Moira Konrad

Student Involvement in Individualized Education Program Meetings

We conducted a review of the literature to investigate interventions designed to increase students involvement in their individualized education program (IEP) process. Sixteen studies were identified and analyzed in terms of six variables: purpose, participants/setting, design, dependent variables, independent variable, and results. Our findings suggest that students with widely varying disabilities can be actively involved in the IEP process. Our results also indicate that both published curricula designed to teach students skills to enhance their participation prior to IEP meetings and person-centered planning strategies are effective in increasing students involvement in their IEP meetings, as substantiated through direct observation; scores on measures of self-determination; and/or feedback from participants, parents, and teachers. We discuss the results in terms of implications for practice and research, the need for future studies to assess the impact of student participation on students daily lives, and the need for institutions of higher education to prepare teachers to include students in the IEP process.

Effects of Self-Determination Interventions on the Academic Skills of Students with Learning Disabilities.

Given the importance of both academic and self-determination skills for students with disabilities, it is important to identify efficient ways to deliver instruction in these essential areas. This literature review synthesizes intervention research that has examined the effects of self-determination interventions on academic skills for students with learning disabilities (LD) and/or attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Our findings revealed that self-management interventions were most often studied, followed by interventions that combined self-management with one or more other self-determination components. Effects ranged from very weak to very strong. Effects were strongest when (a) interventions that combined self-management with goal setting were used to increase students productivity, and (b) goal-setting interventions were used to improve math skills. Most of the studies included in the review were of high quality; however, some areas could be improved.

Effects of the Self-Directed IEP on Student Participation in Planning Meetings

Although federal special education legislation and the self-determination movement have promoted and increased students attendance at their Individualized Education Program (IEP) meetings, students active involvement in the IEP process remains limited. This study used the Self-Directed IEP with five students identified with a variety of disabilities to increase participation in their IEP meetings. The results indicated a functional relationship between the implementation of the Self-Directed IEP and increased student participation in IEP meetings. Furthermore, students were able to generalize their newly acquired skills to their real IEP meetings.

Teaching students with intellectual or developmental disabilities to write: A review of the literature

The purpose of this review was to identify effective methods for teaching writing to students with intellectual disabilities. After criteria were established, database searches and hand searches of selected peer-reviewed journals were conducted. Findings revealed a relatively small number of studies that met the criteria for inclusion. Participants, settings, research designs, independent variables, dependent variables, and results are synthesized across studies. Writing instruction effects on various written expression outcomes were aggregated by averaging percentage of non-overlapping data (PND) across studies. Findings revealed that strategy instruction was investigated more frequently than other types of approaches. Strategy instruction was consistently found to be very effective for teaching writing skills to students with intellectual disabilities. Limitations, directions for future research, and implications for practice are discussed.

Teaching Writing for Keeps

Proficiency with written expression is critical for students academic success. Unfortunately, writing presents a challenge for both students and teachers. Recent data suggest that many students in U.S. schools fail to meet even the most basic writing standards. And even when students receive effective (i.e., evidence-based) writing instruction, they often struggle with the generalization (i.e., transfer) of skills to other writing tasks, genres, and purposes and with maintaining skills over time. This article provides teachers with strategies for promoting generalization of writing skills in each stage of the writing process: prewriting, drafting, revising, editing, and publishing.

A Meta-Analytic Review of Guided Notes

Research indicates that student achievement improves when teachers provide opportunities for active engagement. Guided notes have been suggested as a way to increase active student responding during teacher-directed lectures. The purpose of this review was to summarize research on the effectiveness of guided notes. Specifically, we sought to synthesize the research examining (a) the effectiveness of guided notes on various outcome variables and across different ages, (b) procedural variations in guided notes implementation, and (c) the social validity of guided notes. Results indicated that guided notes are an effective and socially valid method for increasing note-taking accuracy and improving academic performance, particularly for school-age students. Recommendations are made for everyday classroom practice and for future research.

Effects of GO 4 IT . . . NOW! Strategy Instruction on the Written IEP Goal Articulation and Paragraph-Writing Skills of Middle School Students With Disabilities

The current standards-based reform movement, which emphasizes teaching academic skills to all students, holds promise for students with disabilities. However, there is concern that this movements sole focus on academic skills will leave less room for teaching self-determination skills. One possible solution is to identify interventions that can teach self-determination and academic skills simultaneously. This study investigated the effects of such an intervention (i.e., GO 4 IT . . . NOW!) with 12 middle school students with high-incidence disabilities. The findings showed a functional relationship between the instruction and (a) students abilities to articulate Individualized Education Program (IEP) goals in writing and (b) paragraph-writing skills in students IEP goal paragraphs.

A Model for Aligning Self-Determination and General Curriculum Standards.

Ms. Smith and Ms. Alvarez, special education teachers at Harris Middle School, have had many conversations about how to balance all their responsibilities. They are accountable for teaching academic content standards, and they also must address their students individual needs, including self-determination skills. They often wonder, “How can we do it all given our limited time and resources?”

Teaching Middle-School Students with Disabilities to Use an IEP Template

An emerging research base is documenting successful participation in the IEP process among students with disabilities. However, research to date has included primarily high-school students and has not focused on encouraging students to actually write IEP drafts. In the present study, we examined the effects of an IEP writing intervention on the ability of 7 middle-school students with high-incidence disabilities to write drafts of their own IEPs. We measured the primary dependent variable by having students complete an IEP template, scored using a rubric. Data were also collected on students knowledge of the IEP process and their satisfaction with the intervention procedures used. Results indicated a functional relationship between Template instruction and increases in completeness of Template responses for all 7 participants.

Using Guided Notes to Enhance Instruction for All Students

Taking notes from lectures or reading material can be challenging, especially for those who have learning disabilities. An alternative to traditional note-taking is a method called guided notes, which has been found to improve the accuracy of students’ notes, increase the frequency of student responses, and improve students’ quiz and test performance. Additionally, research has revealed that students prefer to use guided notes over taking their own notes or using preprinted notes. The purpose of this article is to provide teachers with several suggestions for creating and using guided notes to enhance other effective teaching methods, support students’ studying, and promote higher order thinking.