Special Education Eligibility Identification Rates in Texas: A Comparative Analysis of Rural and Urban School Districts

Special education policy impacts education equity. More specifically, special education policy surrounding the identification of students with disabilities and the provision of instructional support services to students identified as having a disability has experienced critical public attention and landmark federal and state mandates for reform over the past four academic years in the state of Texas. This article consults publicly available statewide data to assess the impact legislative amendments to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) has had on urban and rural school districts located in the state of Texas. Using a two-tiered multilevel statistical analyses, changes in discrete special education eligibility categories are studied and trends in special education identification rates in rural and urban schools are compared. This investigation highlights disparities in special education identification rates between schools located in rural and urban areas. Implications for special education assessment practices, rural special education support and education policy are discussed.Educatio

A content analysis of research on technology use for teaching mathematics to students with disabilities: word networks and topic modeling

Authors of article conduct a content analysis of research on technology use for teaching mathematics to students with disabilities. They applied word networks and structural topic modeling of 488 studies published from 1980 to 2021. Results showed that the words “computer” and “computer-assisted instruction” had the highest degree of centrality in the 1980s and 1990s, and “learning disability” was another central word in the 2000s and 2010s

The interactive behaviors and perceptions of Korean English language learners in collaborative strategic reading

textThis study described how three English language learners from Korean cultural backgrounds in first grade (7 years old) learned and interacted by applying Collaborative Strategic Reading to their reading comprehension instruction. This article also reported the perceptions of three Korean English language learners in cultural aspects of group work. The theoretical framework of Collaborative Strategic Reading relied on reciprocal teaching and cooperative learning. As an instrumental intervention and strategy, this method has been formed to help English language learners and students with reading disabilities improve their ability to comprehend texts. Before examining the impact of Collaborative Strategic Reading, this research focused on the nature of collaborative importance in multicultural consideration by providing students with opportunities to develop more collaborative abilities.Special Educatio

Effects of a web-based strategic, interactive computer application (fun fraction) on the performance of middle school students with learning disabilities in solving word problems with fractions and multiplication

textThe purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of a web-based strategic, interactive computer application (Fun Fraction) on the ability of middle school students with LD, who have mathematics goals on their IEPs, to solve word problems with fractions and multiplication including two factors of a whole number (less than or equal to 4) and proper fractions. A multiple-probe single case research design across subjects was applied for the study. Three middle school students with learning disabilities participated in baseline, intervention, and maintenance test sessions over a 13-week period. Findings showed that there was an experimental effect for all three students, tested on their instructional probes; students' performance improved from baseline to intervention phases after receiving instruction through Fun Fraction. John and Alec reached the mastery level of 80% on two of the three review days. The level of change from baseline to intervention phases ranged from 28.67% to 68.89%. Even through there was no immediacy effect for John, the trend of his data (10.33) revealed a substantial growth in general. Additionally, the percentage of data showing improvement between baseline and intervention phases was 70% for Tiffany, 56% for John, and 100% for Alec. In particular, the improvement trend of Alec's data was statistically significant (Tau[subscript novlap] = 1, p 1.659). All of them reached 80% accuracy percentage on their one-time maintenance tests. Regarding the three problem types of combine, partition, and compare for each representation and equation question, students struggled the most with combine representation questions and showed relatively better competence in compare equation questions. A learning-related social validity questionnaire and usability questionnaire indicated that students liked learning through Fun Fraction and recognized well the useful interaction design features embedded in Fun Fraction. Cognitive and metacognitive strategy questionnaires also indicated that students liked the represent strategy that allowed students to manipulate the rectangular area model, and students expressed positive views on the thinking process through metacognitive strategies embedded in Fun Fraction.Special Educatio

최근 교육 현장 변화에 따른 미래 학습장애 학생 교육 지원 정책 개발을 위한 인식 분석

Titie: Analysis of Perceptions for the Development of Future Education Policies for Students with Learning Disabilities in Accordance With Recent Changes in the Education Field. Abstract: The purpose of this study is to analyze perceptions that have recently emerged in the related system. This analysis is necessary as policy development plans are needed to support the future education of students with learning disabilities (LD) in South Korea, in line with recent changes in the educational field. To achieve this, we examined various opinions from the local community and education field regarding the following policy topics: (a) the 6th 5-Year Development Plan for Special Education, which starts in 2023, and the education plan for students with LD, (b) cooperation between Basic Academic Ability Support Centers and Special Education Support Centers in accordance with the Basic Academic Achievement Guarantee Act, and (c) connection between in-school and out-of-school education, involving parents and local communities. Results were derived by applying word frequency-inverse document frequency, word network, and topic modeling to academic papers, news articles, and expert opinions in the related fields on these topics. Specific policy issues related to LD mostly exhibited distinctiveness between the policy topics and the text data. However, opinions such as the lack of specific support plans for students with LD, the importance of linking schools with local communities, and strengthening the expertise of teachers, were consistently expressed across datasets. These research findings provide practical implications for future needs and education policies regarding the support of students with LD in South Korea

Dyslexia Identification: Texas Legislative Trends in Prevalence Rate of Students by School District Locale

State legislation serves as a guide and critical influence on the evaluation and identification of students with dyslexia across the United States. The state of Texas has numerous laws and regulations concerning dyslexia, guided by the Texas Administrative Code, Texas Education Code, Texas Occupations Code, and the Texas Education Agency’s dyslexia handbook (National Center on Improving Literacy [NCIL], 2021). This article is an analysis of publicly available statewide data to assess the impact federal and state legislative policies have had on the prevalence rate of students with dyslexia in 839 urban and rural school districts in Texas. 839 school districts from the 2016-2017 to 2022-2023 school years were extracted from the Texas Education Agency’s Public Education Information Management System. Researchers focused on the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) Corrective Action to the TEA (OSEP, 2018), the TEA state dyslexia handbook revisions (TEA, 2021), and the unique prevalence of rural school districts in Texas (Simmons, Shin & Sharp, 2021). Analysis focused on implications for dyslexia evaluation and identification practices for school districts and evaluators within the state.Educatio