Charles L. Salzberg

Meta-analysis for Single-Subject Research: When Does It Clarify, When Does It Obscure?

Scruggs, Mastropieri, and Casto (this issue) advocate the use of the percentage of nonoverlapping data points (PND) to summarize and synthesize single-subject research. We take issue with the PND method, which reduces functional analyses to a one-number summary, for the following reasons: (a) the most relevant and credible evidence from single-subject designs lies in the patterns of change across time; (b) summaries based on PND may miss vital idiosyncracies in behavior within and across studies; (c) as practiced previously, syntheses of literature based on PND may misrepresent procedural facts and outcomes; and (d) as practiced previously, syntheses based on PND attempt, inappropriately, to draw conclusions about the relative merits of broad categories of intervention.

Effects of Peer Coaching on the Acquisition of Direct Instruction Skills by Low-Performing Preservice Teachers:

We examined the effects of peer coaching, a method of supervising preservice teacher trainees who were learning to deliver direct instruction procedures to small groups of elementary-age students with mild disabilities. Coaches helped five low-performing trainees acquire effective teaching behaviors by (a) evaluating videotapes of their teaching performance, (b) meeting individually with trainees to review videotapes, (c) helping trainees evaluate their own performance, (d) providing feedback on effective and ineffective behaviors, (e) setting objectives for improved performance, and (f) periodically grading performance. The effects of peer coaching were examined in a multiple baseline design across trainees. Results indicated that peer coaching increased the effective teaching behaviors of five trainees.

Evaluation of Competency-BasedSpecial Education Teacher Training Programs: Focus on Pupil Performances

of special education teacher-training programs, identifying teacher-training procedures which will improve the educational services offered to handicapped individuals is of utmost importance. The thesis of this paper is that the competencies developed in teacher-training programs should be evaluated in terms of the performance of the pupils served by the trainees. Therefore, the evaluation of teacher-training programs must ultimately include data that indicate the success of the trainees in pro-moting appropriate changes in the performance of the pupils they instruct, by implementing the skills taught through the training program. The evaluation process then must focus on not only the achievements made by the teacher trainees in meeting

Behaviors That Contribute to Entry-Level Employment: A Profile of Five Jobs

Research has identified many behaviors that appear to be related to the employment success of mentally retarded workers. In this study, competitive employment supervisors who were drawn from five entry-level occupations judged the importance and frequency of 23 work-related behaviors. Differences were found between the jobs in the relative importance and frequency of some behaviors. Moreover, there was a set of important core skills that was found to be generally applicable across entry-level jobs. The data are discussed in terms of their relevance for developing employment preparation curricula for entry-level workers.

An Analysis of the Effects of a Social Skills Training Program Using Self-Instructions on the Acquisition and Generalization of Two Social Behaviors in a Work Setting

This investigation examines the effects of a social skills training program using self-instructions in facilitating the acquisition and generalization of two social behaviors in a work setting. Specifically, this study examined the effects of the training package in increasing the percentages of initiations with a supervisor when employees ran out of work materials and/or needed assistance. The results indicated that the training effectively increased the percentages of occurrence in one or both of the target behaviors for all 5 participants. Furthermore, the training resulted in generalized responding across settings for all participants and maintained for up to 13 weeks. These results suggest the feasibility of a social skills training package using self-instructions to help persons with moderate and severe handicaps acquire, maintain, and generalize social behaviors in a work setting.

Preparing Teachers to Work with Paraeducators.

The increase in numbers of paraeducators who work in programs serving students at risk has led to a recognition of the need to train teachers in supervisory skills. In this article, we review the available literature on preparing teachers to work with and supervise paraeducators. Although there is considerable agreement on the content of such preparation, the results of the review show that the number of researchers and developers in this area is currently small and that more research needs to be done on the issues surrounding this topic.

The Shortage of Special Education Faculty: Toward a Better Understanding

The shortage of special education faculty has reached a critical level; supply and demand are not currently in balance because the demand continues to exceed the supply. A variety of complex issues contributes to this disequilibrium: expanded career options, a declining number of doctoral graduates, an increased attrition rate, a stable number of new positions, and an expanded concept of what special education is and what services individuals with disabilities and their families require and are entitled to by law. We believe that this problem has not been solved in part because no uniform system of collecting data about the supply and demand of faculty has been implemented. Without comprehensive information to guide policy-makers at special education doctoral granting universities and in the federal government, systematic and direct efforts to solve the problem will not be possible. In this paper, we explain the need for a national, comprehensive data collection system by summarizing current information about the supply and demand of special education leadership personnel, describing the historical roots of leadership training and the related influence of federal grant programs, and discussing some new directions that might affect the need for leadership personnel in special education. In conclusion, we outline some of the topics that should be included in a national data base about the supply and demand of special education faculty members.

The Effects of Video Modeling on Staff Implementation of a Problem-Solving Intervention with Adults with Developmental Disabilities.

We investigated the effects of video modeling on the percentage of correctly implemented problem-solving steps by staff in a group home for adults with developmental disabilities, using a nonconcurrent multiple baseline design across participants. The treatment consisted of staff watching a video model demonstrating the correct implementation of a problem-solving intervention (i.e., teaching clients to identify problems, possible solutions, and consequences to each solution, and to choose the best solution). The percentage of correctly implemented problem-solving steps increased for all participants, and the effect was maintained over time, generalized to novel problems, and generalized from role play with a researcher to actual clients.

Why Special Educators Leave and Where They Go

With chronic and critical shortages of special education professionals evident throughout the United States, the issues of attrition and retention are on the forefront of analysis. Reasons why special education professionals in Utah left their positions were explored in a three-year study of special education attrition. The causes and patterns of attrition have been analyzed, giving valuable insight into how the loss of qualified special education professionals can be prevented. The most common reason for leaving listed by special education teachers and speech language pathologists was that they “moved out of state”. School psychologists reported “retirement” and “moved out of state” as their two most common reasons for leaving public school positions. The most common reasons for leaving listed by all special education professionals were “moved out of state”, “retired”, and “transferred to general education”. Moving and retiring are most likely not preventable, however, assisting special educators who move to obtain positions as they relocate may be an effective method of retaining them in the field of special education. Preventable attrition such as transferring to general education and changing school districts could be addressed by university faculty and school administrators to better understand why special educators transfer and what can be done to prevent the transfers. This understanding could lead to improved strategies to minimize attrition and promote retention of special education professionals.

Technology-MediatedConsultation to Assist Rural Students: A Case Study

Emerging videoconferencing technologies permit face to face communication in a virtual, real time manner so that educational expertise can be shared across geographical boundaries. Although demonstrations of successful use of videoconferencing to share expertise of teachers and related service personnel go back 20 years, the sustained use of technology for this purpose has yet to occur. This paper describes a case study in which consultation was delivered to a special education classroom in a remote region to help develop and implement the IEP for a young child with autism. While there was a clear benefit to the child in this case, collateral technological and programmatic challenges were never fully overcome, thus shortcutting the intended intervention. Issues that must be resolved for families and local education agency personnel to benefit from the expertise of consultants at a distance are discussed.