Best Practices and Interventions in Special Education: How Do We Know What Works?

The critical issue in special education today is no longer the assurance of access, but rather, the assurance of effectiveness. Determining which practices and interventions are most effective and efficient for ensuring optimal student achievement is a fundamental concern of special education teachers in this era of accountability. In this discussion I examine three designs commonly used in special education research (experimental research designs, meta-analyses, and narrative research syntheses) and their utility and appropriateness for determining the efficacy of classroom practices and interventions

Education will be our mother : An Exploration of Resilience Mechanisms Relating to the Educational Persistence of Sudanese Refugees

The purpose of this study was to explore the cultural and contextual resilience mechanisms operating in the lives of Sudanese refugees living in Virginia. A convenience and snowball sampling of 10 Sudanese refugees (1 female, 9 male) living in Virginia were selected to participate in this study. Through interviews, I gathered and documented participant narratives. For the purpose of triangulation, I collected demographic information and data about the level of traumatic events experienced and the impact of these events using quantitative instruments. I analyzed the data using grounded theory methodology in order to explore the meaning attributed to past events and understand how collective and personal history and culture contribute to persistence toward and achievement of educational goals. Findings from this study confirm prior research findings related to resilience as well as add to the literature base. This study reinforces the importance of turning points, the development of steeling effects, and the need to examine resilience mechanisms as opposed to generating lists of risk and protective factors. Furthermore. this study affirms the integral role of culture and context in the development of resilience. Additionally, this study uncovers a new phenomenon that has not yet been discussed in the literature, the concept of altruistic resilience, which I define as overcoming personal adversity for the selfless advancement of others who lack the means, resources, or opportunity to do so for themselves. These findings are depicted in a theoretical model that illustrates the development of resilience mechanisms in the adult Sudanese refugees who participated in this study

Is Response-to-Intervention Good Policy for Specific Learning Disability?

The reauthorized Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEA, 2004) established new provisions for specific learning disability (SLD) identification, including: (a) no longer requiring consideration of IQ-achievement discrepancy, and (b) permitting response-to-intervention (RTI) as part of SLD evaluation procedures. We discuss several policy implications of these new regulations by considering the original construct of SLD, the still “experimental” status and implementation of RTI, the closer alignment of RTI objectives with No Child Left Behind (NCLB, 2001) than former IDEA regulations, and the shift in focus from serving as a special education identification procedure to a general education instructional procedure. We conclude by proposing several recommendations for the appropriate inclusion of both RTI and psychometric evaluation within the continuum of SLD identification procedures

Determining Best Practices and Interventions in Special Education

A current critical issue in special education is no longer the assurance of access but the assurance of intervention effectiveness. Determining which practices and interventions are most effective and efficient for ensuring optimal student achievement is a fundamental concern of special education teachers in this era of accountability. In this discussion I examine three designs commonly used in special education research (experimental research designs, meta-analyses, and narrative research syntheses) and their utility and appropriateness for determining the efficacy of classroom practices and interventions

Relationships between Sense of Community and Academic Achievement: A Comparison among High School Students

This paper reports on a research study measuring the constructs of community and academic achievement and examining the relationship between them. The authors\u27 research compares sense of community and academic achievement among 11th grade students attending three independent high schools in a southeastern US state. Implications for teachers of high school students are discussed

Applying Maslow\u27s Hierarchy to the Parent/Teacher Relationship

We examine the parent/teacher relationship through Maslow’s (1943) Hierarchy of Needs, which theorizes that physiological and safety needs must be met before someone feels a sense of belonging, and that sense of belonging and esteem are needed for self-actualization (reaching one’s full potential). We discuss ways to meet the basic needs of parents with the purpose of fostering positive collaborative partnerships between parents and special education teachers

Is Brain Gym an Effective Educational Intervention?

Brain Gym® (BG) (BGI, 2008) is a popular commercial program sold by Brain Gym® International (BGI). Making extravagant claims for improved intellectual and physical development, it used in more than 80 countries. While BGI’s claims are persuasive, to date there is little empirical evidence validating the approach. We examine some theoretical assumptions from which BGI was developed, review the efficacy literature, and provide suggestions for making informed decisions about the judiciousness of investing time and resources in this program

A Time to Define: Making the Specific Learning Disability Definition Prescribe Specific Learning Disability

Unlike other special education categories defined in U.S. law (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act), the definition of specific learning disability (SLD) has not changed since first proposed in 1968. Thus, although the operational definition of SLD has responded to new knowledge and understanding about the construct, the formal definition has remained static for 40 years, creating a schism between theory and practice. Using concepts gleaned from the scientific study of formal and operational definitions as well as the history of another special education category (i.e., mental retardation), in this article we demonstrate why change in the SLD definition is necessary. Finally, we propose a change in the SLD definition in federal regulations to redress the disconnect between theory and practice and restore integrity to the SLD field

Does Family Matter? A Phenomenological Inquiry Exploring The Lived Experiences Of Women Persisting In Distance Education, Professional Doctoral Programs

The qualitative study aims to examine the lived experiences of women persisting in the distance; professional doctoral degrees as they seek to integrate and balance their family of origin and current family system with their development as scholars. This qualitative study employed Moustakas’ (1994) transcendental phenomeno-logical approach through a purposive sampling of eleven women who are en-rolled in distance education, professional doctoral programs at two universities in the southern United States. This study furthers the existing research by demonstrating that family is inti-mately tied to the scholarly identity development and persistence of women enrolled in distance education, professional doctorate programs. While previous research has shown that family support is a factor promoting doctoral persistence, previous studies have not examined how women integrate and balance their family of origin and current family system with their development as scholars while persisting in a doctoral degree

Best Practices for Inclusive Science Instruction

The purpose of this session is to provide an overview of evidence based best practices for inclusive science instruction and to equip teachers with applicable strategies for scaffolding instruction and responding to learner needs based on research in special education and science instruction. As a result of this session, participants will learn strategies and methods for helping students learn to independently design experiments, use the scientific process, and develop critical thinking skills. There will also be an emphasis on effective co-teaching practices and employing instructional strategies for reinforcing skills and content knowledge across the curriculum, providing more time for instruction and additional opportunities for reinforcement and review of science and reading/writing skills