Search

Co-teaching is a popular means to support students with disabilities in the general education classroom. However, despite its widespread use, there are no meta-analyses examining the effects of co-teaching on academic outcomes for secondary students that analyze both study quality (e.g., the Council for Exceptional Children's "Standards for Evidence-Based Practices in Special Education") and effects. We addressed both of these gaps in the current review, identifying nine articles (10 experimental studies) that were analyzed for quality and effects. No studies met all of the quality indicators and study effects showed no significant impact on students' academic outcomes. Limitations and directions for research are presented. Implications for practice are also discussed, including the consideration that null effects, in this instance, do not necessarily suggest that co-teaching is ineffective.

Division is an essential skill for math fluency and achievement in higher-order math skills. Using a partial quotients algorithm is one way to support a student's ability to develop both conceptual and computational knowledge of long division. We used the self-regulated strategy development (SRSD) framework to develop lesson plans and a mnemonic to guide students through the long division process. Using a multiple-baseline across participants design, SRSD instruction resulted in a functional relation between the intervention and both correct answers and rubric scores. The intervention was implemented by a practitioner with high levels of fidelity and had high levels of acceptability from both teacher and student perspectives. We present limitations and future directions in this area.

Students with mathematics difficulties often struggle with conceptual and procedural understanding of fractions. Self-regulated strategy development (SRSD) is an evidence-based framework for teaching a variety of academic skills, including mathematics. The purpose of this study was to extend preliminary work using "SRSD Fractions" to support the fraction performance of fourth-grade students with mathematics difficulties. Using a fuzzy regression discontinuity design, we evaluated the effects of a Tier 2 intervention implemented within a multitiered systems of support framework with 60 participants, 16 of whom participated in the intervention. While students in the treatment group had higher scores on the posttest, the local average treatment effect was not statistically significant, but the overall difference in difference score suggested a large effect (g = 0.81; 95 percent CI 0.18 and 1.43). Limitations and future directions are discussed.

This article provides results from a study examining the impact of a self-regulated strategy development (SRSD) intervention on the fraction calculations of three Grade 5 male students with or at-risk for emotional or behavioral disorders using a multiple-baseline across students, single-case design. The teacher-led SRSD Fractions intervention addressed adding and subtracting fractions with unlike denominators using the FILMS (Find the denominator, Identify the multiples, Locate the least common multiple, Multiply to make new fractions, Solve the problem) strategy. Results of fraction probes are reported along with a discussion of the study with respect to the research question posed, limitations, and future directions for research.

The goal of this article is to assist individualized education program (IEP) team personnel to not make errors in the placement of students. To do so the authors: (1) describe what a placement decision is and who makes the decision; (2) review the placement requirements of the Individuals With Disabilities Education Act (IDEA, 2006); (3) examine guidelines from the seminal cases that have addressed placement issues; (4) describe how IEP teams can avoid the most common placement errors; (5) provide a placement flowchart to help IEP teams make legally sound placement decisions; and (6) offer principles to help IEP teams make legally sound placement decisions.

Mental health in children and adults has always been a controversial topic, however, recent mass shootings in schools have heightened the concern of many and raise questions for how to interact with the mentally ill. Schools, have the capacity to be one of the key stakeholders in delivering services to students with mental health concerns, therefore it is critical to understand the dispositions of teachers toward these students to ensure that they understand the needs of these students. The purpose of this study is to examine specific characteristic of preservice teachers' attitudes towards individuals with mental illnesses. The study sample consisted of 173 preservice teachers enrolled in a four-year teacher education program at a public research university located in the southeastern United States. Results indicated that four demographic variables contributed to preservice teacher's attitudes on the Community Attitudes toward Mental Illness (CAMI) measure and its various subscales: political orientation, knowing someone with a mental illness, and believing ADHD and ASD were mental illnesses. Implications for future research are discussed.

In the current study we examined the effect of a self-regulated strategy development intervention on the fraction calculations of students with or at risk for disabilities using a multiple-baseline-across-sites, single-case design. Specifically, the intervention package addressed the following skills: adding and subtracting fractions with unlike denominators, simplifying fractions, and converting improper fractions to mixed numbers. The intervention was implemented with high levels of treatment fidelity and social validity across three separate intervention agents. Results of the study showed the intervention to be effective, with 15 of the 16 participants making marked gains on fraction probes. We discuss the results of the study with respect to the research questions, provide limitations to the study, and propose areas for future research.

Proficiency with fractions is one of the most significant predictors of later mathematics achievement. However, there are currently no meta-analyses that assess the literature base on fractions for students with or at risk for disabilities using quality indicators. We applied the 2014 Council for Exceptional Children Standards for Evidence-Based Practices in Special Education (CEC EBP) to 21 studies, both single-case and group designs, with instructionally based fraction interventions, published from 1986 to 2017. Ten of the included studies met all of the CEC EBP quality indicators, and effect sizes ranged from g = 0.42 to 11.51 across interventions. Publication bias was mixed but limited across the research base. Included studies examined the effects of anchored instruction, explicit instruction, graduated instruction, strategy instruction, and video modeling; explicit instruction was determined to be an evidence-based practice when applying the CEC EBP standards. We offer limitations and directions for future research in this area.

Math outcomes for students with disabilities, in particular students with emotional disturbance (ED), are bleak, warranting intervention strategies that have research to support their utility. The purpose of this meta-analysis was to examine the literature of math interventions used with students with ED to improve math outcome variables. Our statistical analysis included 17 studies, categorized as addressing fractions, number sense, geometry and measurement, algebra, word problems, and "other." Although only four of the included studies met all of the CEC-EBP (Council for Exceptional Children's Standards for Evidence-Based of Practices in Special Education) quality indicators, results of effect size calculations suggest large effects for all interventions. Results of publication bias analyses were mixed. Limitations, directions for future research in this field, and implications for practice are discussed.

Many students fall below benchmarks in the area of fractions computation, particularly students with disabilities. Self-regulated strategy development (SRSD) is one strategy with proven effectiveness for improving outcomes for students with disabilities, although very few studies have applied SRSD to the area of mathematics. In this study, we used SRSD Fractions to teach adding and subtracting fractions with unlike denominators, simplifying fractions, and converting fractions to mixed numbers using the mnemonics FILMS, CUT, and EDIT. A researcher provided instruction in small groups to fifth-grade students at risk for disabilities. The results from use of a multiple-baseline-across-groups design suggest a functional relationship between SRSD Fractions and 8 fifth-grade students' digits correct on timed fraction probes. Results from treatment fidelity, social validity, and academic engagement during the intervention are also reported. We also discuss limitations and directions for future researchers.

The purpose of the current meta-analysis was to investigate the effectiveness of self-regulated strategy development (SRSD) reading interventions for students with disabilities in school settings. We used the Council for Exceptional Children's "Standards for Evidence-Based Practices in Special Education" (CEC-EBP) to evaluate experimental investigations that targeted reading comprehension using an SRSD reading intervention and included students with disabilities. Summary outcome measures presented in the analysis include the between-case standardized mean difference, percentage of non-overlapping data, and visual analysis. Although the results indicated SRSD to be generally effective, the small number of studies and the fact that only 2 studies met all of the CEC-EBP quality indicators prevent the strategy from presently being considered evidence based. We present limitations and implications for future research.

Secondary students with emotional and behavioral disorders may experience a phenomenon known as the failure cycle where behavioral needs and academic deficits negatively impact learning, including reading comprehension. Self-regulated strategy development (SRSD) is one emerging method that addresses behavioral needs and reading comprehension deficits and allows for the integration of low-intensity behavioral strategies. This article demonstrates how two low-intensity behavioral strategies, opportunities to respond and behavior-specific praise, can be embedded in SRSD reading instruction.

In the past few years, the provision of mental health services in public schools has received considerable attention. When students with disabilities are eligible for special education and related services under the Individuals With Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), mental health services are required if such services are needed to provide students with a free appropriate public education (FAPE). That is, when a student's individualized education program (IEP) team determines that he or she needs mental health services to receive a FAPE, a school district is required to provide these services. Our purpose is to discuss when school district personnel should identify, evaluate, and serve students with disabilities who may have mental health needs.

This study evaluated the feasibility and effectiveness of an abbreviated computerized cognitive behavioral therapy (CCBT) software program, Camp Cope-A-Lot, in an after-school setting for elementary students identified as at risk for anxiety and other behavioral problems. Analysis of data from a small sample of students randomly assigned to a treatment or control group suggests that CCBT programs may ease the internalizing symptoms of students. We discuss limitations and implications for practitioners and future research.

An emerging intervention for increasing reading comprehension in students with emotional and behavioral disorders is self-regulated strategy development (SRSD). The purpose of this study was to examine the effectiveness of the TWA (Think before reading, think While reading, and think After reading) SRSD reading strategy when used with students with emotional and behavioral disorders in a special day school. TWA is a form of SRSD where the student is taught to self-monitor and self-evaluate while reading. This study specifically focused on increasing reading comprehension of science text. Results of a piecewise hierarchical linear model suggest significant gains in reading comprehension during intervention as compared to baseline, with secondary level predicting both students' performance and response to the intervention. Results of treatment fidelity and social validity are also reported. Limitations and directions for future researchers are presented.

Childhood cancers are the second leading cause of death among children. Common childhood cancers include leukemia (34%), brain tumors (23%), and lymphomas (12%; Kaatsch, 2010). Fortunately, survival rates related to these diseases have been increasing (Phillips et al., 2015). There are approximately 388,500 survivors of childhood cancers, with 83.5% of children (ages 5-19) living more than 5 years since initial diagnosis. It is estimated that 66% of survivors experience a chronic condition related to their cancer or respective treatment (Phillips et al., 2015). One of the major conditions is often described as "chemo brain" (Staat & Segatore, 2005), which results in a variety of neuropsychological deficits, including impaired attention, memory, and intelligence (Compas, Jaser, Reeslund, Patel, & Yarboi, 2017). According to Phillips and colleagues (2015), 35% of childhood cancer survivors experience some neuropsychological deficits. Additionally, 17% of children report issues with psychological distress (anxiety, depression), and 12% report issues with chronic pain (Phillips et al., 2015). In addition to these deficits, children may develop a variety of behavioral issues and engage in risky health behaviors, often leading to obesity and substance-abuse issues (Bauld, Toumbourou, Anderson, Coffey, & Olsson, 2005). The effects of the disease and treatment can result in students' eligibility for special education services. This article examines resources and accommodations for students with childhood cancer.

The use of aversives as a method for behavioral intervention in U.S. public schools has been a persistent concern and often subject to litigation, particularly among students with disabilities. The use of aversives (restraint, seclusion, and corporal punishment) have been supported in some cases due to their perceived necessity to keep children and youth with disabilities from causing harm to themselves or others or as a pedagogical method for behavior change. However, research strongly supports the need for less use of aversives and instead a critical focus on the use of multitiered systems of support to prevent the escalation of behavior that may result in the use of aversives. This article provides a review of 173 legal cases from 1997 through 2016 that ruled on the use of aversives in public schools for children and youth with disabilities. The authors provide legal implications to schools that use aversives, as well as an alternative framework for school principals in lieu of using restraint, seclusion, and corporal punishment as methods for behavior intervention.

In the past decade, the number of children diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) has steadily increased. A common characteristic of ASD is the presence of stereotypical behaviors (e.g., hand flapping, echolalia), which some have suggested may be associated with heightened arousal and/or anxiety. The purpose of this study is to compare antecedent interventions that have been used to decrease stereotypical behaviors in three elementary students with ASD by modulating arousal. Using a single-case alternating treatments design across participants, we compared the relative efficacy of antecedent exercise with two forms of deep-pressure therapy (DPT; compression vest and weighted blanket). Results of the current study found mixed effects for the interventions, with DPT providing little reduction of stereotypical behaviors and antecedent exercise (riding a stationary bike) providing improvement in two of three cases. Implications for practitioners and future research are provided.

In this study, we investigated the effects of choice of writing prompt on the number of story elements included in written narratives. The investigation took place in a residential facility for students with emotional and behavioral disorders. Participants included six female students in a mixed-grade-level course (students had just completed Grades 7-10). A withdrawal single-case research design was planned for each participant. However, the study was abandoned after only initial baseline and intervention phases because choice of writing prompt appeared to have null or countertherapeutic effects on the number of story elements written. Potential explanations for why these findings are inconsistent with other studies using choice making, including considerations of the file drawer effect for studies with null findings, are presented. Limitations and future directions also are discussed.

The current meta-analysis examined the evidence for interventions to improve compliance of students with disabilities in school settings. Experimental investigations that investigated compliance or non-compliance and took place with students in a school setting who were between birth and 23 years old were evaluated using the Council for Exceptional Children's (CEC) guidelines for evidence-based practices. Summary outcome measures utilized were percentage of non-overlapping data and the between-case standardized mean difference (BC-SMD). Results found a variety of interventions to be generally effective with regard to study effects, but not in compliance with CEC's standards. Only one intervention could be described as potentially evidence-based for improving the compliance of students with disabilities in school settings: High probability command sequences. Implications for future research are presented.

The current meta-analysis examined the use of deep touch pressure (DTP; e.g., weighted vests) with students with disabilities. DTP is a form of sensory integration therapy that is currently used extensively in schools with students with autism and other disabilities. Each study in the analysis was evaluated using the Council for Exceptional Children's guidelines for evidence-based practices. In addition, noting the debate regarding appropriate single-case effect sizes, the current study calculated omnibus effect sizes utilizing a variety of single-case design effect sizes. Results of the current study suggest that DTP interventions are of generally poor quality and demonstrate effects that do not validate their current use for students with disabilities.

This article examines a case out of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit: "Ridley School District v. M.R and J.R. ex rel. E.R." (2012). The case is the first circuit court case in which the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act requirement that special education services be based on peer-reviewed research (PRR) was at issue. Recommendations for teachers and administrators working to meet the PRR requirement when developing intervention plans for students with disabilities are discussed.

The current study examined the use of video modeling (VM)-based interventions to reduce the challenging behaviors of students with emotional or behavioral disorders. Each study was evaluated using Council for Exceptional Children's (CEC's) quality indicators for evidence-based practices. In addition, study effects were calculated along the three main categories of VM-based interventions (VM with other as model, video self-modeling, and video-feedback) using a response rate (calculated from visual analysis) and the percentage of non-overlapping data. None of the 12 included studies met all the quality indicators set forth by CEC. Overall effects were large for reducing challenging behaviors, though results should be taken with caution due to the small number of studies. Finally, implications for practice and future research are presented.

Attachment disorders are a relatively rare condition affecting children. This is particularly true for those who are adopted or living in foster care, and are thought to be attributed to an interruption in the bonding between a child and his or her caregiver. Attachment disorders are divided into two distinct categories: a predominately withdrawn type (i.e., Reactive Attachment Disorder) and a predominately disinhibited type (i.e., Disinhibited Social Engagement Disorder). This column provides an overview of the characteristics in the two types of attachment disorders and offers suggestions for educational programming.

Given that parental participation is such a critical feature of IDEA (20 U.S.C. § 1400[c][5][B]), the question of who is a parent often presents a challenge. Specifically, with regard to educational decisions, states may include more options under the definition of a parent than those provided in the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). Navigating the process in involving parents, particularly who has authority to make educational decisions on behalf of a child with a disability in light of multiple definitions and complicated court-sanctioned custody decisions, may present complex challenges for schools. It is abundantly clear through legislative provisions and related hearings that parents play a critical role in ensuring that a child with a disability is not denied free appropriate public education (FAPE). The brief review of hearing decisions presented in this article points to the necessity to examine carefully who is the designated parent to make educational decisions--or whether both can. This examination, however, involves IDEA provisions, family court decisions, and relevant state laws.

The purpose of this article is to discuss major substantive errors that school personnel may make when developing students' Individualized Education Programs (IEPs). School IEP team members need to understand the importance of the procedural and substantive requirements of the IEP, have an awareness of the five serious substantive errors that IEP teams make, and know how to avoid errors. An assessment checklist, individualized education program goal development worksheet, and progress monitoring checklist are provided.

Parental participation is a crucial component of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. When developing students' Individualized Education Programs (IEPs), school-based teams must place a high priority on involving students' parents in a collaborative effort to develop their children's educational programs and determine their placements. In this article, we examine "Doug C. v. Hawaii Department of Education," a case in which the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit reaffirmed the central role of parents in the IEP decision-making process. This column outlines the facts of this case and discusses implications of this decision for school district personnel and IEP team members.

Special education research and practice has had an inextricable link to case law. Indeed, Smith, Katsiyannis, and Ryan (2014) suggest that case law can be a useful tool in providing legal information, identifying emerging areas of need, and in informing practice. As such, the Office of Civil Rights (OCR) rulings, hearings, and Dear Colleague letters are considered important sources of information in addition to judicial rulings. Given that the audience for the current manuscript is primarily practitioners, the aim of this review is to provide implications of recent cases across areas of interest that have been particularly contentious in research and the courts rather than a strictly legal review. Further, this review is not intended to be a comprehensive review of case law decided in 2013; rather, it is an overview of noteworthy cases in areas deemed particularly contentious due to the frequency with which they are heard in due process and court proceedings. Therefore, the purpose of the current manuscript is to highlight cases (court decisions, OCR rulings, and state educational agency [SEA] hearings) involving students with disabilities in 2013. Three of the four areas (individual education programs/ procedural safeguards, discipline and behavior management, and autism spectrum disorders [ASDs]) were selected due to their consistently litigious nature, and the area of extracurricular activities was selected due to the recent focus on these activities resulting from a Dear Colleague letter issued by the United States Department of Education, OCR (2013). In closing, the authors offer suggestions to practitioners to ensure providing a free appropriate public education (FAPE) to students with disabilities and prevent costly litigation.

Structural behavioral assessment (SBA) involves a series of heuristic approaches similar to those used with functional behavioral assessment (FBA). It involves assessing contextual variables that precede the occurrence of a behavior. These variables have also been termed antecedents, setting events, or establishing operations. Once these variables have been assessed, contextually based manipulations are developed and implemented, and interventions are developed from the results to reduce or prevent challenging behaviors from occurring. A major advantage of structural assessment is that teachers may find interventions based on the results easy to implement and relevant to the classroom. However, most of the research on SBA has been conducted with younger children with autism spectrum disorders, intellectual disabilities, and those with emotional or behavioral disorders (EBD). Therefore, the purpose of the present study is to extend the research by training a general education teacher to use SBA to develop interventions for secondary students displaying challenging behaviors who are at risk in general education classrooms. An alternating treatments design was used with four at-risk middle school students. Results indicated that a brief SBA can easily be conducted in general education classrooms, and interventions developed from manipulations can not only decrease (a) verbal outbursts (e.g., talking out of turn, arguing, laughing at inappropriate times); (b) inappropriate contact with others (e.g., touching, pushing, hitting, kicking, braiding hair); (c) taking other's belongings; (d) being out of the student's assigned seat without permission; and (e) passing notes but also increase writing and eyes on materials or eyes on the teacher during a language arts class. Implications for practice and future research are described.

Individualized education programs are considered the cornerstone of the Individuals With Disabilities Education Act and serve as the means to determine whether qualified students with disabilities receive a Free Appropriate Public Education. This article aims to examine a recent circuit court ruling regarding the applicability of retrospective testimony to determine the appropriateness of an individualized education program and to discuss implications for practice. The authors first review case law and provide a summary of the court's rationale. They subsequently discuss implications for practice.

Public concern over the general health of children in the United States has risen during recent years due to dramatic decreases in physical activity levels and increases in obesity and other health-related issues. This article examines the participation of students with disabilities in extracurricular activities, particularly athletic activities, in light of recent federal guidance and examination of recent case law. Implications for practice are provided.

Two previous reviews have indicated that self-regulated strategy instruction (SRSD) is an evidence-based practice that can improve the writing skills of students with emotional and behavioral disorders. The purpose of this meta-analysis is to extend the findings and analytic methods of previous reviews by examining published studies regarding SRSD, analyzing the findings of both single-case and group designs using a common effect size metric (Hedges g), and applying methods to address publication bias. In addition, the present meta-analysis examined the difference in treatment effect due to differences in moderating variables. Sixteen of the 20 studies examined met inclusion criteria based on the Council for Exceptional Children's Standards for Evidence-Based Practices in Special Education. Results indicated that SRSD interventions had large effect sizes across three dependent variables (i.e., essay elements, quality, and word count), and treatment effects were significant for study design and race/ethnicity. Type of instruction, intervention agent, and gender did not significantly predict response to SRSD instruction. Also, the results showed limited risk of bias in the tendency of journals to publish only positive findings. Based on these findings, implications for future research and teaching with SRSD are discussed.

On January 25, 2013 the Office of Civil Rights (OCR) in the U.S. Department of Education issued a Dear Colleague letter (DCL) that addressed the obligations of school districts under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act regarding the participation of students with disabilities in extracurricular athletic activities (U.S. Department of Education, 2013, January 25). When the letter was released, reactions from a number of quarters were rapid and opinions varied widely regarding the meaning of the letter. For example, some compared the DCL to Title IX of the Civil Rights Act, which prohibited discrimination based on sex, and the law's subsequent affect on women's sports. On the other hand, some school district personnel and educational officials believed that the DCL represented regulatory overreach and would result in unfunded financial hardships imposed on school districts. The purpose of this article is to examine this important guidance letter from OCR and explain what it means for school districts. Prior to addressing the content of the letter, an explanation of DCLs and how they are important to school district administrators is provided. The article then (1) offers background information on the athletics DCL; (2) discusses a 2010 study by the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) on the participation of students with disabilities in school athletics; and (3) summarizes a statement from Mr. Arnie Duncan, the Secretary of U.S. Secretary of Education. Finally, the article proposes suggestions to administrators to ensure that their school district is in compliance with the procedures outlined in the letter.

Interventions based on the results of functional behavioral assessment (FBA) have been the topic of extensive research and, in certain cases, mandated for students with disabilities under the Individuals With Disabilities Education Act. There exist a wide variety of methods for conducting such assessments, with little consensus in the field. The purpose of this study was to conduct a review and meta-analysis of single-case design studies focusing on interventions based on the assessment of contextual variables (i.e., circumstances that form the setting for the behaviors). Results indicated that although most studies demonstrated positive effects that were corroborated by a variety of effect size measures, few met the majority of evidence-based quality indicators. Implications for future research are provided.

Horrific events such as the fatal shooting of three high school students in Chardon, Ohio, in the winter of 2012 places tremendous pressure on state and local agencies to ensure that schools provide a safe and conducive learning environment for all students. To help curb school violence, schools have adopted zero-tolerance policies, which often call for an "automatic" punishment and treat offenses with uniform severity regardless of intent, circumstances, or student's record. This article addresses the issues associated with zero-tolerance policies by examining relevant legislative mandates and case law and provides recommendations for improved practice.