The Use and Effectiveness of a Question Exploration Routine in Secondary‐Level English Language Arts Classrooms

This purpose of the study was to determine the effects of teachers using the Question Exploration Routine (QER) in regularly scheduled secondary‐level English Language Arts classes to help students answer questions about the development and use of main ideas in Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. Questions were posed in both multiple‐choice and written formats. On average, students representing diverse groups who received instruction with the QER correctly answered a significantly higher percentage of total questions than students receiving traditional lecture‐discussion instruction (effect sizes were very large). Results are reported for total scores, subscores of multiple‐choice and written responses, and for responses of subgroups of students. Students’ mean satisfaction and confidence responses are reported.     

A preliminary investigation of special needs students' global and mathematics self-concepts

We investigated students' self-concepts within a multidimensional and hierarchical model. Participants were 95 special needs students in grades 3 through 12 who received mathematics instruction in special education classes. Partial support was found for the hierarchical model in special needs students: The relationship between scores on the Piers-Harris self-Concept Scale and Mathematics Achievement (Iowa Tests of Basic Skills) was significantly stronger for elementary students (r =.53) than for secondary students (r =.04). Percent of the school day spent in special education had a negative relationship (p <.05) to scores on Piers-Harris self-Concept Scale and a positive relationship (p <.05) to an investigator-developed mathematics self-concept instrument. The results suggest that special education has a complex relationship to self-concept. Possible implications for practice and future research are discussed.     

Mathematical thinking intervention programmes for preschool children with normal and low number sense

This study investigated the possibility of enhancing the level of preschoolers’ number sense by introducing two intervention programmes, Let’s think! and Young children with special educational needs count, too! .Forty‐five preschoolers, mean age 66.4 months, were randomly assigned to the experimental and control groups. The experimental group received instruction twice a week, for half an hour, and for a period of nine months. Pretest–postest comparison revealed that the experimental group showed enhanced number‐sense performance immediately after the instruction ended, but the between‐group difference faded after six months. There were no statistically significant differences between the groups in general mathematical thinking abilities (transfer tasks) after the intervention.     

Improving Narrative Writing Skills of Secondary Students with Disabilities Using Strategy Instruction

Writing standards and objectives outline complex skills for narrative essay writing at the secondary level. Students with disabilities often produce disorganized narratives with fewer narrative elements than their peers without disabilities. A multiple-probe design was used to examine effects of Self-Regulated Strategy Development for the Pick my genre then idea, Organize my notes, Write (POW) + Setting, Tension, rising Action, Climax, Solution (STACS) strategy on narrative essay-writing skills for 6 secondary students with disabilities. Results indicated students improved the quality of their narratives and included a greater number of strategy-specific and story grammar elements following instruction. Students were also able to transfer skills across a history or social studies setting and could more accurately differentiate narrative writing prompts from expository and persuasive writing prompts. Treatment acceptability results indicated students found instruction beneficial.     

Response to Intervention: Following Three Reading Recovery Children on Their Individual Paths to Becoming Literate

Research Findings: In the United States a shift has occurred in how children are identified for long-term special education services. Since 2004, U.S. funding for special education services has included a provision for early intervention services, focusing on the importance of providing supplemental instructional opportunities to students who are not successful in learning from the core classroom instruction. Commonly referred to as response to intervention, this model involves educators monitoring how well students respond to intervention instruction, with referral for special education services for those who make little progress. Practice or Policy: In this article, we propose that intervention instruction should be responsive to the learner as well as focus on how well the learner responds to the intervention. Given that contextual circumstances, including instructional experiences, impact the child's literacy achievement, providing intervention instruction that is contingent upon each child's literacy strengths and needs is the best way to ensure each child's successful response to intervention instruction. As an example of an intervention using responsive instruction, this article describes different instructional approaches provided by Reading Recovery teachers with 3 children who were initially the lowest readers and writers in their classes. All 3 children were able to progress to on-grade-level reading and writing proficiency as a result of the intervention.     

LEARNING TEST-WISENESS BY PROGRAMMED TEXTS1

High school seniors (84 males, 77 females) were randomly assigned to one of two treatment groups. One group received a programmed text designed to teach Ss to answer every item on an examination, whether or not the directions included a penalty for incorrect answers. The other group was administered a programmed text to teach certain selected aspects of test-wiseness. Each group served as the control group for the other. The following day all Ss were administered a measure of willingness to guess and a measure of test-wiseness. Two weeks later, all Ss received additional measures of willingness to guess and test-wiseness. Analysis of the data indicated the group that received the guessing program answered significantly more items than its control group (on both the immediate and delayed tests), even though there was a penalty for incorrect answers. In similar fashion, the group exposed to the test-wiseness program achieved significantly higher mean test-wiseness scores than its control group.     

Individualized Course‐Specific Strategy Instruction for College Students with Learning Disabilities and ADHD: Lessons Learned From a Model Demonstration Project

Abstract. This 3‐year Model Demonstration Project involved the development and field testing of an individualized course‐specific strategy instruction model with college students with learning disabilities and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). The 46 participants received individualized semester‐long strategy instruction by graduate students in special education. A variety of data sources were used to evaluate the implementation of the model as well as the academic success of students who received individualized strategy instruction. Quantitative analyses indicated that the group as a whole as well as the subset of students on probation and suspension significantly improved their grades and sustained this improvement over time. Qualitative analysis identified two factors related to improvement: independent use of strategies and the supportive nature of the strategy instructor–student relationship. Qualitative analysis also identified two factors related to nonimprovement: academic/cognitive skill deficits and emotional/medication‐related issues. Implications of the model for postsecondary education and suggestions for future research are discussed.     

EXPECTANCY EFFECTS IN THE SCORING OF VOCABULARY ITEMS: A STUDY OF SCORER BIAS1

A study was undertaken for the purpose of evaluating the degree to which the scoring of vocabulary items might be influenced by the scorer's expectancies. 72 Ss were given the task of scoring 20 responses to items on the Vocabulary subtest of the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (WISC). In the bright condition (n= 37) Ss were informed that the responses were those of a child reading far above his age level, while in the dull condition (n= 35) Ss were informed that the responses were those of a child reading far below his age level. It was found that the mean score assigned to the protocol by the Ss in the bright condition was significantly higher than that assigned by the Ss in the dull condition (p less than .05). Some factors regarding generalizability were advanced and discussed.     

School district administrators’ perspectives on the professional activities and influence of special educators in Norway and Sweden

The purpose of this study is to investigate school district administrators' perspectives concerning the professional activities and influence of special educators in Norway (n?=?266) and Sweden (n?=?290). We examine three themes drawn from a survey of practices and policies in each country: (a) the organisational arrangements in which special educators work, (b) perceived changes in special educators' activities, and (c) ratings of special educators' influence on the content of instruction and the availability of resources for children with special needs. Findings suggest that special educators frequently work in teams, function largely as advisors, and spend less time working with individual students than in previous years. There appears to be a more pronounced increase in special educators’ time devoted to advising and documentation in Sweden than in Norway. Swedish special educators were also more frequently described as working in multidisciplinary teams. Participants in both countries rated the influence of special educators significantly higher than that of parents and teachers on the availability and distribution of resources; and significantly higher than politicians, public officials, teachers, and parents with regard to influence over the content of instruction. We discuss these findings in relation to the goals and development of inclusive education in Scandinavia.     

Situating Computer Simulation Professional Development: Does It Promote Inquiry-Based Simulation Use?

ABSTRACT

This mixed-methods study sought to identify professional development implementation variables that may influence participant (a) adoption of simulations, and (b) use for inquiry-based science instruction. Two groups (Cohort 1, N = 52; Cohort 2, N = 104) received different professional development. Cohort 1 was focused on Web site use mechanics. Cohort 2 was situated in nature and provided three additional elements: (a) modeling simulation use within inquiry-based instruction; (b) collaboration; and (c) provision of content-relevant lesson planning time. There was no difference in the extent of simulation use between cohorts, χ²(1) = 0.878, p = .349, φ = ?0.075. Results were inconclusive for a difference in observed inquiry instruction as Fisher's Exact Test was insignificant but had a medium effect size, p = .228, φ = 0.283. Computer-based standardized tests emerged as a novel technology integration barrier. These findings have implications for school policy, professional development, and future research.     

Instructing First-Grade Children on Patterning Improves Reading and Mathematics

Research Findings: In each of 16 public school classrooms serving multiethnic low-income neighborhoods, 2 first graders were assigned to be taught patterning, 2 to be taught reading, 2 to be taught mathematics, and 2 to be taught social studies for 15-min sessions 3 days per week for 6 months. Assignment within each classroom was randomized. The children's mean age was 6 years, 5.19 months. Patterning instruction included instruction on symmetrical patterns, patterns with increasing numbers of elements, and patterns involving the rotation of an object through 6 or 8 positions. In May, the 120 children still available were tested on patterns, reading, and mathematics. Patterning instruction had large, fully mediated effects on both reading and mathematics. There were no significant differences on some individual scales, but on others children who received patterning instruction scored best, often by grade equivalents of 4 to 8 months. Extant explanations of the efficacy of patterning instruction are reviewed, and the potential importance and limitations of its role in early education are discussed. Practice or Policy: Patterning instruction should be extended to more complex patterns than the alternations currently used in elementary schools in order to produce important improvements in both reading and mathematics.     

The effect of systematic academic instruction on behavioural and academic outcomes of students with EBD

This study aims to assess the impact of systematic academic instruction on academic progress and behavioural problems of students with emotional and/or behavioural disorders (EBD) in special education. Earlier studies have noted the importance of a systematic approach as well as the significance of focusing on academic instruction instead of on behaviour. On the basis of these studies, it was hypothesised that the amount of teachers’ systematic academic instruction positively influences the academic progress of students with EBD as well as their behaviour. The amount of systematic academic instruction by teachers in daily teaching (N = 88) and the behaviour and academic progress of a sample of their students (N = 234) were measured and analysed by means of multilevel analyses. The results show a significant relationship between systematic academic instruction and academic outcomes. However, academic outcomes taking into account previous academic performance and behavioural outcomes could not be related to systematic academic instruction. Implications for research on the daily practice of special education are discussed.     

Can ability-achievement regression to the mean account for MDT discretionary decisions?

The test scores of 153 referred students who received inconsistent placements according to California's discrepancy criterion, which does not take regression into account (standard score distribution procedure), were reanalyzed using a procedure that accounts for regression. Students involved in these MDT discretionary decisions were placed into one of three groups: ineligible (originally met discrepancy criterion, but not placed), resource class (originally did not meet discrepancy criterion, but placed in a less restrictive pull-out program), and special day class (originally did not meet discrepancy criterion, but placed in a more restrictive, essentially full-time special education class). All of these placements were inconsistent with the nonregressed ability-achievement discrepancy criterion the MDTs used at the time of the IEP meeting. To evaluate how many of these students could be considered to be underachieving when regression is considered, regressed discrepancy scores were computed using the students' scores on the WISC-R and one or more of the following achievement tests: WRAT, PIAT, and W-J. Regression “accounted” for a significant proportion of the inconsistent placements in all three groups: ineligible (25.0%), resource class (31.5%), and special day class (46.9%). Implications for professional practice and public policy are discussed.     

Parent education: The Dreikurs model

The effects of a 10-week Dreikurs parent education program was investigated in terms of maternal attitudes, expressed practices, and parent-child behaviors. Variables assessed included maternal control, maturity demands, communication and nurturance. Using a Posttest-Only Control Group design, 60 mothers of kindergarten children in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, were randomly selected from a pool of 81 volunteers. The mothers (Ss) were randomly assigned to one of two treatment conditions: experimental and control. Ss in the experimental group participated in the Dreikurs parent education program, while control Ss received delayed treatment. Using Baumrind's (1967) Parent Interview Schedule and Scales, Ss were interviewed and rated regarding their child-rearing attitudes and practices. Ss were videotaped interacting with their kindergarten children in a structured situation and tapes were rated using Baumrind's (1967) Home Visit Sequence Analysis. Results indicated that Ss who participated in the Dreikurs program had more positive attitudes toward independence training and independence granting. Specific suggestions were made for further studies in terms of research design and revision of instruments. Additional suggestions included focus on personality characteristics of parents.The study formed the basis of a doctoral dissertation by the first authorThe paper was presented at the Eight International Conference and Seminar of Counseling, Oslo, Norway in July, 1978.The first author has moved to the University of Calgary since the study was completedInquiries or request for reprints should be directed to Dr. S. Robertson, Department of Educational Psychology, The University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada, T2N 1N4.University of Alberta     

Benefits of multisensory structured language instruction for at-risk foreign language learners: A comparison study of high school Spanish students

In this study, the benefits of multisensory structured language (MSL) instruction in Spanish were examined. Participants were students in high-school-level Spanish attending girls’ preparatory schools. Of the 55 participants, 39 qualified as at-risk for foreign language learning difficulties and 16 were deemed not-at-risk. The at-risk students were assigned to one of three conditions: (1) MSL—multisensory Spanish instruction in self-contained classrooms (n=14); (2) SC—traditional Spanish instruction provided in self-contained classrooms (n=11); and (3) NSC—traditional Spanish instruction in regular (not self-contained) Spanish classes (n=14). Not-at-risk students (n=16) received traditional Spanish instruction in regular classes similar to the instruction provided to the NSC group. All three at-risk groups made significant gains over time on some native language skills regardless of teaching method. The MSL group also made significant gains on a foreign language aptitude measure. The MSL group and the not-at-risk group made greater gains than the two other at-risk groups on foreign language aptitude and native language measures of reading comprehension, word recognition, and pseudoword reading. Although most at-risk learners achieved an “expected” level of foreign language proficiency after two years of instruction, significant group differences were found. On measures of oral and written foreign language proficiency, the MSL and not-at-risk groups scored significantly higher than the at-risk groups instructed using traditional methods. After two years of Spanish instruction, no differences in foreign language proficiency were found between the MSL group and the not-at-risk group.     

Code-oriented instruction for kindergarten students at risk for reading difficulties: a replication and comparison of instructional groupings

The purposes of this study were to replicate previous research on phonics-based tutoring in kindergarten and to compare treatment effects for students who received individual instruction compared to instruction in dyads. Thirty classroom teachers from 13 urban elementary schools referred at-risk students for participation. Students who met screening criteria were quasi-randomly assigned, within classroom, to one of three conditions: individual tutoring (n = 22), tutoring in dyads (n = 32), or no tutoring (n = 22, classroom instruction only). Twenty-one paraeducators provided 18 weeks of explicit instruction in phonemic skills and the alphabetic code to students during the latter half of kindergarten. Multilevel model results showed that tutored students outperformed non-tutored controls on posttest measures of phonological awareness, word reading accuracy, oral reading fluency, spelling, and comprehension. However, no significant differences were found between the two tutored groups on any measure, suggesting that code-oriented tutoring for pairs of students is a viable alternative to the gold standard of individual instruction.     

An unexpected relationship between failure and subsequent mathematics learning

135 high schoolSs were presented with one of three treatment programs: rule (R); rule, then discovery (RD); and discovery, then rule (DR). AllSs were tested on the training rules and on three transfer problems. No significant differences were found on the transfer problems, but the R and RDSs learned the training rules better than the DRSs (p<0.01). It was proposed that failure on the discovery task may have had an inhibiting effect on subsequent learning on the R program.The authors wish to thank the students who participated in the experiment, the members of a teachers' research seminar supported by a government grant to the Montgomery County Instructional Center, and particularly to Mr. Philip Beck and Mr. Philip O'Neil without whose help and cooperation the study could not have been conducted.     

Evaluating multigrade school reform in Latin America

This paper describes three multigrade school reforms in Latin America: (1) Colombia’s Escuela Nueva, (2) Guatemala’s Nueva Escuela Unitaria, and (3) Chile’s MECE‐Rural. Each reform endowed primary teachers and students with special training and instructional materials, and encouraged new kinds of instruction in rural classrooms, with the goal of improving student learning. The paper discusses the challenges to evaluating school reforms in a rural context. It then reviews the international literature on each reform, assessing whether reforms were effectively implemented and whether they caused improvement in student outcomes. Even in the best cases, multigrade schools were not fully implemented. There is consistent evidence of positive effects on student achievement. Yet, the causal interpretation of evaluation findings is severely limited, especially in Guatemala and Chile. It concludes with suggestions for improving multigrade evaluations.     

Grammatical relations in illocutionary sentences: language rules in deaf children

Cognitive experiments with the deaf designed to establish the independence of thought and language have usually disregarded their subjects’ exposure to special programs of instruction in English at School. This might be justified by assuming that language instruction produces isolated, esoteric knowledge which remains unintegrated into the child's functioning. The present experiment sought evidence of language knowledge in deaf children extending beyond formal instruction, and consequently suggestive of a functional, generative language system. It was found that deaf children had made considerable progress in assigning grammatical relationships according to Chomsky's (1969) Minimal Distance Principle (MDP) in complex sentences with regular illocutionary verbs. There was also some evidence of progress with the exceptional verb promise which disposes relationships in violation of the MDP. These findings cast doubt on the validity of testing the thought: language relationship by indiscriminate use of deaf subjects and in the absence of language measures.     

Science Instruction for Students with Learning Disabilities: A Meta‐Analysis

Although science has received much attention as a political and educational initiative, students with learning disabilities (LD) perform significantly lower than their nondisabled peers. This meta‐analysis evaluates the effectiveness of instructional strategies in science for students with LD. Twelve studies were examined, summarized, and grouped according to the type of strategy implemented. Effect sizes (ES) were calculated for each study. Across all studies, a mean ES of .78 was obtained, indicating a moderate positive effect on students with LD science achievement. Findings also align with past reviews of inquiry‐based instruction for students with special needs, indicating that students with LD need structure within an inquiry science approach in order to be successful. Additionally, results suggest that mnemonic instruction is highly effective at increasing learning disabled students' acquisition and retention of science facts.