward Disabled Persons
Authors: Hazzard Ann
Published: December 2008

Measures to assess children's knowledge about and affective attitudes toward disabled persons were developed and administered to 367 elementary school children. Children's knowledge increased with age but was unrelated to sex or previous experience with disabled persons. In contrast, children's social-distance ratings were 'This study was part of the author's doctoral dissertation and was funded by a grant from the American Institutes for Research. unrelated to age but did vary with previous experience and sex. Children with more experience and girls expressed greater willingness to interact with disabled peers. The potential usefulness of the knowledge and social-distance scales as outcome measures for disability-awareness programs is discussed.
Factors Affecting Line Tracing in Tactile Graphs
Authors: Barth John L.
Published: December 2008

Twenty-four braille readers in grades 4 to 12 performed a line-tracking task on tactile line graphs which differed in the type of raised line used to represent the data curve (continuous-interrupted, narrow-wide) and the nature of the display background (grid, no grid). A grid was found to impair the trackability of every line tested, despite high levels of discriminability between the test lines and the grid line. Line type and grade level had only marginal effects on tracking proficiency. Implications for the design of tactile line graphs for the blind are discussed.
Dental Disease: a Continuing Education Problem for the Disabled Individual
Authors: Callahan William P.
Published: December 2008

The problem of providing dental care to disabled persons has been inconsistently and inadequately dealt with by the educational community. The author offers those responsible for the oral-hygiene training of handicapped children and adults (a) a comprehensive statement of the problem, (b) a review of related information, and (c) a model for an interdisciplinary solution. Implementation issues of such a program are identified.
Estimating Reliability and Generalizability in Coefficients in Two-Facet Designs
Authors: Hopkins Kenneth D.
Published: December 2008

This article illustrates the use of generalizability theory to estimate the reliability of a measure when there is more than one source of error in the universe of inference, and how the effects from changing the number of items and/or raters can be evaluated.
Meta-Analysis: an Abuse of Research Integration
Authors: Eysenck H.J.
Published: December 2008

The paper reviews many objections to meta-analysis, both in principle, and in particular, as practiced by its originators. Particular attention is given to the most widely cited application of meta-analysis: to the facts of psychotherapy. It is suggested that the claims to inclusiveness and objectivity, made for these analyses, are not supported by the evidence, and that the conclusions drawn from the evidence surveyed are incompatible with the results of the analysis on which they are supposed to be based. It is further suggested that no pseudo-objective computerized technique can substitute for the scientific insight and theoretical acumen of the investigator. Indeed, for most purposes the simplistic scoring systems of meta-analysis are not only useless, but may be counterproductive. It is precisely in those areas where there is most disagreement that these methods are least applicable.
Use of Clustering Techniques for Validation of Task Analysis Models
Authors: Peng Chao-Ying J. , Frank Alan R. , McFarland Thomas P.
Published: December 2008

This paper describes the development of a coin-skills curriculum for educable mentally retarded (EMR) children via the application of cluster analysis. Special emphasis has been given to (a) 2 clustering techniques that were employed to verify clusters of coin skills, and (b) the sequence in which a group of 100 EMR children acquired selected coin skills. Results obtained from the cluster analysis are evaluated in the framework of both descriptive and inferential statistics. The implications of these empirical results are discussed.
The K-ABC: Theory and Applications for Child Neuropsychological Assessment and Research
Authors: Majovski Lawrence V
Published: December 2008

The article emphasizes the K-ABC test battery as it applies to the assessment of childhood information processing strategies. The specific areas of discussion are: the K-ABC's theoretical and research foundations as to its construct validity; usefulness in evaluating normal neuropsychological development of young children; and its role in clinical research and neuropsychological evaluation. Theory and research considerations as to adequate construct validity address the works of Sechenov, Vygotsky, Luria, and Das. Development of cognitive processes in normal children and applications of the K-ABC for child neuropsychology are discussed in light of the K-ABC's usefulness.
Evaluation of the Kaufman Assessment Battery for Children From an Information-Processing Perspective
Authors: Goetz Ernest T. , Hall Robert J.
Published: December 2008

The Kaufman Assessment Battery for Children (K-ABC) has been developed, in part, to incorporate advances in information-processing theory and research into an instrument to be used for intellectual assessment of and educational planning for school children. The K-ABC is evaluated from an information-processing perspective. Four areas are identified in which work in information processing might be reflected: a) theory, b) tests, c) scales and scores, and d) interpretation and educational applications. Each of these aspects of the K-ABC is critically examined. It is concluded that while development of the K-ABC promised a marked improvement in intellectual assessment, this promise went unfulfilled.
A Critical Analysis of the Psychometric Properties of the K-ABC
Authors: Mehrens William A.
Published: December 2008

The K-ABC is reviewed with respect to (a) the manuals, (b) the test construction and norming procedures, (c) reliability evidence, (d) validity evidence, (e) administration and scoring procedures, (f) types of scores and interpretative guidelines, and (g) the bias issue.

The psychometric properties of the test are in line with what we would hope for in a newly constructed instrument. Particularly praiseworthy features are the theoretical bases for the instrument, the completeness of the manuals, the treatment and discussion of the difference scores and profile score comparisons, and the number of validity studies that were conducted.

Some of the limitations are the lack of long-term stability, reliability, and validity studies, some lack of clarity about how to use the sociocultural norms, and a lack of a definition of bias.
Hierarchical Factor Analysis of the K-ABC: Testing Alternate Models
Authors: Keith Timothy Z. , Dunbar Stephen B.
Published: December 2008

The Kaufman Assessment Battery for Children is a new, individually administered test designed to assess simultaneous and sequential mental processing and achievement in children ages 2 ½ to 12 ½. Factor analyses of the K-ABC standardization data generally offer support for the validity of the two mental processing scales, but analyses including the achievement tests have been considerably less supportive. For the present study, data from the standardization sample were used to test alternate structures for the K-ABC, based on the hypothesis that the test measures verbal memory skills, and verbal and nonverbal reasoning. Hierarchical factor models based on this structure were developed and tested using confirmatory techniques. Results suggest that the models fit the data fairly well, thus supporting the validity of this alternate structure. Of particular interest was the finding of the virtual equivalence of the verbal reasoning factor and the second order, or general ability, factor. It appears that users should exercise caution when interpreting K-ABC scores, especially scores on the K-ABC achievement scale.
K-ABC and Controversy
Authors: Kaufman Alan S.
Published: December 2008

This article represents an integrated response to the 13 invited articles on the K-ABC, all of which were written by experts in diverse domains of research, theory, and applications of intelligence tests; altogether, this invited response and the 13 papers constitute a special issue of the Journal of Special Education devoted to the K-ABC. This paper is organized by topic and treats the following seven areas: validity of the K-ABC, theory underlying the intelligence portion of the battery, role of the clinician in intellectual assessment, distinction between ability and achievement in the K-ABC, evaluation of alternate models, remedial applications of the sequential-simultaneous processing dichotomy, and understanding black-white differences on the K-ABC.
Attention and Cognitive Deficits in Learning-Disabled Students
Authors: Carnine Douglas , Gersten Russell , Darch Craig , Eaves Ronald
Published: December 2008

This research investigated two procedures which, according to previous research, facilitate the acquisition of concepts among normal children: (a) the selection and sequence of positive and negative examples and (b) analytic assistance during concept learning. Each of two experiments involved elementary grade, learning-disabled students and included an initial study followed by a replication in a different region of the country. Training and testing were conducted with individual students.

The purpose of Experiment 1 was to determine the effect of including minimally different positive and negative examples in a concept learning set among learning-disabled students. The results indicated that the inclusion of these examples did not facilitate the concept acquisition of learning-disabled students. Experiment 2 was to determine the degree to which learning-disabled students benefit from a simple strategy when learning to draw inferences. The results indicated that exposure to a strategy actually hindered the performance of learning-disabled students.
A Methodology for the Quantitative Synthesis of Intra-Subject Design Research
Authors: Center Bruce A. , Skiba Russell J. , Casey Ann
Published: December 2008

Investigators using quantitative synthesis methodology have as yet been unable to include the results from single-case experiments in their analyses, in large part because of the lack of a suitable statistical methodology. The development of a regression model that can be used to generate effect sizes for both changes in slope and changes in level occurring as a result of the treatment intervention is outlined. Analysis of lag one autocorrelation among the residuals suggests that serial correlation is not a serious problem. The regression approach provides a satisfactory fit of the data, and may thus provide a basis for the generation of effect sizes from single-case experimental data.
Learning From Reviews of Early Intervention
Authors: White Karl R. , Bush David W. , Casto Glendon C.
Published: December 2008

Reviews of the literature are frequently advocated to advance knowledge in the social sciences. Unfortunately, most reviewers do not explicitly consider or attempt to learn from what previous reviewers of the same or closely related topics have done. This omission is inconsistent with good scientific practice and is significantly detrimental to advancing knowledge. Using 52 previous reviews of the early intervention efficacy literature as an example, this article demonstrates the value of systematically considering previous reviews before initiating a new review. The results establish a foundation that should be particularly helpful to future reviewers of the early intervention efficacy literature and demonstrate a process that should be used by reviewers in all areas.
Computer-Assisted Instruction With Exceptional Children
Authors: Schmidt Mary , Weinstein Thomas , Niemic Richard , Walberg Herbert J.
Published: December 2008

This paper examines the literature concerning computer-assisted instruction (CAI) among exceptional children. Two approaches to meta-analysis were used: a vote count and a computation and analysis of effect sizes. Using 22 studies, the effectiveness of CAI with exceptional children was determined to be largely effective on the basis of the vote count, which ascertained whether or not a study reported positive results. Six studies were eliminated from the second analysis—that of calculating effect sizes—because they did not report sufficient statistical information. The median effect size was .52, a moderate positive effect.

On the basis of the meta-analyses, CAI appears to be effective with exceptional children, especially those at lower levels of learning. Suggestions for future research regarding CAI use with exceptional children were made.
Mainstreaming Programs: Design Features and Effects
Authors: Wang Margaret C. , Baker Edward T.
Published: December 2008

The twofold goal of this study was to review and analyze the design features and efficacy of mainstreaming as an educational approach to serving disabled students. Based on a predetermined set of criteria, 11 empirical studies of the effects of mainstreaming published from 1975 through spring, 1984 were selected for analysis from a total pool of 264 studies. Meta-analysis was the technique used to perform a quantitative synthesis of findings from the studies. Among the notable findings was that mainstreamed disabled students consistently outperformed nonmainstreamed students with comparable special education classifications. In addition, selected design features found in the extant effective-teaching literature to be associated with programs designed to provide for student differences were also found to be features of mainstreaming programs that showed greater proportions of positive than of negative outcomes.
Metacognition and Special Education: a Review of a View
Authors: Wong Bernice Y. L.
Published: December 2008

This paper presents a reasoned case on why special educators should attend to metacognitive theory and research, a new area of theoretical conceptualization and research in cognitive psychology. Both the contributions and the limitations of metacognition to special education are weighed. On the one hand, relevant research findings are marshalled to highlight the contributions of metacognition to the learning disabilities and mental retardation fields. Specifically, metacognition enables understanding of the difficulties of learning-disabled children in learning to read—difficulties that stem from deficient phonemic awareness. Metacognition also illuminates reading comprehension difficulties in learning-disabled students, and the mechanisms underlying failures in maintenance and generalization of learned strategies in educable mentally retarded and learning-disabled trainees. The constraints in applying metacognition to special education are thoroughly considered. Particularly highlighted are the limitations of an invariant interpretation of strategic deficits of exceptional students' performance failures and the neglect in including affective variables in metacognitive interventions. The end-product is a balanced view of the applicability of metacognition in learning disabilities and mental retardation, a view that promotes its proper use in special educational research and practice.
Impact of Unsupervised Parent Tutors On Word Recognition Skills
Authors: Vinograd-Bausell Carole R. , Bausell R. Barker , Proctor Willis , Chandler Byron
Published: December 2008

The effectiveness of supplementary home tutoring of special education students in reading was evaluated, using a program requiring minimal professional involvement. Forty-one parents of full-time special education students were randomly assigned before the study either to receive the home tutoring program or to receive it on a delayed basis following the study's completion. After a two-week instructional period, children whose parents had received the materials scored significantly higher (p < .001) on a word recognition test than those whose parents had not yet received them. A second study suggested that parents could and would make their own materials, hence potentially reducing the need for professional involvement in the process.
Characteristics of Frequently Cited Articles in Learning Disabilities
Authors: Swanson H. Lee , Trahan Marcy
Published: December 2008

The purpose of this article was to identify and characterize prominent journal publications in the learning disabilities field from 1976 to 1985. Based on the frequency of citations in the Social Science Citation Index, 33 prominent articles were identified. Prominent (frequently cited) articles were compared with randomly selected articles on a number of characteristics (e.g., funding source, research design, statistical method). Implications related to the characteristics and quality of articles that influence the learning disability field were discussed.
Teacher Estimates of Handicapped Student Crime Victimization and Delinquency
Authors: Lang Robert E. , Kahn James V.
Published: December 2008

This study examines estimates of violent and property crimes. Seventy-five special education teachers from 21 Illinois counties and 30 school districts identified the most common violent and property crimes among their special education students, estimated the prevalence of crime victimization, as well as delinquency among their special education students.

Student disability type and delinquency risk level were examined and compared. The results indicated a significant difference between learning-disabled and behaviorally disordered victims of violence. A comparison of special education teacher crime rankings and the Crime in Illinois: Illinois Uniform Crime Report's rankings yield a +1.00 Spearman Rank-Order Correlation. These findings were interpreted as indicating a need for more in-depth federal and state crime reporting methods. Also, this study indicates a need for education aimed at reducing the vulnerability of the handicapped student as both victim and perpetrator of crime.
Teaching Adaptive Behavior Skills to Moderately and Severely Handicapped Individuals
Authors: Langone John , Burton Thomas A.
Published: December 2008

Extant programs and research related to adaptive behavior or independent living skills encompass nearly every dimension of the severely handicapped individual's life. This article provides a selective review of programs designed to increase adaptive behavior in severely handicapped individuals. It is not our intent here to identify every successful or failed attempt to improve the adaptive behavior of the severely handicapped. Rather, we will selectively address those areas that are of most critical concern and those programs that have enjoyed the greatest success in the improvement of the adaptive behavior of the severely handicapped.
The Relationship Between Adaptive Behavior and Social Skills
Authors: Gresham Frank M. , Elliott Stephen N.
Published: December 2008

Social skills and adaptive behavior represent two subdomains of the superordinate construct of social competence. Adaptive behavior is viewed as the effectiveness and degree to which an individual meets social/cultural standards of personal independence and social responsibility. Social skills represent behaviors which, in specific situations, predict important social outcomes for children and youth. This article presents a conceptualization of social competence relevant for school settings. Relationships between adaptive behavior and social skills are documented and a classification system for social competence deficits is provided. Assessment procedures for classification and intervention purposes will be described with special reference to commonly used adaptive behavior measures.
Characteristics of Persons with Mental Retardation who have been Abused by Caregivers
Authors: Zirpoli Thomas J. , Snell Martha E. , Loyd Brenda H.
Published: December 2008

The relationship between specific characteristics of individuals with mental retardation, as rated by their teachers, and their abuse by residential caregivers was investigated. Teacher ratings of 91 abuse victims from five state training centers in Virginia for individuals with mental retardation were compared to 91 randomly selected control subjects from the same facilities. Discriminant analysis results indicated a significant relationship (p < .001) between abuse status and a linear combination of subject characteristics. In addition, the Pearson chisquare test of independence was used to test the relationship between individual characteristics and behaviors of subjects and abuse status. Results indicated a significant relationship ( p < .05) between abuse status and teacher ratings of level of functioning and frequency of maladaptive behaviors. Implications for caregivers and educators are discussed.
Mainstream Consultation in Secondary Settings
Authors: Tindal Gerald , Shinn Mark , Walz Lynn , Germann Gary
Published: December 2008

The delivery of special education to secondary school students has posed problems for educators. These services typically are provided in set-aside programs, that is, in environments outside regular education classrooms, with students most frequently receiving either basic skills instruction or tutoring in secondary school content areas. Few benefits have been associated with either approach, however. Recently, an alternative approach was developed and field tested in Pine County. Teachers used Mainstream Consultation Agreements (MCA), which emphasized a team approach to address students' problems. The model incorporates data based program modification in which students determined eligible for special education services are provided with MCAs through their content area teachers. This study describes the MCA system and provides outcome data regarding its effectiveness, using students as their own control. Data reported after one year of implementation indicate that students taking academic courses in content areas with MCAs performed much as they did in academic courses without MCAs. This finding is interpreted as supportive of the model. Implications of this system for facilitating teaming with regular educators are discussed.
Application of a Three-Level Evaluation Plan for Monitoring Child Progress and Program Effects
Authors: Bricker Diane , Gumerlock Sarah
Published: December 2008

Early intervention programs for at-risk and handicapped infants often do not have adequate evaluation systems for collecting the necessary information for making sound decisions about child progress and program impact. To address this problem a description of a comprehensive three-level evaluation plan for measuring child progress and program impact is discussed. Level 3 evaluation is focused on determining general program impact through measuremnt of enrolled children's progress toward developmental milestones. Level 2 evaluates quarterly child progress through the administration of a program-relevant, criterionreferenced tool. The information generated from this program-relevant tool also provides the necessary information for the development of Individual Education Plan. Level 1 evaluation is desgned to determine weekly child progress toward specific instructional objectives by administering brief probe tests. Two years of data collected on at-risk and handicapped infants participating in an early intervention program are presented to illustrate the practical application of this evaluation plan.
Family Resources, Personal Well-Being, and Early Intervention
Authors: Dunst Carl J. , Leet Hope E. , Trivette Carol M.
Published: December 2008

The hypothesis that adequacy of resources is related to personal well-being and adherence to professionally prescribed child-level regimens was tested. The subjects were 45 mothers of developmentally delayed infants and toddlers participating in an early intervention program. The mothers completed three measurement scales about their family resources, personal well-being, and commitment to professionally prescribed treatments. Hierarchical multiple regression analysis showed that adequacy of resources was related to both well-being and commitment to child-level interventions even after the effects of maternal age, family socioeconomic status and income, and child age and developmental quotient were statistically removed. The results are discussed in terms of assisting families to meet self-identified needs before asking them to carry out professionally prescribed child-level treatments as part of their involvement in early intervention programs.
Acquisition and Transfer of Learning Strategies by Gifted and Nongifted Students
Authors: Scruggs Thomas E. , Mastropieri Margo A.
Published: December 2008

Ninety-six gifted and nongifted students were assigned at random to a free-study or one of three mnemonic conditions. The three mnemonic conditions presented mnemonic pictures for learning hardness levels of North American minerals in the first task, and prompted additional use of the strategy for the second task under three levels of structure. After the second recall task, students were questioned regarding their strategy use, and, finally, were given a retest of the originally learned material. It was found that both ability groups learned more in mnemonic conditions, although the difference was statistically significant for the gifted students only. It was also found that gifted students demonstrated a superior ability to employ this strategy independently in an additional learning task. In all conditions, for both ability groups, reported strategy use was found to be strongly related to performance.