Nancy M. Sileo

Developmental Indicators for the Assessment of Learning-Third Edition (DIAL-3).

The Developmental Indicators for the Assessment of Learning Third Edition (DIAL-3) was developed by Carol Mardell-Czudnowski and Dorothea S. Goldenberg. Mardell-Czudnowski is Professor Emeritus at Northern Illinois University, where she initiated the early childhood special education program. She is currently the co-founder and co-director of the Resource Center for Education in Jalisco, Mexico, and has contributed to the cross-cultural comparative study of early childhood development and the methodology of the cross-cultural validation of assessment instruments. Goldenberg has more than 40 years experience in administration, grant writing, curricular development, and instruction at all levels of both general and special education and has researched children from early childhood to adolescence. Drs. Mardell-Czudnowski and Goldenberg were the director and assistant director of the original Project DIAL. They co-authored the Developmental Indicators for the Assessment of Learning (DIAL) and Developmental Indicators for the Assessment of Learning Revised (DIAL-R), as well as numerous other publications.

An Exploration of the Alienation Experienced by African American Parents From Their Children’s Educational Environment

Current research suggests that parents are a key component to the school success of their children. However, in today’s world, parents often work long hours, have more than one job, and participate in multiple responsibilities that may limit their participation. Because of the variety of factors that impinge on parents, educators often criticize them for their nonparticipation or limited participation in the school environment. The purpose of this study was to determine the degree of alienation, if any, that African American parents feel toward public education. A modified version of the Barriers to School Involvement Survey was administered to 421 African American parents. The questionnaire was factored into five problem categories for analysis (e.g., personal concerns, work, lack of interest, logistics, teacher/parent relationships). Although significance was found among the five problem categories and across the six research questions (e.g., problem categories, employment status, economics, special education vs. general education, family composition, and parent education levels), the findings indicate that parents did not view the five problem categories as a concern impacting their school involvement.

Effects of peer tutoring on young children’s social interactions

This study examined the effects of peer tutoring on children’s social interactions and compared social interaction behaviors between children who are English‐language learners (ELL) and children who are primary English speakers (PES). Single‐subject withdrawal design (ABA) was applied in this study and classwide peer tutoring was used as the independent variable. Seven ELL and seven PES from two early primary‐grade classrooms were selected as the participants. Participants’ ages ranged from six to eight years old. Results of this study showed that classwide peer tutoring was effective for both ELL and PES. The data also indicated that the intervention (classwide peer tutoring) was relatively more effective for the ELL group than for the PES group. In both groups, children were engaged in very few negative behaviors.

Introduction to the Field of Exceptionalities: Do Textbooks Reflect Cultural Diversity?

We examined 14 introductory textbooks in exceptionalities and special education, published between 1992 and 1995, to determine the inclusion of 15 topics related to cultural diversity, specifically ethnic diversity. The topics were validated by experts in cultural diversity in the field of special education. The frequency of examples of various ethnic groups was also examined. Results indicated that the topics discussed most consistently across texts were bilingual, linguistic, and dialect issues and strategies; identification and assessment issues; over-representation of culturally diverse groups in special education; under-representation of culturally diverse groups in programs for students who are gifted; and the relationship of culture to societys definition of normal and deviant. The ethnic groups most frequently referenced were African Americans and Hispanics. Recommendations for the selection and application of current introductory textbooks are presented.

Ethical Issues in General and Special Education Teacher Preparation: An Interface with Rural Education

Teacher education may be the most important variable to ensure consideration of ethical issues in public schools. However, many teacher preparation programs may not equip teachers with the knowledge, skills, and dispositions to make moral judgments and decisions necessary to provide high quality education for all students. This article addresses ethical issues and practices that impact teacher education, their interface with rural education, and results of a national research study that assesses extent to which and how preservice teacher preparation programs attend to ethical issues. Survey results indicate that teaching about ethical and professional practices is important to teacher preparation, and yet, receives little emphasis in most programs. Key Words: Educational Equity, Ethics, Morality, Rural Education, Special Education, Teacher Preparation, and Values