Madhavi Jayanthi

Report Card Grading and Adaptations: A National Survey of Classroom Practices

A national survey of elementary and secondary general education teachers (N = 368, response rate of 52%) was conducted to determine the classroom grading practices of general education teachers, including grading adaptations for students with disabilities. Results of this self report survey indicated that teachers find letter and number grades more helpful for students without disabilities than for those with disabilities. Results also indicated that teachers find certain grading adaptations—such as pass-fail grades, portfolios, multiple grades, and grading for effort—helpful for students both with and without disabilities. Implications for training, research, and practice are included.

Homework Practices of General Education Teachers

The purpose of this study was to survey the homework practices of general education teachers who teach students with disabilities. A national sample of 441 elementary, middle, and senior high teachers were asked about their homework practices, including their use of adaptations for students with disabilities. The results highlight homework practices and adaptations that are used frequently and perceived by teachers as helpful for students with disabilities. Also discussed are the differences in practices and adaptations across elementary, middle, and high school teachers, as well as the instructional implications of the identified homework practices for students with disabilities and their general education teachers.

Treatment Acceptability: Determining Appropriate Interventions Within Inclusive Classrooms

Discusses the likelihood that teachers will accept various interventions for adapting instruction and accommodating students with disabilities in the general education classroom, emphasizing the areas of homework, grading, and testing

Classroom Grading: A National Survey of Policies

Acritical area of concern to teachers, administrators, students, and parents is the evaluation and grading of student performance. the topic of grading takes on added significance when consideration is given to the grading of students with disabilities and to the related effects on collaboration between home and school. A national survey was conducted, with the purpose being to determine the policies of local school districts concerning grading. Specific foci included whether a policy was in effect, if modifications were made for students with disabilities, the nature of grading systems used, and communication mechanisms between home and school. A total of 550 surveys were mailed to school district superintendents, with a response rate of over 40%. The results indicated that a majority of school divisions had a policy on grading in effect and that the policies in effect included modifications for students with disabilities. Trends in terms of grading systems used and communication mechanisms employed are highlighted. The results are discussed in terms of their relationship to home-school collaboration and in the context of integrating students with disabilities into general education.

Homework-Communication Problems Among Parents, Classroom Teachers, and Special Education Teachers An Exploratory Study

The purpose of this study was to identify the communication problems that exist between home and school, particularly as these problems relate to homework given to students with mild disabilities in general education classes. Subjects for this study were 15 parents of students with mild disabilities, 14 special education teachers of students with mild disabilities, and 14 classroom teachers who taught students with mild disabilities in their classes. Nine focus groups were conducted: three with parents, three with classroom teachers, and three with special education teachers. Participants identified six major homework-communication problems. These involved initiation, frequency, timing, consistency, follow-through, and clarity and usefulness of communication. Other results, limitations of the study, and future research needs are also discussed.

A National Survey of General Education Teachers' Perceptions of Testing Adaptations:

The purpose of this study was to survey the perceptions of general education teachers nationwide, particularly as they relate to making testing adaptations for students with disabilities. A survey was sent to 708 general education teachers nationwide. The return rate was 56.6% (N = 401). The specific testing adaptations that were rated as being most helpful for students with disabilities were (a) giving individual help with directions during tests, (b) reading test questions to students, and (c) simplifying wording of test questions. Similarly, the specific testing adaptations that were rated as being most easy to make were (a) using black-and-white copies, (b) providing extra space on tests for answering, (c) giving practice questions as a study guide, (d) giving open-book/notes tests, and (e) giving individual help with directions during tests. In addition, a total of 247 (66.6%) general education teachers indicated that it was not fair to make testing adaptations only for students with disabilities, whereas 124 (33.4%) respondents indicated that it was fair. Other results of the study, limitations of the study, and future research needs are discussed.

Strategies for Improving Home-School Communication About Homework for Students with Disabilities:

Increased emphasis on the inclusion of students with disabilities in general education classes has led to heightened research attention to educational practices affecting the outcomes of these students. Educational interventions, including homework, have been the focus of several studies, including those in which the opinions of educators and parents have been sampled through focus group interviews. The purpose of this study was to establish, through a national survey, the perceived effectiveness of several strategies for improving homework communication between parents, students, and teachers. Initially, principals were asked to randomly select two teachers from their schools for the survey. These nominated teachers then were mailed a survey on homework recommendations. A total of 639 general education teachers (50.5%) responded. The results indicated that these general education teachers perceived several common practices, as well as use of technology, to be highly effective for improving home-school communication about homework for students with disabilities. Among the most highly ranked recommendations were release and mutual planning time, assignment books and logs, parent attendance at meetings and daily monitoring of their childs homework, and use of telephone networks or answering machines to provide remote access to assignments. Several practice recommendations are discussed.

Homework Communication Problems: Perspectives of Special and General Education Parents.

The practice of including students with disabilities in general education classes has spawned interest in academic interventions, such as homework, that allow these students to be successful. Previous studies have revealed a number of communication problems that can limit the effectiveness of homework as an intervention. The purpose of the present study is to investigate the perceptions and experiences of parents of children with and without disabilities regarding homework load and problems related to communication with teachers. A national survey of 265 general education parents and 83 special education parents was conducted to determine (1) whether these two groups have different experiences with homework, and (2) the extent to which they agree with each other and with teachers regarding communication problems. Results revealed that both sets of parents have had similar experiences with homework, and that both groups perceive teachers to be at fault for not initiating timely and useful communication and for lacking information about their childs needs. Results are compared with those of other studies involving teachers, and recommendations for reducing blame and enhancing communication are discussed.

Recommendations for Homework-Communication Problems From Parents, Classroom Teachers, and Special Education Teachers

The purpose of this study was to generate recommendations for improving communication between home and school regarding the homework assigned in mainstream classes. specifically, the objectives of the study were to identify recommendations for ameliorating homework-communication problems between (a) parents and classroom teachers, (8) parents and special education teachers, and (c) classroom teachers and special education teachers. subjects for this study were 8 parents of students with mild disabilities, 13 special education teachefs of students with mild disabilities, and 11 classroom teachers who taught students with mild disabilities in their classes. six focus groups were used to generate recommendations. many recommendations for solving homework-communication problems were identified by parents, classroom teachers, and special education teachers. five themes emerged from these recommendations: time and opportunity; knowledge; attitudes and abilities; bypass; and other. these results, as well as limitations of the study and future research needs. are discussed

Using the Nominal Group Technique for Homework Communication Decisions An Exploratory Study

The purpose of this exploratory study was to use a collaborative decision-making process, the Nominal Group Technique (NGT), to determine the effectiveness and feasibility of 44 strategies for communication between home and school about homework assigned to students with high-incidence disabilities included in general education classrooms. Nine participants (school administrators, family members, and general and special education teachers) were involved in this collaborative decision-making process. The participants identified 14 homework communication strategies as being the most feasible and effective. Implications for future research and for school practice are discussed. In particular, the use of the NGT is suggested as a vehicle for involving teachers, administrators, and families in determining the communication strategies most appropriate to specific school situations. Further, the NGT holds promise for decision making about other school issues as well.