Lawrence J. Johnson

Research Methods Using Content Analysis to Examine the Verbal or Written Communication of Stakeholders within Early Intervention

The purpose of this manuscript is to describe a data analysis technique, content analysis, used to examine written or verbal communication, and to discuss the potential of content analysis for application within early intervention. Special attention is directed at the use of referential or thematic recording units derived from data obtained in interview format. The article identifies specific procedural guidelines for the early interventionist researcher to utilize, and addresses issues of rigor, and validity. Discussion follows of the use of content analysis within the field of early intervention.

Stakeholders' Views of Factors That Impact Successful Interagency Collaboration

This study investigated factors related to successful and unsuccessful collaborations, studied the specific problems that are part of the collaboration process, and identified solutions to minimize their occurrence. Thirty-three stakeholders from nine state departments and three private social services agencies in Ohio were categorized into two groups: program chiefs and program specialists. Participants were interviewed as to their opinions on successes, problems, and solutions related to interagency collaboration. Interviews were transcribed and data were analyzed using content analysis. Significant differences were found in two areas: factors that jeopardized interagency collaboration and areas each group would change in future collaborative efforts. Based on the outcomes of this study, seven factors related to successful interagency collaboration were delineated.

Prereferral Interventions: Progress, Problems, and Challenges:

Special education has supported the implementation and study of a variety of prereferral interventions as a means of reducing the number of inappropriate formal referrals, especially in the field of learning disabilities. Programs of preservice teacher education are beginning to reflect the practice of prereferral activity programmatically by including preparation for teaming and consultation roles. In this article, the assumptions associated with the most prominent categories of prereferral interventions being adopted—consultation and informal problem-solving teams—are examined. A critical analysis of the benefits and limitations of each approach is offered, and alternative conceptions of prereferral practice are then presented.

Critical Skills for Kindergarten Perceptions From Kindergarten Teachers

The purpose of this study was to examine the views of kindergarten teachers regarding those skills children need to be successful in their classes. One-hundred seventy-six kindergarten teachers ranked 149 skills within 5 domains: gross motor, fine motor, general knowledge and school readiness, language, and social. A factor analysis was employed on these ratings revealing the following 5 factors: Academic Readiness, Language Competence, Social Competence, Motor Competence, and Self-Help Skills. These data suggest that items related to academic readiness were not seen as critical as skills related to independence.

Classroom Teachers' Views Of Intervention Strategies For Learning And Behavior Problems: Which Are Reasonable And How Frequently Are They Used?

This study investigated intervention strategies that general educators use and believe are reasonable for implementation when dealing with children with mild learning and behavior problems. Two sources of data were used. Teachers from Wisconsin and Illinois (n = 232) rated how often they used 57 intervention strategies and how reasonable these strategies were for implementation in the classroom as a means of accommodating the needs of students with mild learning and behavior problems. Teacher ratings of use and reasonability were factor-analyzed, and five factors were generated for each. The two factor structures were interrelated and had similar factors. Factors generated for use were principal involvement, teacher intervention, special education, teacher consultation, and parent involvement. Factors generated for reasonability were teacher intervention, principal/teacher consultation, student alternatives, special education, and data collection. Eighty-seven of these teachers then were interviewed to determine specific issues they consider when determining whether an intervention strategy can be implemented reasonably in their classrooms. These data provide a clear profile of interventions teachers use and find reasonable, as well as an indication of factors that inhibit teachers from selecting intervention strategies to address the mild learning and behavior problems of their students.

Barriers to Effective Special Education Consultation

Special education consultation is widely supported by teacher educators as a necessary component of the role of the special educator, particularly those educators being trained to work with mildly handicapped students. Data indicate, however, that in practice special educators spend very little of their time consulting. This article examines (a) the emergence of the consulting movement, (b) barriers that impede consultation from being integrated into the role of the special educator, and (c) ways to address those barriers.

Recommended Practices in Early Childhood Special Education Validation and Current Use

The purpose of this paper is to describe the process used for identifying recommended practices in the field of early intervention/early childhood special education (EI/ECSE). Work groups were established for 14 areas of EI/ECSE. Participants in these work groups followed a set of 6 criteria in identifying recommended practices in each area. To validate the practices identified by the work groups, a national sample of randomly selected DEC members, persons in higher education, and family members indicated their level of agreement with items representing recommended practices and indicated the frequency of their current use of the items. Ratings from the validation questionnaires indicated substantial agreement that practices identified by the initial work groups would be recommended practices. The discrepancy between recommended practices and current use of the practices was examined.

The Challenge of Implementing Collaboration between General and Special Education

Although the literature distinguishes between expert and collaborative interpretations of consultation, in practice it is difficult for specialists to relinquish their “expert” status in a consulting relationship. While collaborative models of consultation appear to be gaining favor, achieving real partnerships between special education and classroom teachers is a much greater challenge than is often realized. This article describes differences between consultation and collaboration and makes the argument that collaboration deserves far greater attention in current attempts to redefine relationships between specialists and teachers in the schools.

Creativity and Intelligence in Preschoolers

This study examined the relationship between creativity and intelligence in preschoolers. Four hundred and ninety-six children for whom parents were seeking admission to a program for bright or gifted preschoolers in a midwestern city participated. All children were given the Thinking Creatively in Action and Movement Scale; 72 children were given the Slosson Intelligence Test, 354 were given the L-M edition of the Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scale, and the remaining 70 children were given the Stanford-Binet Fourth Edition. Results indicated that creativity was significantly related to intelligence when IQs were less than 120 but was not related at higher levels. However, the practical significance of the significant relationships was small. The implications of the findings for the development of programs for gifted or talented preschoolers are discussed.

The 4 Cs: a model for teaching dosage calculation.

Performing dosage calculation can be viewed as the ability to perform the 4 Cs: compute, convert, conceptualize, and critically evaluate. Ability to perform the 4 Cs is dependent on a variety of student and program factors. A model for teaching dosage calculation, grounded in research on mathematical success, is presented. Strategies for teaching dosage calculation based on this model are discussed.