Richard T. Boon

Can Middle School Students with Serious Reading Difficulties Help Each Other and Learn Anything

This investigation was intended to examine the effects of teaching middle school students with learning disabilities and mild mental retardation to tutor one another in reading comprehension strategies. All students were reading significantly below grade level and many students exhibited behavior problems in addition to their primary disability area. Students were randomly assigned to a tutoring or traditional reading instruction condition. Within the tutoring condition, students were matched into tutoring dyads, trained in the tutoring procedures, and taught specific reading comprehension strategies. Reciprocal tutoring was employed, such that students assumed roles of both tutor and tutee during daily reading periods. Performance on reading comprehension tests following tutoring yielded significant performance advantages for students involved in tutoring. Observational, survey, and interview data revealed that students enjoyed tutoring more than their traditional instruction, appeared to see the value and benefits of the tutoring, and wanted to include tutoring as part of their other classes, such as science and social studies. Findings are discussed with respect to the strengths and challenges associated with the use of tutoring to provide strategic instruction to students with special learning needs.

Academic Achievement and Class Placement in High School: Do Students with Learning Disabilities Achieve More in One Class Placement Than Another?

The purpose of this study was to examine classroom placement, inclusive versus non-inclusive, relative to the academic performance of students with specific learning disabilities in secondary content area classrooms. Fifty-seven high school students with learning disabilities were assessed using the Grade Level Short Form of the Multilevel Academic Survey Test (MAST). Their reading and math scores were examined relative to each student’s grade level, number of general and special education classes attended, and types of placement (i.e., inclusive or non-inclusive setting). The results revealed no statistically significant evidence to indicate that students’ academic achievement varied based on inclusive versus non-inclusive placement. The only statistically significant differences observed regarded participants enrolled in a general education literature class compared to those participants placed in a special education setting for literature. Implications for practice, limitations of the study, and considerations for future research are discussed.

The Impact of Cognitive Organizers and Technology-Based Practices on Student Success in Secondary Social Studies Classrooms

This study investigated the impact of cognitive organizers, with the integration of technology, Inspiration 6 software, compared to a traditional textbook instruction format on content-area learning in high school inclusive social studies classes. Twenty-nine tenth-grade students in general education and 20 students with mild disabilities were randomly assigned to receive instruction using a cognitive organizer or traditional textbook instruction format. A pretest/posttest treatment control group design was used to examine the effectiveness of cognitive organizers. Dependent measures included a 35-item open-ended production pre/posttest of declarative social studies knowledge to assess the effectiveness of the intervention. Students in the cognitive organizer condition significantly outperformed students in the traditional textbook instruction condition. Limitations of the study, implications for practice for both general and special education teachers, and future research are discussed.

Correlates of Inquiry Learning in Science Constructing Concepts of Density and Buoyancy

This investigation was intended to identify variables associated with learning in an inquiry-oriented approach to the study of density and buoyancy, and it included students with and without high-incidence disabilities. Variables examined included academic achievement, IQ, preconceptions of buoyancy, and scientific predictions. It was found that preconceptions, scientific predictions, and academic achievement measures were not predictive of task performance. However, grade level and IQ were strongly related to performance. Group comparisons involving higher and lower IQ groups of students with high-incidence disabilities revealed that the higher IQ group performed similarly to a group of normally achieving students, whereas the lower IQ group was significantly different from the other two groups. Implications for practice are discussed.

Power Cards to Improve Conversational Skills in Adolescents With Asperger Syndrome

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of Power Cards on the initiation and maintenance of conversational skills in students with Asperger syndrome. Three high school students with Asperger Syndrome participated in this study. Power Cards were used to prompt students’ previously learned conversational skills in a multiple-baseline design across students. Results can be interpreted to conclude that there was a functional relationship between use of Power Cards and the percentage of time students engaged in conversations that focused on the interests of their conversational partners. Power Cards are inexpensive, easy to make, and may be useful for high school students with Asperger Syndrome.

Reading Interventions for Middle and Secondary Students With Emotional and Behavioral Disorders: A Quantitative Review of Single-Case Studies

Many students with emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD) experience learning problems in reading at the middle and secondary school levels. Yet, the academic performance of students with EBD is often overlooked in the research literature. The purpose of this article was to provide a quantitative synthesis of the published, peer-reviewed, single-case research literature on reading interventions for students with or at-risk for EBD. An omnibus nonoverlap effect size of .59 with a 95% confidence interval (CI) = [.54, .64] was found consisting of 219 phase contrasts and 44 participants across the 11 studies included in the review. The findings are discussed in the context of improving the academic and behavioral outcomes of middle and secondary students with EBD.

20 Ways for Classroom Teachers to Collaborate With Speech—Language Pathologists

Students with disabilities are increasingly receiving services in the general education classroom, and as a result, speech–language pathologists (SLPs) are using a variety of flexible models to meet the needs of these students. Although some schools continue to provide pullout service delivery models for speech–language therapy, many are increasing the number of hours SLPs spend in inclusive classroom settings (Katz, Fallon, Van Der Linden, & DiDonato, 2006). Collaboration among classroom teachers and SLPs is crucial to deliver effective treatment and services for students with speech–language impairments in an inclusive classroom setting (Ehren, Montgomery, Rudebusch, & Whitmire, 2007). Students who are at risk are more apt to receive appropriate intervention services and more continuity of care when a qualified team is establishing academic and communication objectives (Pena & Quinn, 2003). Banotai (2006) suggested that carryover and the long-term success of students with speech–language deficits depend on a collaborative approach because it allows the student to apply newly acquired communication skills in the general education classroom. Many challenges impede a successful collaborative relationship between classroom teachers and speech– language pathologists. MacDonald and Speece (2001) and Mastropieri (2001) asserted that effective classroom collaboration is difficult to implement and is often limited because of time constraints. Collaboration is also challenging given scheduling and planning difficulties (Kaff, 2004). Other constraints faced by teachers include the rigor of their curricula, large class sizes, lack of assistants in the classroom, and other responsibilities as faculty members. Challenges to collaboration for SLPs may include large caseloads, travel required between facilities to provide services, coordination of service delivery around curriculum blocks, and excessive paperwork (Katz et al., 2006; Whitmire & Eger, 2003). This column provides 20 practical strategies for classroom teachers and SLPs to work together collaboratively as they strive to meet the needs of the individual student in the least restrictive environment.

Technology-Based Practices in Social Studies Instruction for Students with High-Incidence Disabilities: A Review of the Literature:

This article presents a comprehensive review of the published social studies and technology-based intervention research for students with high-incidence disabilities in elementary through secondary grade levels. Eighteen research-based studies published from 1980 to 2006 were obtained, reviewed, and synthesized. Four major areas emerged representing the use of technologies in social studies instruction: (a) computerized study guides, (b) project-based learning activities, (c) computerized map tutorials, and (d) the use of computerized concept mapping software. A synthesis of the results of these social studies intervention studies integrated with technological advances, indicate that technology as a component of the instructional process has been beneficial; improving and enhancing academic achievement, engagement, motivation, and study skills for both students with and without disabilities. Findings of these studies in relation to instructional practice, implications for both general and special education teachers, recommendations, and future research questions are discussed.

Influencing Learning Experiences Let's Ask the Students!

VOL. 41, NO. 4, MARCH 2006 (PP. 244–248) For the past two decades, a great deal of research has been conducted on effective instruction and the variables that constitute effective teaching (Wittrock, 1986). This research has been critically important in identifying the things teachers should and should not do to maximize learning for all students (Mastropieri & Scruggs, 2004). As educators, we often read journals and textbooks and attend conferences to hear what the experts have to say regarding the most effective ways to teach students. However, teachers seldom examine how students would characterize their own effective and ineffective learning experiences based on their personal experiences in the classroom. The authors therefore conducted a qualitative study to interview students with learning disabilities and explore their perceptions of effective and ineffective learning experiences. The interviewer asked students to describe their best and worst learning experiences within the classroom setting. Best was defined as “I really learned a Influencing Learning Experiences:

Validating Curriculum-Based Measurement for Students With Emotional and Behavioral Disorders in Middle School:

The purpose of this study was to investigate the concurrent validity of curriculum-based measurement (CBM) for students with emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD) in middle school using the Maze (MAZE); Oral Reading Fluency (ORF); and the Woodcock-Johnson, Third Edition (WJ-III), Passage Comprehension (WJ-PC) and Reading Fluency (WJ-RF) subtests. Fifty-five students in grades sixth through eighth with emotional and behavioral disorders participated in this study. Results indicated a strong correlation between the MAZE and the WJ-PC, while moderate correlations were found between the CBM Oral Reading Fluency and the Woodcock-Johnson subtests (passage comprehension and reading fluency). Limitations of the study, implications for practice, and future research are discussed.