Michael P. Brady

The Effects of "Bug-in-Ear" Supervision on Special Education Teachers' Delivery of Learn Units.

Supervision and coaching strategies that provide immediate feedback can help improve instruction for novice teachers. In this study, feedback was provided to teachers using “bug-in-ear” technology to coach them to deliver effective instructional interactions: “learn units.” Three novice teachers in K—8 classrooms with students with disabilities including emotional disorders, autism, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, and developmental delays participated in the study. Results from the multiple-baseline design showed that the rate and accuracy of effective teaching behaviors increased when in-class feedback was delivered via the electronic “bugs.” For two of the three teachers, these increases maintained when the instructional feedback was faded. This study extends previous research and suggests an effective coaching supervision strategy for novice teachers.

The Effects of Covert Audio Coaching on the Job Performance of Supported Employees

The importance of employment in society is unmistakable, but for many people sustained employment remains elusive. The unemployment rate for individuals with disabilities is staggering, and the consequences of being unemployed affects those individuals, their families, and society. The effects of performance feedback delivered via covert audio coaching on the job performance of supported employees were examined in this investigation. A multiple baseline design across employees and work tasks was used to evaluate the effects of the intervention on work performance. Supported employees made substantial improvements on their work performance, and the improvements maintained for 4 to 5 weeks following the removal of the intervention. The results have implications for the use of covert audio coaching in employment and other settings.

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?

Teaching Positive Work Behavior with Literacy-Based Behavioral Interventions: An Intervention for Students and Employees with Developmental Disabilities.

employment is an important task. Many individuals have difficulty learning and performing employment skills without support or guidance (Brady & Rosenberg, 2002). This article describes how literacy-based behavioral interventions (LBBIs), instructional interventions that use print or pictures as an instructional medium, can help teachers, job coaches, and employers who work with individuals with disabilities encourage positive work behaviors. One popular example of an LBBI is a Social Story (Gray, 2000). Social stories are short individually written stories that describe a situation, skill, or concept to help improve understanding. Historically, educators used Social Stories as a behavior management technique, typically for children with autism (Gray & Garand, 1993). Although literature supports the use of these stories for children with autism, very few studies examine how literacybased interventions may be useful for individuals with other types of disabilities (Moore, 2004) or how they might be useful as an intervention in vocational or employment settings (see box, “What Does the Literature Say?”).

If You Build It and They Still Don't Come: Effective versus Successful Alternative Teacher Preparation

Abstract The continuing shortage of special education teachers, combined with increased ideological critiques of teacher education programs, has spurred the growth of alternative models of teacher preparation. Only recently have professional standards for alternative models been proposed. This paper summarizes two years of a program based on professional standards. External influences, internal design, and implementation elements are presented. Results suggest that there is value in distinguishing between the effectiveness of alternative programs and their success.

Teachers' Ethical Dilemmas: What Would You Do?.

teacher. He has been writing possible individualized education program (IEP) goals for Chris, a young boy with a developmental disability who will be in second grade the following school year. Some of the goals include telling time to the hour, half hour, and quarter hour. He is a new teacher, and the school psychologist has asked to see his suggested goals before the IEP meeting. While reading Mr. Andrews’s proposed goals, the school psychologist takes a red pen and crosses off the goals that would require Chris to learn to tell time. She tells Mr. Andrews that they will be lucky if Chris ever learns to tell time to the hour, let alone any portions of the hour. She instructs Mr. Andrews to rewrite the goals so that they are “more appropriate.” Mr. Andrews believes that the goals are appropriate. He believes that all teachers should have high, but reasonable, expectations for their students. Without attempting to teach Chris to tell time, how can they possibly know that he won’t be successful? What should he do? What would you do?

The Effectiveness of Direct Instruction in Teaching Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder to Answer "Wh-" Questions.

Research on the effects of Direct Instruction (DI) among students with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) has only recently emerged. A benefit of DI is that it can be implemented with groups of students, which makes it potentially a cost effective method of instruction for some skills. In this study, we examined the effects of DI on teaching secondary students with ASD to answer three “wh-” questions. Using a multiple probe design across behaviors, results indicated the participants mastered two of the three “wh-” question types and made progress with the remaining question type. These results are discussed along with implications for educators instructing students with ASD.

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.

Cognitive and Intellectual Disabilities : Historical Perspectives, Current Practices, and Future Directions

Preface Chapter 1: Historical Concepts and Perspectives Chapter 2: Definition and Classification of Cognitive/Intellectual Disabilities Chapter 3: Assessment for Identification Chapter 4: Genetic and Chromosomal Factors Chapter 5: Environmental and Psychosocial Causes Chapter 6: Cognitive and Learning Characteristics Chapter 7: Educational, Psychological, and Behavioral Characteristics Chapter 8: Societal, Family, and Multicultural Characteristics Chapter 9: Instructional Assessment Chapter 10: Instructional Content Chapter 11: Instructional Procedures Chapter 12: Instructional Settings Chapter 13: Future Directions References

A Self-Evaluation Instrument for Work Performance and Support Needs.

Involvement of students and adult employees into the decisions that affect their education and employment can improve their transition into supported employment. One means for increasing involvement into these decisions is to gain their input into performance evaluations and support needs. The Job Observation and Behavior Scale: Opportunity for Self-Determination is an assessment designed to obtain such input from the perspective of students preparing for, and employees participating in, supported employment. This article presents the role of the scale in obtaining student and employee input into their own work performance and support needs; it summarizes the development and technical properties of the instrument; and it describes how this instrument can promote the self-determination of students and adult employees with disabilities.