Grade retention among students with learning disabilities

This study explored the rates of grade retention among children with undiagnosed learning disabilities. During the 1990–91 school year, data were collected on 344 Michigan students who were referred for special-education evaluation due to learning problems. Of the 201 students determined to possess a learning disability (LD), 71.6% had been retained at least once before they were referred for special-education evaluation. Minority and urban LD students were more apt to be retained before being referred for evaluation. Retained LD students were usually one year older than nonretained LD students at the time of special-education referral. Although retention among LD students did not appear to be related to gender or grade placement, retained LD students generally exhibited lower levels of intelligence and weaker skills in reading comprehension, writing, and math at the time of their referral. © 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

学习困难学生自主学习策略研究

为揭示自主学习策略对学习困难学生的影响,并为学习困难学生的训练和矫正提供心理学依据,应用自主学习策略问卷,对小学5年级95名学习优秀学生和89名学习困难学生进行了自主学习策略比较研究。结果发现:学习困难学生自主学习策略明显低于学习优秀学生;学习困难女学生自主学习策略水平整体显著高于男生;影响学生学习成绩是多个自主学习策略因子共同作用的结果。     

Students with Disabilities: Experiences Attending a Two-Year Community College

ABSTRACT

Students with learning disabilities tend to enroll in two-year community colleges more than they do four-year universities, have lower graduation and retention rates as compared to their non-disabled peers, and experience greater academic, social, and personal difficulties when pursuing a college degree. Yet, despite the higher number of students with learning disabilities in community colleges, and the challenges they face as a marginalized population, the literature pertaining to these students is still growing. Thus, the purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore the lived experiences of students with learning disabilities within a two-year community college.     

A comparative study of the learning style preferences of students with learning disabilities and students who are gifted.

The purpose of this study was to investigate whether significant group, gender, and grade differences existed in the learning style preferences of students with learning disabilities and students who are gifted, using the Learning Style Inventory (LSI) (Dunn, Dunn, & Price, 1987). Subjects consisted of 53 students with learning disabilities and 64 gifted students randomly selected from two large public high schools. They were 10th-, 11th-, and 12th-grade students, aged 15 to 17. A three-way analysis of variance on the LSI raw scores revealed significant group differences in preferences for light, design, and kinesthetic modality, and in motivation, persistence, responsibility, parent motivation, and teacher motivation. Significant gender and grade differences were found in preferences for mobility and learning in the afternoon, respectively. A stepwise discriminant analysis revealed six variables that significantly discriminated between the two groups. Findings imply that incorporating the learning styles of students with learning disabilities and students who are gifted is important for individualizing educational programming.     

普通高校学困生学业现状与致困因素分析——基于对西北某高校2009~2012级学生的调查

近年来随着普通高校招生规模的扩张,学业困难学生(简称"学困生")数量渐趋增加,不仅给大学生健康成长与自我发展带来障碍,也给教学与管理工作带来了极大不便和压力,更影响到了高校教育整体教学质量的提升.为全面了解学困生现状,采用访谈与问卷调查相结合的方法,对西北某高校2009~2012级学困生群体进行了调查,在全面考察学困生现状的基础上,重点从学生自身、家庭、社会、学校教学与管理等方面对学困生学业致困因素进行了深入分析,并提出一些有针对性的建议.     

The Relationships among Verbal Skills of Primary School Students with Specific Learning Disabilities and a Typically Developing Comparison Group

The relationships among verbal skills of primary school students with learning disabilities and a typically developing comparison group were studied and compared with written tasks carried out in Estonian classrooms. Word defining, categorising/justifying, guessing, and memorising tasks were used. The participants were 251 students in Grades 2–4; of these, 163 were described as achieving normally and were in regular education classrooms, and 88 were diagnosed as having specific learning disabilities and attended special schools or classes for students with specific learning disabilities. Except for performance on the memorising tasks by grade, all the scores were better in upper grades. Children with learning disabilities performed less well than the children in the typically developing comparison group on all the tests. Associations between the results of various tests were stronger in the typically developing comparison group than in the group of children with learning disabilities.     

Reading-growth estimates for elementary-school students using curriculum-based measurement

In this study, we examine grade-level growth rates for general education students and students with learning disabilities in grades two to six. In conducting the study, we demonstrate how schools, districts, and state educational agencies can use a combination of Curriculum-Based Measurement and Hierarchical Linear Modeling (HLM) methods to develop growth-rate norms in reading. The participants were made up of 273 general education students and 430 students with learning disabilities. The growth rates for these two groups of students in each grade were estimated using HLM. Within each grade, separate growth rates for subgroups of general education students (i.e., high, average, and low achievers) were estimated. The uses of estimated growth rates for setting year-end goals, monitoring student progress, and evaluating the effectiveness of instructional programs are also discussed.     

EXAMINING POTENTIAL BIAS IN SCREENING MEASURES FOR MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS BY SPECIAL EDUCATION AND LOW SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS SUBGROUPS

To provide timely and effective supports for students reading below grade level, schools require methods for quickly and accurately identifying those students in need. One method for identifying those students is through universal screening. Assessments such as oral reading fluency (ORF) and Maze reading comprehension are commonly used as screening assessments in middle grades. The current study examined ORF and Maze for evidence of bias across two subgroups known to be at increased risk for failure in reading: (a) students with learning disabilities and (b) students from low‐income households. Data from 4,215 students in the sixth (n = 1,126), seventh (n = 1,361), and eighth grades (n = 1,728) were analyzed. Results indicate no significant differences in predictive validity for students from low‐income households compared to students from middle and upper income households. For students with learning disabilities only 8th grade scores showed any evidence of bias compared to students without diagnosed disabilities. Implications and recommendations for future research are discussed.     

Reviving the Turtle: Exploring the Use of Logo with Students with Mild Disabilities

In this case study, a group of nine 4th grade children were introduced to the Logo programming language during three 90-minute sessions over a four-week period. They attended a private university-based laboratory school serving students with various learning disabilities. This project demonstrated that a classic version of Logo captured the students’ interest. It was a viable source of interactive challenge and problem-solving experience that provided students with a great deal of pride, intrinsic reward, enjoyment, and sense of ownership of learning. The process of overcoming obstacles while programming with Logo may be especially beneficial for students with mild disabilities.     

Effects of Cooperative Learning on the Academic Achievement of Students with Learning Disabilities: An Update of Tateyama‐Sniezek’s Review

This article reviews research published from 1990 to 2000 examining effects of cooperative learning strategies on the academic achievement of students with learning disabilities. The literature search is described. Fifteen studies are included in the review and are grouped according to the types of cooperative learning strategies that were examined. Sample characteristics, measures, findings, and effect sizes are reported in a table. Achievement outcomes are mixed. Cooperative learning strategies that incorporate individual accountability and group rewards are more likely to improve achievement of students with disabilities. However, design problems across the studies limit conclusions to be drawn about the efficacy of cooperative learning. More research is needed before it may be viewed as an effective strategy for students with disabilities.     

The use of standard scores in diagnosing learning disabilities: A critique

This paper examines the limitations of standard scores of achievement tests commonly used in diagnosing learning disabilities. The consideration of these limitations is an important factor in attempting to decide whether a marked discrepancy exists between ability and achievemen, a requirement for the diagnosis of learning disabilities under Public Law 94–142. The phrase “standard score scale” is ambiguous because it can refer to both status score scales and developmental score scales. Unfortunately, many school psychologists seem unaware of the distinction between these two types of standard scores and the ramifications of this distinction. Many standardized achievement tests commonly used in the assessment of learning disabilities use status standard scores despite their severe limitations (noncomparability across grade levels and subjects, and failure to reflect changes in variability across grade levels). While developmental standard scores are to be preferred over status standard scores in diagnosing learning disabled children, their value is significantly lowered because they require greater growth for below-average students than for average or above-average students. Moreover, developmental scores are nonequal interval and they assume that subject matter is normally distributed within age or grade groups. Although we recommend the use of developmental standard scores over status standard scores, we urge that they be interpreted cautiously.     

We Talk About It,But Do They Get It?

This article reports on the last of a series of iterative research studies involving students with learning disabilities in reform mathematics classrooms at the intermediate grade levels. This study reports the findings from a larger, year‐long case study that focused on ways to include students with learning disabilities and other students who are at risk for special education services in classwide discussions of problem solving. The data reported in this article detail the changes in teacher and student discourse over a nine‐week period in one classroom. Sources of data for this study included videotapes, audiotapes, and informal interviews with the teacher, a paraprofessional, and students. A quantitative analysis of the results indicates clear patterns of change in teacher and student discourse. Nonetheless, intentional efforts to include target students in the whole‐class discussions yielded instructional dilemmas that are underdescribed in the mathematics reform literature. Findings from this study have implications for special educators interested in mathematical problem solving, as well as math reformers who value the role of classroom discourse in daily instruction.     

The effect of extra time on reading comprehension scores for university students with and without learning disabilities

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of extra time on the ability of university students with and without learning disabilities to complete a reading comprehension test under timed and extra-time conditions. The participants were 16 students identified as having learning disabilities and 15 normally achieving students, all attending the University of California. The Nelson-Denny Reading Comprehension and Reading Rate Test was used. Percentile ranks were obtained for reading rates on individuals, and for comprehension scores under timed and extra-time conditions. The major findings of this study were that there is a significant difference between scores obtained by students with learning disabilities and by normally achieving students under timed conditions and that there are no significant differences in test performance between students with learning disabilities and normally achieving university students when students with learning disabilities are provided extra time. Normally achieving students did not perform significantly better with extra time.     

Notes on authors

Abstract

Although both the number of online learning opportunities and students with disabilities in higher education has increased over the last two decades, students with disabilities may be overlooked. The purpose of this study was to examine attitudes toward requesting accommodations in the online learning environment among college students with disabilities compared with requesting accommodations in the face-to-face learning environment. Accommodations refer to those adjustments and modification made to instructional and/or curricular requirements in order for students with disabilities to fully participate in a course (Rehabilitation Act of 1973). Results indicate that students with disabilities did not have significantly different attitudes toward requesting accommodations as a whole in the face-to-face versus online learning environments. Results, however, do indicate that students who report having visible disabilities appear to have more positive attitudes toward requesting accommodations in the online versus face-to-face learning environment compared with students who report having hidden disabilities.     

Special Education Teachers Integrating Reading with Eighth Grade U.S. History Content

This research replicates an earlier study and extends it by shifting instructional responsibility from researchers to special education teachers, who implemented reading instruction that included multisyllabic word decoding, academic vocabulary, and three comprehension strategies (generating main ideas, comparing and contrasting people and events, and identifying cause and effect relations) with their intact eighth grade history classes, using history text as the reading material. Participants included 73 eighth grade students with disabilities (77 percent with learning disabilities, 72 percent males, and 45 percent English language learners) and four teachers. Compared to students with disabilities in typical special education history classes, students in the treatment outperformed controls on researcher‐developed measures of word‐ and text‐level reading comprehension, as well as in the history content that students in both conditions studied. Across reading strategies, implementation of “nearly all lesson components” ranged from 72 percent to 83 percent.     

Relationships with teachers and bonds with school: Social emotional adjustment correlates for children with and without disabilities

In this investigation, fifth‐ and sixth‐grade children (N= 289) completed a measure to assess aspects of their relationships with teachers and bonds with schools. Children and teachers also completed measures related to children's social and emotional adjustment. Analyses of responses to these measures indicated that students with disabilities had greater dissatisfaction with their relationships with teachers, poorer bonds with school, and perceived higher school danger than did students without disabilities. Comparisons involving students who were receiving services for emotional disturbance (ED), learning disabilities (LD), mild mental retardation (MMR), other health impairments (OHI), and no disabilities indicated that students with ED and students with MMR had poorer affiliation with teachers and greater dissatisfaction with teachers than students without disabilities. Students with ED also had poorer bonds with school than did students without disabilities. Students with LD and students with MMR had significantly higher ratings of perceived school danger than did students without disabilities. Results of correlational analyses indicated that student‐teacher relationship and school bonding variables were associated with social and emotional adjustment variables for students with and without disabilities. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Culturally Relevant Assessment and Support of Grade 1 Students with Mild Disabilities in Tanzania: An Exploratory Study

ABSTRACT

In Tanzania, many people are not aware of the concept of learning disabilities. Parents and teachers often do not realise that children who do poorly in school and do not have visible disabilities, could still have a disability that is causing their poor school performance. This paper presents the results of a research and service project to identify and support students with mild disabilities in an inclusive school in Tanzania during the three-year pilot process. An international NGO implemented a culturally-relevant, curriculum-based assessment for screening grade 1 students with potential delays or disabilities and provided Tier 2 interventions through small group lessons. In this three-year study, 413 students were screened, 108 students received Tier 2 services and six students received Tier 3 services. Students in Tier 2 received small group instruction in mathematics and literacy as a pull-out programme. Students in Tier 3 attended a special school for children with disabilities. Results showed that students who received Tier 2 intervention made statistically significant gains in their assessment scores after six and twelve months of services. This study demonstrated one successful assessment and intervention model in a typical Tanzanian school to support young children with disabilities to improve their academic outcomes.     

融入通用学习设计理念：学习障碍APP的研究与实践

学习障碍在特殊学生中十分常见,目前虽无治愈方法,却可通过辅助技术在教学中的运用降低其影响。具有辅助技术功能的教育APP为学习障碍学生提供了多样化的参与、表征和表达方式,这正好与通用学习设计的理念相契合,有助于他们在融合班级中获得平等的受教育机会。这些学习障碍相关APP可划分为文字转语音、语音识别、单词预测、文字处理、计划与组织、数学运算等6种类型。一方面,作为能力补偿工具和学习支持工具,学习障碍相关APP能够在阅读、写作和数学学习中为学习障碍学生提供多元化、可参与的学习环境;另一方面,作为一种新型的教学工具,学习障碍相关APP也可能给学习障碍学生带来诸如注意力分散、学习情绪消极等负面影响。因此,其作用机制和在教学中的有效性仍有待明确。未来我国在学习障碍相关APP的研究与实践方面还需做到:推进通用学习设计理念在学习障碍学生教育中的应用与实践,为其学习提供适宜的环境和支持;完善特殊教育辅助技术相关法律和政策,确保各类特殊学生能够获得更专业的支持;加强学习障碍相关APP的开发与研究,使其能够更有效地应用于现实教学情景;建立教育APP的评价体系和支持系统,提升学习障碍相关APP的应用效果。     

How students with intellectual disabilities experience learning in one Irish university

Over the last number of years, opportunities to learn in higher education for people with intellectual disabilities have increased. Consequently, this subgroup of students is gradually becoming part of an increasingly diverse college community. Because learning varies across different individual cultures and systems of higher education, our current understandings of how students with intellectual disabilities learn are inadequate. This study set out to explore how people with intellectual disabilities learn in one Irish college. Eighteen students with intellectual disabilities were asked to make a drawing of how they understood learning and were interviewed by six of their peers who trained as co-researchers. The findings indicate that the learning experiences of these students are as complex and as multifaceted as any other college student. A model that captures this learning is presented using four categories: the Cognitive Stages of Learning, Self-regulation of Learning, Learning as Collective Meaning Making and the Supportive Environment and Learning. The learning potential for people with intellectual disabilities presented in this paper goes some way to addressing preconceived notions associated with the label of intellectual disability.