Michael Hazelkorn

Using Self-Monitoring to Increase Attending to Task and Academic Accuracy in Children With Autism

This study was conducted to investigate the effectiveness of a self-monitoring procedure on increasing attending to task and academic accuracy in two elementary students with autism in their self-contained classroom. A multiple baseline across participants in two academic subject areas was used to assess the effectiveness of the intervention. Both students were taught to self-monitor in language arts and mathematics with measures of attending to task and academic accuracy being collected simultaneously. Results are interpreted to conclude that the self-monitoring procedure was effective for both students and resulted in immediate increases in attending to task and academic accuracy even though results in academic accuracy were variable. Social validity was documented by the increase in two behaviors relevant for student success (attending to task and academic accuracy) and greater student independence.

Inclusion and Graduation Rates: What Are the Outcomes?

In response to federal and state mandates, students with disabilities increasingly are being educated in more inclusive settings. Although accountability related to state curriculum standards and standardized test scores is important, graduation rates may be the critical factor in deciding whether current educational policy is resulting in successful outcomes for students. This study examined the records of 67,749 students with mild disabilities in Georgia during a 6-year period to determine the effects of inclusion (i.e., the amount of time spent in general education classrooms) on graduation rates. Results indicated a 62% increase in the percentage rate in inclusion for students with mild disabilities, while graduation rates for students with mild disabilities have remained stable (+0.4%) at less than 30%.

Response to Intervention: General or Special Education? Who Is Responsible?.

Abstract Response to Intervention (RtI) is a general education initiative that takes place prior to evaluation for placement in special education. Essentially, the first two tiers of RtI require general education teachers to use research-based instruction with all students and then to evaluate the effectiveness of that instruction. Given that the use of RtI as an assessment tool begins in the general education classroom, the following question remains: Are general educators aware of the development and implementation of RtI as a process for assessing and, eventually, possibly placing students into special education? The purpose of this study was to review the literature to answer the following two questions: 1. To what extent is RtI evident in the professional literature of educator groups (teachers, administrators, and teacher educators) who will be responsible for implementing these school practices? 2. What is the nature of the published literature (concept papers, assessment practices, instructional practices, and research) on RtI?

School-to-Work and Technical Preparation: Teacher Attitudes and Practices Regarding the Inclusion of Students with Disabilities.

This article describes the results of a national survey of attitudes and practices of secondary school-to-work and tech prep teachers regarding the inclusion of students with disabilities. The purpose of the study was to examine: (a) teacher attitudes toward inclusion; (b) practices and procedures being utilized to promote inclusion; (c) in-service training received by teachers regarding inclusionary practices; and (d) post-school outcomes perceived by teachers to be attainable for students with disabilities who participate in school-to-work and tech prep programs. One hundred and sixty-nine educators representing 45 states participated in this study. The results of this study indicate that secondary school-to-work and tech prep teachers do not feel prepared to meet the needs of students with disabilities who are enrolled in their courses. These teachers also report receiving little to no in-service training regarding inclusive practices, and the vast majority report that they have never participated in the development of Individual Education Plans (IEPs) for students with disabilities.

Designated Vocational Instruction: Instructional Support Strategies.

interdisciplinary effort between special and vocational educators that helps high school students with disabilities learn vocational skills and competencies in the least restrictive environment. An important component of the DVI approach is that special education teachers provide instructional support to both students and vocational instructors. Instructional support is collaborative teaching using the special educator’s expertise in how to teach blended with the vocational educator’s expertise in what to teach. The role and degree of involvement of the special educator depends on the needs of the students and the vocational instructors. The special educator’s role is to: (a) provide direct support to students with disabilities ; and/or (b) provide indirect support to vocational instructors, and/or the program itself.

Special Populations and Tech-Prep: A National Study of State Policies and Practices

The late 1990s and the early 21 st century will be a time of monumental change in the nature of employment in the United States as the numbers of unskilled workers decline and the need for a more technologically advanced laborforce increases. To address the need for highly skilled labor, including special populations, the tech-prep curriculum was conceived as an intervention. The Carl D. Perkins Vocational and Applied Technology Education Act of 1990 mandates that special populations have equal access to recruitment, enrollment, and placement activities as well as the full range of vocational programs. A questionnaire was developed and mailed to State Departments of Education to determine if provisions were being made to ensure full inclusion of special populations into tech-prep programs. Thirty-six states responded. Results and implications are discussed.

A Survey of Accessibility to Secondary Vocational Education Programs and Transition Services for Students with Disabilities in Wisconsin.

Throughout the 1970’s and 1980’s there were prominent legislative mandates to increase access to quality education, vocational training, and employment opportunities for individuals with disabilities. In particular, vocational education has long been recognized as a viable option for enhancing the employability of individuals with disabilities. Recent findings from the National Longitudinal Transition of Special Students indicated that students who participated in secondary vocational education were more likely to be competitively employed than youths who did not take vocational education courses (Wagner, 1991). Similar results have been reported in other post-school follow-up studies (Benz & Halpern, 1987; Hasazi, Gordon, & Roe, 1985; Hasazi, Johnson, Hasazi, Gordon, & Hull, 1989). Since access to appropriate vocational education opportunities enhances employment outcomes for individuals with disabilities, it deserves increased attention by educators, support personnel, and parents early in students’ career, vocational and transition planning processes. A pressing issue in vocational education revolves around access and equity issues for individuals with disabilities. The Carl D. Perkins Vocational Education Act of 1984, P.L. 98-524, outlined specific assurances that students with disabilities be provided access to a full range of vocational education programs in least restrictive environments. Studies conducted prior to P.L. 98-524 provided some evidence

Policy and Systems Change: Planning for Unintended Consequences

Abstract Planning for policy implementation is as important as the implementation itself. A policys intent can be subverted by the way the policy is implemented, or when unanticipated outcomes take precedence over the true intent. This article presents three cases of specific instances of unintended outcomes from policy implementation and presents a model to assist educational reformers in minimizing the impact of unintended negative consequences. The article provides policy makers with a means to predict the full array of outcomes—both intended and unintended—when promoting educational reforms that affect the implementation of new practices and policies.

Using Narrated Literacy-Based Behavioural Interventions to Decrease Episodes of Physical Aggression in Elementary Students with Disabilities.

This study was designed to examine the effects of literacy-based behavioural interventions (Bucholz et al., 2008) to decrease acts of physical aggression with kindergarten and first grade students. The study used a multiple baseline design across three participants. The results showed a decrease in acts of physical aggression by students with significant developmental delays and autism spectrum disorders as a result of the literacy-based behavioural interventions (LBBI). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using Graduation Rates of Students with Disabilities as an Indicator of Successful Inclusive Education

Abstract Inclusive education in the United States has been a focus of government policy for the past 30 years. The underlying goals of the inclusive education movement are to provide the most efficient and effective education in the least restrictive environment for students with disabilities. In response to federal and state mandates, students with disabilities increasingly are being educated in more inclusive settings. One way to measure the success of inclusion is to examine graduation rates for students with disabilities. Although accountability related to state curriculum standards and standardized test scores is important, graduation rates may be the critical factor in deciding whether current educational policy is resulting in successful outcomes for students. To determine the effects of inclusion, a statewide study was conducted to look for trends in inclusion and corresponding graduation rates for students with mild disabilities. The researchers examined the records of 67,749 students with mild disabilities in Georgia during a six-year period to determine the amount of time spent in general education classrooms and the graduation rates for each year’s cohort of students. Results indicated a 62% increase in the percentage rate in inclusion for students with mild disabilities, while graduation rates for students with mild disabilities remained stable (+0.4%) at less than 30% during that same period. This chapter will describe the results of this study, discuss barriers to graduation, and present inclusive practices that support students with mild disabilities.