bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Renovating and Refurbishing the Field Experience Structures for Novice Teachers
Authors: Little Mary E. , Robinson Suzanne M.
Published: December 2008

Teacher education at both the preservice and the inservice level has been criticized for not adequately preparing teachers for the demands and challenges in the classrooms of today, or for the future. This article describes a federally funded project awarded through the Office of Special Education Programs. The intended outcome was to improve the knowledge and application of professional skills and competencies for both preservice teachers (student teachers) and inservice teachers (supervising master teachers) through continuous, focused staff development, reflection, discussion, and coaching. The project focused attention on three related issues: (a) the role and training of the supervising and/or master teacher, (b) better partnerships between teacher preparation programs and the public schools, and (c) the effects of school structure on teachers' continued professional growth. This article describes the program planning, goals, activities, components, and impact of this personnel preparation project.
What We Know About Translating Comprehension-Strategies Instruction Research Into Practice
Authors: Pressley Michael , El-Dinary Pamela Beard
Published: December 2008

Research on the implementation of comprehension-strategies instruction is discussed briefly. The particular focus is on the challenges educators have encountered in translating research-based strategies instruction into workable, school-based interventions and, ultimately, into classroom practice. The research outcomes reviewed here are consistent with Gersten, Vaughn, Deshler, and Schiller's (this issue) analysis, except that the present authors are a bit more sanguine about the fact that, in some settings, substantial progress already has been made in translating researcher-developed instruction into effective classroom instruction. Moreover, it is encouraging that there is a large body of research that is ready to be applied.
Learning Disability Subtypes in Children with Neurofibromatosis
Authors: Brewer Vickie R. , Moore Bartlett D. , Hiscock Merrill
Published: December 2008

A high incidence of learning disabilities (LD) has been reported in children with neurofibromatosis Type 1 (NF-1), and many children affected with this disease are thought to have a form of LD that is characterized by selective visuospatial and motor deficits. However, the evidence is subject to sampling biases and is limited by the clinical-inferential methods used to classify children into LD subtypes. In the present study, objective statistical methods were used to categorize LD in 105 children with NF-1 between the ages of 6 and 18 years. A cluster analysis of achievement test scores yielded 10 groups, 6 of which met our criterion for academic deficiency. An analysis of neuropsychological data for 72 children with academic deficiencies with complete neuropsychological data yielded three groups: a neuropsychologically normal group ( n = 28), a group with general academic deficiencies ( n = 34), and a group with visuospatial-construction deficiencies ( n = 10). The low incidence of visuospatial-constructional deficits and the absence of cases involving pure linguistic deficits is notable.
High School Graduation Requirements for Students with Disabilities
Authors: Thurlow Martha L. , Ysseldyke James E. , Reid Cheryl L.
Published: December 2008

Although increasing the high school graduation rate is now a national goal, requirements for graduation are not set at the national level. And, although the goal is said to include students in special education programs, what high school graduation means for these students is not clear. We collected documentation from state departments of education to examine high school graduation requirements for students in general, and for students with disabilities. Forty-four states use Carnegie course unit requirements ranging from 10.35 to 24.00 credits. Seventeen states currently have requirements for either a minimum competency test or an exit exam. Local education agencies in several states have the option of establishing more stringent requirements than called for in state guidelines. Exit documents that are awarded to students with disabilities (e.g., standard diplomas, modified diplomas, certificates of attendance) also vary from state to state, with similar requirements sometimes earning different types of exit documents in different states. These inconsistencies in graduation requirements and their implications for students with learning disabilities are discussed.
The Technology-Related Assistance to Individuals with Disabilities Act
Authors: Bryant Brian R. , Seay Penny Crews
Published: December 2008

Assistive technology (AT) was recognized by Congress as a viable need for people with disabilities when it passed the Tech Act in 1988. The legislation, which was reauthorized in 1994, has resulted in numerous programs and services that have helped people with disabilities access and use AT devices. The Tech Act's implications for people with learning disabilities is discussed in this article.
Using Assistive Technology Adaptations to Include Students with Learning Disabilities in Cooperative Learning Activities
Authors: Bryant Diane Pedrotty , Bryant Brian R.
Published: December 2008

Cooperative learning (CD is a common instructional arrangement that is used by classroom teachers to foster academic achievement and social acceptance of students with and without learning disabilities. Cooperative learning is appealing to classroom teachers because it can provide an opportunity for more instruction and feedback by peers than can be provided by teachers to individual students who require extra assistance. Recent studies suggest that students with LD may need adaptations during cooperative learning activities. The use of assistive technology adaptations may be necessary to help some students with LD compensate for their specific learning difficulties so that they can engage more readily in cooperative learning activities. A process for integrating technology adaptations into cooperative learning activities is discussed in terms of three components: selecting adaptations, monitoring the use of the adaptations during cooperative learning activities, and evaluating the adaptations' effectiveness. The article concludes with comments regarding barriers to and support systems for technology integration, technology and effective instructional practices, and the need to consider technology adaptations for students who have learning disabilities.
Foreign Language Learning Difficulties
Authors: Ganschow Leonore , Sparks Richard L. , Javorsky James
Published: December 2008

For 10 years, the authors of this article have examined cognitive, affective, and linguistic influences on foreign language learning. They have proposed the Linguistic Coding Differences Hypothesis (LCDH) as a model for understanding foreign language learning problems. The authors review their empirical support for the LCDH and explain the diagnostic, pedagogical, and policy implications of their research.
Psychological Behaviorism's Reading Therapy Program
Authors: Burns G. Leonard , Kondrick Patricia Ann
Published: December 2008

The study presents data on the effectiveness of a parent-administered behavioral reading therapy program. Ten parents administered the therapy program to their second- to fourth-grade children with reading disability. All 10 children received 70 therapy sessions (30 minutes per session), with 5 of the 10 children receiving approximately 51 additional sessions, for a total of 121 sessions. Parents were able to administer the program effectively, and the children participated in an enthusiastic manner. Detailed records from the therapy sessions showed a high degree of mastery of the reading materials, and the children also showed significant and clinically meaningful improvements on standardized reading measures. Although the results must be viewed cautiously given the absence of a control group, the potential of the parent-administered reading therapy program for the remediation of reading disability seems good.
Learning Disability, Attention-Deficit Disorder, and Language Impairment as Outcomes of Prematurity
Authors: Cherkes-Julkowski Miriam
Published: December 2008

A longitudinal study of mildly preterm children and full-term comparison children found a higher-than-expected percentage among preterm children of learning disabilities, attention-deficit disorder (ADD), language impairment, mild neurologic impairment, and general school concerns by Grade 5. Seventy-five percent of the preterms fell into the above outcome diagnostic categories. Examination of early developmental patterns reflected differences in attention deployment at ages 13 months and 15 months, manifesting as increased engaged time on the part of the children with ADD, with a greater number of attentional shifts, and as decreased engaged time for the other outcome diagnostic categories. At 20, 24, and 30 months, mothers' perceptions of their children's competence revealed generally strong assessment of competence among children later identified as ADD, and weak competence in the other outcome diagnostic categories. Variability distinguished the identified groups at all ages and is evident in the Stanford-Binet subscale scores at age 3.
Effects of the failure free Reading Program on Students with Severe Reading Disabilities
Authors: Rankhorn Barney , England Grace , Collins Sara M. , Lockavitch Joseph F. , Algozzine Bob
Published: December 2008

Reading problems are among the most prevalent concerns for those who teach students with learning disabilities. In the present research, 39 students with severe reading problems were taught word recognition and comprehension skills using the failure free Reading Program. The intervention is based on principles identified in research on successful reading programs. Key steps in the program included (a) previewing the story, (b) listening to the story being read, (c) presenting content from the story, (d) reading the story, and (e) reviewing the story. Improved performance in letter-word identification, word attack, comprehension, and dictation was evident after intensive intervention. Discrepancies between intellectual ability and reading achievement decreased in more than half of the students. The failure free Reading Program seems to hold promise for improving reading in students with learning disabilities.
The Influence of Affect on Social-Information Processing
Authors: Bryan Tanis , Sullivan-Burstein Karen , Mathur Sarup
Published: December 2008

This study examined the impact of four affect induction conditions (self-induced positive affect, music-induced positive affect, music-induced negative affect, and neutral affect) on the social-information-processing skills of 96 seventh-grade students with and without learning disabilities using the Dodge (1983) model of social skills. Following a 1-minute affect induction, students were presented with a social problem and asked a series of questions that tested their social skills. Although the results did not find significant differences between school-identified students with and without learning disabilities, there were significant main effects for language skills and affect induction. Students above the median on the Iowa Test of Basic Skills language test generated more solutions and fewer negative responses than students below the median. Students in the self-induced positive affect condition generated more solutions, whereas students in the music-induced positive affect condition generated more embellishments and perceived less interpretation (negative/positive), than students in the neutral and negative affect conditions. The implications of these results for research and practice are discussed.
Perceptions of Academic Strategies and Competence in Students with Learning Disabilities
Authors: Meltzer Lynn , Roditi Bethany , Houser Robert F. , Perlman Melissa
Published: December 2008

Research findings regarding general self-concept, academic self-concept, and self-awareness in students with learning disabilities have varied, and results are still inconclusive regarding the consistency between students' and teachers' judgments of academic performance. The current study focuses on students' and teachers' perceptions of the students' strategy use and performance in nine different academic and organizational domains. Six hundred sixty-three students and their 57 teachers were involved in the study. Findings indicated that the students with learning disabilities considered themselves appropriately strategic and competent in the five domains of reading, writing, spelling, math, and organization. These students also rated their academic performance and organization as average to above-average in seven of nine domains, with the exception of checking and planning their work. Nevertheless, the self-ratings of the students with learning disabilities were still significantly lower than the self-ratings of average achievers in virtually all domains. The second major set of findings revealed a sharp discrepancy between the self-assessments of the students with learning disabilities and their teachers' judgments. Teachers rated the students with learning disabilities as weak in their strategy use and below-average in their performance in all nine academic and organizational domains. Finally, gender differences were not evident in eight of the nine domains. These results have added to the increasing body of literature indicating that students with learning disabilities frequently perceive themselves as capable and effective and often rate themselves as academically stronger than their teachers judge them to be.
Historical Trends in Biological and Medical Investigations of Reading Disabilities: 1850–1915
Authors: Pickle J. Michael
Published: December 2008

The theoretical roots of neuropsychological research lie in the case studies of reading disability completed during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. This article reviews the methods, technologies, and operating tenets of these studies. The results suggest that the assumptions of anatomical and functional modularity for cortical processes became guiding principles for diagnosing and correcting reading difficulties. The advent of neuron doctrine shifted the focus of neuropsychological explanations of reading difficulties from gross neuroanatomical studies to investigations of the microstructure of the central nervous system. Early definitions of reading disabilities are interpreted across the dimensions of focal lesions, autonomous cognitive processes, comorbidity with other symptoms and syndromes, etiology, and permanence.
Application of Piaget's Theory To the Study of Thinking of the Mentally Retarded: A Review of Research
Authors: Klein Nancy K. , Safford Philip L.
Published: December 2008

The developmental theory of Jean Piaget describes intellectual growth, from sensorimotor intelligence through adult logic. Although Piaget has not dealt with mentally retarded (MR) persons per se, his theory has been applied to that population by many researchers. Results of investigations into this application of Paget's stage theory of development indicate that the stages of development in the MR parallel those described by Piaget but appear at later chronological periods. Because of the tremendous variability in cognitive MR task performance within IQ categories, identification of specific aspects of concept learning holds promise for enhancing the school performance of MR children through individualized instruction.
Transfer of Training in Behavior Modification Programs: An Evaluative Review
Authors: Wehman Paul , Abramson Marty , Norman Charles
Published: December 2008

A selective review of behavior modification programs, which emphasized procedures for programming transfer of training and response maintenance, was undertaken. The principle focus was to evaluate the effectiveness of generalization techniques utilized with exceptional children and to enumerate several points for maintaining performance in the classroom. The role of self-management skills was also discussed, but it was conlcuded that logistical constraints and motivational impediments present in most special education classrooms prevent the emergence of widespread self-regulatory programming at this time. The most influential factors in programming transfer of training and response maintenance were found to be varying stimulus conditions, parent training, and peer programming.
Twenty-Five Years of Caring for and Treating "Feeble-Minded" Persons in the United States: a Review of the Literature From 1874 To 1900
Authors: Wool Dennis I. , Stephens Thomas M.
Published: December 2008

Present conditions of mentally retarded persons in institutions are in large part the legacy of those scholars and practitioners who worked at the close of the previous century. A review of the literature for the period 1874-1900 indicates that early professionals recognized a large group of defective persons in society known as idiots; that these idiots were susceptible to improvement through training and education; that society had an obligation to provide for and protect this defective group; and that they viewed prevention as a major goal. The negative outcomes of sequestration, sterilization, indentured work, and the denial of civil and constitutional rights also developed as consequences of the activities of these early activists in mental retardation.
The IEP: The Ultimate Process
Authors: Kaye Nancy L. , Aserlind Roy
Published: December 2008

As part of an extensive federally funded project, the authors directed teams of interviewers who questioned various levels of educational administrators, teachers, parents of handicapped children, support personnel, teacher-union leaders, and child advocates regarding critical aspects of the Individualized Education Program (IEP). The article synthesizes the impressions and insights gleaned from the interviews. Most respondents tended to view the IEP as a stable, fixed, potentially threatening product. The interview data suggested that if the IEP is to become an effective mechanism for improving the education for all handicapped children, it must be conceived of as a process and carried out as a process, not as a product alone.
Accelerating the Development of Down's Syndrome Infants and Young Children
Authors: Clunies-Ross Graham G.
Published: December 2008

Developmental progress data are reported on 36 Down's syndrome infants and young children who have been involved in an early educational intervention project for between 4 months and 2 years. The project incorporated parent training and home-based instruction as well as center-based instruction. The development of all children was accelerated, with achievements at and above normal levels being attained in several cases. Younger children were particularly advantaged by virtue of entering the project with higher developmental-quotient scores, and they progressed at least as rapidly (in some cases more rapidly) than older children.
Prevalence and Types of Handicapping Conditions Found in Juvenile Correctional Institutions: a National Survey
Authors: Morgan David I.
Published: December 2008

P.L. 94-142 mandates services for the (a) educable mentally retarded, (b) trainable mentally retarded, (c) hard of hearing, (d) deaf, (e) visually handicapped, (f) blind, (g) speech impaired, (h) emotionally handicapped, (i) specific learning disabled, (j) orthopedically handicapped, and (k) other health impaired. The act specifically includes handicapped children in juvenile correctional institutions. There is, however, little comprehensive information available as to the present number of these children or the level of education being provided to them. It was felt that this information would be useful with regard to both the question of appropriate education and issues of preventive interventions. A survey was undertaken of all handicapped juvenile offenders committed to state correctional facilities throughout the United States and its territories. Response was extremely high (over 200 facilities). Survey information included statistics related to educational participation, teacher-pupil ratios, fiscal expenditures, and population levels. Findings revealed an excessive number of handicapped children in juvenile correctional institutions (42.4%). The most prevalent types of handicaps were: (a) educable mentally retarded, (b) seriously emotionally disturbed, and (c) specific learning disabled.
P.L. 94-142: Perceived Knowledge, Expectations, and Early Implementation
Authors: Carpenter Robert L. , Robson Donald L.
Published: December 2008

The paper presents the rationale, design and methodology, results, and discussion of a 3-part statewide (Indiana) survey of special education teacher, special education directors, and parents of handicapped children on their knowledge of and expectations for P.L. 94-142. Data were collected during the early implementation phase of the law, a time in which the response of the special education bureaucracy to a federal mandate could most clearly be observed. Directors reported themselves to be relatively knowledgeable about key elements of the law, heavily dependent on the state education agency for such information, and only mildly positive about changes in the delivery of services as a result of the law. Teachers reported themselves to be much less knowledgeable than directors about most aspects of the law, dependent on their directors for such information, and even less positive about significant changes in service delivery. Parents, with significant individual exceptions, reported themselves to be the least knowledgeable about the law, dependent on their child's teacher and/or their local parent group for information, and significantly more positive than either directors or teachers about changes that would result from the law's passage.
Training Impulsive Children in Verbal Self-Control By Use of Natural Change Agents'
Authors: Glenwick David S. , Barocas Ralph
Published: December 2008

Forty impulsive fifth and sixth graders participated in a project to help them become more reflective problem solvers. The study hypothesized that training youngsters' parents and teachers in Meichenbaum verbal self-regulation procedures would be more effective than training only children in such procedures. Training consisted of 8 sessions over 4 weeks. The youngsters' cognitive and intellectual performance, academic achievement, classroom behavior, and home behavior were dependent variables. The most consistent gains for the experimental groups, compared with untreated controls, were in academic achievement, especially reading. Only slight improvement occurred in cognitive and intellectual abilities, except for the Matching Familiar Figures Test. No classroom behavior changes were reported, but participating parents perceived gains in home behavior. Implications for future research on verbal self-instruction are explored.
Short-Term Memory in Mathematics-Proficient and Math Ematics-Disabled Students as a Function of Input-Modality/Output-Modality Pairings
Authors: Webster Raymond E.
Published: December 2008

The investigation examines the effects of different input-modality/output-modality pairings on the short-term memory of 6th graders identified as mathematics-proficient or mathematics-disabled. Serial lists of digits and consonants were presented visually and aurally to each subject. Subjects responded either verbally or graphic symbolically during an immediate recall procedure. A significant 2-way input-modality by output-modality interaction suggested that short-term memory capacity among the 3 groups (2 mathematics-disabled groups and a control mathematics-proficient group) differed as a function of the modality used to present the items in combination with the output response required. The findings are discussed relative to the ineffective use of memory codes by the disabled students and the usefulness of the modality model as an instructional procedure and curricular rationale.
Induction, Emergence, and Generalization of Logical Operations in Retarded Children: A Training-To-Criterion Procedure
Authors: Abramson Marty , Cooney John , Vincent Lisbeth
Published: December 2008

Thirty mildly retarded children participated in a study in which 24 of the children were trained to a prespecified criterion on one of 3 logical operations tasks involving length: identity conservation, equivalence conservation, or transitivity. The ease with which the concepts were trained suggested that the natural order of emergence was transitive inference → equivalence conservation → identity conservation. Significant amounts of generalization to untrained concepts (interconceptual) were evident, as well as generalization to the untrained dimension of weight (intraconceptual). It was concluded that intensive training to a prespecified criterion is capable of producing generalization to concepts dealing with logicomathematical reasoning in mentally retarded children.
Strategies for Generating Comprehensive, Longitudinal, and Chronological-Age-Appropriate Individualized Education Programs for Adolescent and Young-Adult Severely Handicapped Students
Authors: Brown Lou , Falvey Mary , Vincent Lisbeth , Kaye Nancy , Johnson Fran , Ferrara-Parrish Paula , Gruenewald Lee
Published: December 2008

If chronological-age-appropriate and functional curricular content is to be developed, the basic components of an individualized education program (IEP) as mandated by P.L. 94-142 must be supplemented, expanded, and instructionally defined in relation to the unique educational needs of each severely handicapped student. A six-phase process for developing IEPs for such students is presented. It is intended that this six-phase process be considered in attempts to generate individualized interpretations of many of the concepts in P.L. 94-142. Furthermore, it is intended that progression through the phases will result in closer approximations of chronological-age-appropriate IEPs than if only components stipulated by P.L. 94-142 are considered.
Oral Language Responses of Children With Reading Difficulties
Authors: Idol-Maestas Lorna
Published: December 2008

A significant multivariate difference was found between the oral language performance of 44 children labeled reading disabled in the second, fourth, and sixth grades and 59 children of comparable grades who were attending regular classrooms and were free from reading disorders. The possible effects of sex, grade level, ethnicity, nonverbal problem-solving ability, and socioeconomic status were considered. Sex was a significant factor. Females scored higher on morphological and grammatical/syntactical measures. Male subjects used more different words than did females. The difference in language development was examined by (a) an analysis of the ability to spontaneously use grammatical and syntactical rules of the English language; (b) a comparison of the total number of words used compared with the number of different words; (c) an analysis of the relative proportion of use of various parts of speech; (d) an analysis of the average length of utterances; and (e) the number of verbal prompts necessary to evoke an oral response.
Reconceptualizing Cerebral Dominance: Implications for Reading- and Learning-Disabled Children
Authors: Hynd George W. , Obrzut John E.
Published: December 2008

Over the past several decades much has been written regarding the suspected relationship between cerebral lateralization for function and cognitive development. Most typically, the research in this area has attempted to relate poorly established lateral preferences to reading and learning disorders. Generally, these research efforts have been inconclusive in increasing our conceptual understanding of this relationship. However, recent research employing more direct measures of central functional asymmetry suggests that a reconceptualization of the notion of cerebral dominance may be in order. A rationale for this reconceptualization is provided and the implications for children with learning disorders is discussed.
Certification, Training, and Other Programming Variables Affecting Special Education and the Paraprofessional Concept
Authors: Frith Greg H. , Lindsey Jimmy D.
Published: December 2008

A survey of state education agencies with respect to the use of special education paraprofessionals indicates that these personnel are gaining widespread popularity in the provision of educational services. As a result, their importance in the development of state and local comprehensive systems of personnel development is apparent. The authors support their position with data relating to certification, training, and local programming variables that pertain to special education paraprofessionals.
Self-Concept and the Mildly Handicapped: the Role of Social Comparisons
Authors: Coleman J. Michael
Published: December 2008

Three hypotheses adduced from social-comparison theory were tested by assessing the self-concepts of several children groups. Subjects included normal children, mildly handicapped children residing in one of three special education settings varying from partial to total instructional segregation, and children with academic difficulties who remained solely in regular classes. In the first contrast, the handicapped samples were found comparable in self-concept to normal children, a finding hypothesized as resulting from the increased homogeneity of ability of students in special education placements. Strong support was given a second prediction positing that lower self-concept should be clearly evident when children (handicapped or not) were forced to reside solely in social-comparison groups of generally greater ability. The final hypothesis, suggesting higher self-concepts for handicapped children partially rather than totally segregated from the larger school population, did not receive support. The results are interpreted in terms of the theoretical importance of social-comparison theory in understanding the influence of educational settings on children's images of their social self.
Performance of Handicapped Students in a Competency Testing Program
Authors: Serow Robert C. , O'Brien Kathleen
Published: December 2008

An issue surrounding Minimum Competency Testing (MCT) is the participation of handicapped students. Using data from the North Carolina Competency Test, samples of handicapped and nonhandicapped pupils were compared on the following: initial MCT performance, participation in remediation, improvements in subsequent MCT, and eligibility for receiving high school diplomas. It was determined that nonhandicapped pupils generally fared better than the handicapped on all measures. However, sharp differences were found across categories of exceptionality, with results for learning-disabled and physically impaired students approaching those of the nonhandicapped sample. Findings for educable mentally retarded (EMR) pupils showed weak initial performances, high rates of school withdrawal after a MCT failure, and repeated MCT failure among those who remained in school. It is concluded that EMR students should, at a minimum, be provided with intensive remediation to achieve MCT mastery. Under the best of circumstances, however, it seems unlikely that a majority of EMR pupils could pass a high school MCT. It is suggested that MCT programs continue to include most exceptionalities, while exempting the mentally retarded.
Grading Mainstreamed Handicapped Pupils: What Are the Issues?
Authors: Carpenter Dale , Grantham Larry B. , Hardister Mary P.
Published: December 2008

Grading mainstreamed handicapped pupils has caused considerable consternation for special and regular educators. Because grading practices relating to handicapped pupils have received little attention, this paper investigates the pertinent issues and gives examples. The major purpose is to avoid the confusion caused by arbitrary grading systems. Graders and consumers must be clearly identified, as must the messages intended by the grades. Choosing satisfactory grading formats is discussed. The issues are generalized to all children, including those without handicaps.
Developmental Attainment in Preschool Children: Analysis of Concordance Between Parents and Professionals
Authors: Meltzer Lynn J. , Levine Melvin D. , Hanson Margaret A. , Wasserman Richard , Schneider Deborah , Sullivan Maureen
Published: December 2008

P.L. 94-142 mandates parent participation in the evaluation of their children's difficulties. The authors discuss parents' reports of their children's current development, in contrast to previous studies that have relied on parents' memory of their children's developmental mile-stones. A 34-item checklist was developed to document parents' perceptions of their children's strengths and weaknesses in developmental and skill-related areas. A total of 287 preschool children with a mean age of 5 years-1 month were tested by psychologists, pediatricians, and teachers. Parents' reports were compared with the findings of these professionals. Factor analysis was applied to the parent checklist scores and 4 major item clusters were identified: language and memory, scholastic interest, visual-perceptual-motor skills, and gross-motor competence. Findings from multiple-regression analyses indicated that parents' reports were generally consistent with those of the professionals. In particular, parental reports of their children's interests in school-related activities were especially accurate. It is concluded that these findings justify collaborative efforts involving parents in the identification of the evolving skills and needs of their children.
Techniques of Research Synthesis
Authors: Carlberg Conrad G. , Walberg Herbert J.
Published: December 2008

In this introduction to the application of meta-analysis as a quantitative synthesis technique, several alternative approaches to research synthesis are described. Their advantages and disadvantages, as compared to those of the technique of meta-analysis, are discussed. Decisions that must be faced by the prospective user of meta-analysis are described, as are the tasks normally undertaken in such a synthesis. Different kinds of problems are posed by different applications of meta-analysis, and trade-offs inevitably result from selection among the available solutions. The costs and benefits of making the more typical of these choices are detailed.
Problems and Promises of Meta-Analysis in Special Education
Authors: Guskin Samuel L.
Published: December 2008

The paper discusses problems resulting from the substitution of meta-analysis for qualitative reviewing of special education research, employing Cooper's (1982) framework for assessing integrative research reviews and using illustrations from research on class placement and mainstreaming. The pressure to maximize the number of observations in a meta-analysis may lead to the inclusion of inappropriate subject, treatment, and measurement categories. Meta-analysts often fail to meet the criteria for the inferential tests they apply. They also tend to underplay methodological problems common to a body of research. Meta-analysts could make more useful contributions if they were more thoughtful about both the methodology and substance of special education rather than tending toward blind empiricism. The greatest promise of meta-analysis is to encourage numerous small-scale studies which can then be quantitatively integrated. The development of meta-analytic techniques for qualitative research is another promising area.
Self-Management Skill Training for Educable Mentally Retarded Persons
Authors: Mickler Martha Jan
Published: December 2008

This article develops the position that self-management training can provide a crucial component in the education of educable mentally retarded (EMR) individuals. The strategies of self-monitoring/reinforcement and self-instruction are defined and related to increased performance on academic/vocational/self-help tasks. It is suggested that a combination of behavior-management and self-management strategies be utilized to enable the EMR person to shift from dependent to independent cognitive, academic, and social behaviors. Suggestions for educators are offered.
Simultaneous and Successive Processes and K-ABC
Authors: Das J.P.
Published: December 2008

The K-ABC has initiated but not completed the job of constructing a process-based test of cognitive competence. It does not measure sequential processes adequately, and its test items for simultaneous and sequential processes can be also characterized respectively as nonverbal and verbal. This article mentions six basic statements about sequential and simultaneous processes which are derived from Luria's clinical research; the K-ABC is then judged in terms of these statements. Finally, suggestions for constructing better tests which will entail planning as well as simultaneous and successive measures are discussed.
Developing Educational Intervention From Assessments Involving the K-ABC
Authors: Gunnison Judy A.
Published: December 2008

The article presents a schemata for using the K-ABC to develop specific diagnoses and prescriptive programming for reading and learning disabled children. To formulate specific hypotheses, a four-step process is suggested: 1) compare global scales to locate patterns of strength and weakness; 2) find subtest strengths and weaknesses and explore links between them; 3) generate hypotheses regarding the nature of the learning deficits as they relate to those strengths and weaknesses; and 4) look for examples of such links in actual functioning strategies and behaviors during testing. Following the diagnosis, this information is used to develop educational goals and instructional strategies by further pinpointing the links between processing strengths and weaknesses and specific skills. An educational program that focuses on the processing strength to formulate interventions that remediate the deficits through the preferred processing strategies is illustrated.
Role Perception of Therapeutic Teaching
Authors: Margalit Malka
Published: December 2008

The aim of this study is to clarify the role perceptions, expectations, and interactions of therapeutic teachers. In line with the second primary task of the sociotechnical theory, the concepts were studied in their existential aspects: what the professionals involved in this special provision declare. Three groups of professionals participated in the study: therapeutic teachers, regular teachers, and school psychologists. The comparison of the three groups' questionnaires resulted in a unified picture of the therapeutic teacher's role. Therapeutic aspects and emotional features were clearly preferred to academic improvement. The psychologists as a group were more reserved in their expectations, but similar in their direction. Further studies are needed in line with the third primary task: Do they really do what they believe they are doing?
Spelling Unfamiliar Words By an Analogy Strategy
Authors: Englert Carol Sue , Hiebert Elfrieda H. , Stewart Sharon R.
Published: December 2008

This study investigated the effects of instructing an experimental group of mildly handicapped students in a strategy for spelling new words by using spelling patterns from known words. The control group learned to read and spell sight word vocabulary. Results indicated that the experimental group was significantly superior to the control group in spelling both highfrequency sight words and an untrained set of transfer words; however, there was no significant difference between groups in their ability to read sight words or to read transfer words. These findings support the notion that direct instruction in an analogy strategy (e.g., comparing unfamiliar words with known words) can assist mildly handicapped students in spelling new words.
Historical Note About Cross-Sectional Versus Longitudinal Studies
Authors: Stanley Julian C.
Published: December 2008

Cross-sectional comparisons of different age groups are usually easier and quicker to make than comparisons of a single group over a number of years. This note calls attention to a study initiated by Lewis Terman, founder of the gifted-child movement, in which results of the two methods can be compared. He had administered one form of his Concept Mastery (verbal-ability) Test (CMT) to several related groups, and twelve years later administered a comparable form of that test to the same persons. Both types of comparisons indicated that CMT ability improves considerably with age. This multiple checking of several groups each time versus the same groups over time strengthens the conclusion.
Finding Intellectually Talented Youths and Helping Them Educationally
Authors: Stanley Julian C.
Published: December 2008

This is a discussion of the first 14 years (1971-1985) of the Study of Mathematically Precocious Youth (SMPY) at The Johns Hopkins University and the spread of its influence across the country. Many youths who reasoned exceptionally well mathematically were identified, studied further, and aided.
Affective Dependent Measures: the Use of a Response Integrity Scale To Enhance the Validity of Experimental and Quasi-Experimental Research
Authors: Hopkins Kenneth D.
Published: December 2008

This paper discusses some unique problems associated with affective dependent measures in comparative studies. The importance of situational factors is presented, together with methods for maximizing the validity of affective measures in research and evaluation studies (where their validity can ordinarily be much greater than when they are used for clinical and personnel purposes). The use of a brief response integrity (RI) scale (in the context of the variables being assessed) is recommended to assess differential magnitude of the social desirability response style when groups are to be compared. The meaning and validity of group differences on affective criteria can be better understood when viewed in relation to the pattern of group means on the RI scale. Data from a research study are given which illustrate the usefulness of the ancillary RI scale.
The Reputations of Doctoral Training Programs in Special Education
Authors: Sindelar Paul T. , Schloss Patrick J.
Published: December 2008

To assess the reputations of doctoral training programs in special education, questionnaires were distributed to the heads and junior and senior faculty members from the 81 programs nationally that grant the doctoral degree in special education. Respondents were asked to list the five programs with the most distinguished faculties and, separately, the five programs that graduate the best-prepared students. Altogether, 140 responses were received (59% return), nominating 50 different programs on at least one criterion. Responses to the two questions were highly related, and both were related to the number of graduates by program who returned questionnaires. Ranks given by program heads and senior faculties were more closely related to one another than either was to the ranks given by junior faculty.
A Study of Certain Personnel Preparation Factors in Special Education
Authors: Schofer Richard C. , Duncan Janice R.
Published: December 2008

This article addresses certain personnel preparation factors in special education emanating from a 1984 national study on the Comprehensive System of Personnel Development (CSPD) provisions of PL 94-142. Some findings of the study were: (1) There continues to be shortages of qualified personnel in most categories of special education, particularly at the secondary level; (2) special education teacher attrition continues to be a problem in most of the states; and (3) the majority of the states continue to issue emergency or provisional special education teacher certificates to unqualified personnel as an approach to meeting demand.
Nationwide Availability of Services for Limited English-Proficient Handicapped Students
Authors: Salend Spencer J. , Fradd Sandra
Published: December 2008

The 50 states and the District of Columbia were surveyed concerning their procedures for delivering educational services to limited English-proficient (LEP) handicapped students. Results indicated that few states have established procedures and guidelines for delivering educational services to their LEP handicapped students. Suggestions for developing and delivering educational services to LEP handicapped students are presented.
Teacher Effectiveness in Special Education Programs
Authors: Sindelar Paul T. , Smith Maureen A. , Harriman Nancy E. , Hale Robert L. , Wilson Richard J.
Published: December 2008

The instructional behavior of teachers of mildly retarded (EMR) and learning-disabled (LD) elementary-aged students was used to predict reading achievement gain. Teachers were observed for five 80-minute sessions using the Classroom Activity Recording Form (CARF). The 16 behaviors of the CARF are organized into three major headings; Teacher-Directed Instruction (TDI), Independent Work (IND), and Non-Instructional Activities (NIA). Achievement gain was measured using the vocabulary and comprehension subtests of the California Achievement Test. For both EMR and LD teachers, time spent in TDI was predictive of achievement gain; the single best predictor among the TDI behaviors was time spent in Teacher Questioning (TQ). These results are consistent with previous studies of elementary teachers in which effectiveness derived from an active, questioning approach to instruction. The results are less compatible with findings in special education programs, in which achievement was most closely associated with time reading silently.
The McDermott Multidimensional Assessment of Children: Contribution To the Development of Individualized Educational Programs
Authors: Glutting Joseph J.
Published: December 2008

The McDermott Multidimensional Assessment of Children (M-MAC) is a comprehensive microcomputer system for the objective integration and analysis of information obtained from over 30 psychological and educational sources. It provides both multidimensional classifications of child exceptionality and detailed individualized educational programs (IEP). M-MAC's IEP functions are introduced and reviewed in this paper as a follow-up to the classification functions covered in an earlier study. Specifically, M-MAC is reviewed in light of those characteristics regarded as requisites to an acceptable system intended for the design of remedial education plans. These characteristics include a clear link between assessment results and the design of IEPs, use of performance-based objectives, embodiment of a basic-skills orientation, hierarchical sequencing of objectives, individualization of remedial programs, methodological versatility, and ultimate control by appropriate educational specialists. M-MAC's various programming features for tailoring IEPs to meet children's unique needs also are discussed.
Effectiveness of Computer-Assisted Special Education Administration Simulations
Authors: Schloss Patrick J. , Cartwright G. Phillip , Smith Maureen A. , Polka Barbara A.
Published: December 2008

Recent literature indicates that computer-assisted instruction simulations may enhance motivation, support the transfer of knowledge and skills, and increase instructional efficiency. The present study was conducted to evaluate these assumptions using special education administration simulations with high- and low-achieving college students. Significant differences were not obtained in a contrast between the standard objective question module and the simulation module. This finding held true for items taken directly from the modules and generalization items. In addition, use of a student opinion survey indicated that participants favored the standard objective question module. Finally, students required substantially more time to complete the simulation module. As in previous investigations, high-achieving students learned more than low-achieving students, regardless of the nature of the module. The results are discussed with reference to alternative CAI simulation designs that may support the original assumptions.