Counseling, Higher Education & Special Education Theses and Dissertations

Permanent URI for this collectionhttp://hdl.handle.net/1903/2757

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    READING COMPREHENSION STRATEGY INSTRUCTION IN UPPER-ELEMENTARY CLASSROOMS WITH ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNERS: A STUDY OF PRACTICES AND OUTCOMES
    (2015) Doyle, Candice Briece; Silverman, Rebecca D; Special Education; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)
    The goal of this study was to investigate the relationship between reading comprehension strategy instruction (explicit or skills-based) in general education settings and third through fifth grade students' reading comprehension outcomes. In addition, I was interested in whether relationships between instruction and outcomes differed for students from English only (EO) and English language learner (ELL) backgrounds. To address these goals I conducted a secondary data analysis of 59 Reading/Language Arts classroom observation transcripts. These represented observations of 19 teachers at three time points (fall, winter, spring). I analyzed transcripts by employing an iterative coding process including open, axial, and selective coding (Strauss & Corbin, 1990). I coded teacher talk at the utterance (Crookes, 1990) level for either explicit instruction (instruction that included all of the following: introduction, modeling, collaborative practice, guided practice, independent practice) or skills-based practice (teacher practice in which students were asked to apply a comprehension strategy absent of instruction of how to do so). In addition I coded for separate parts of the explicit instruction model (introduction, modeling, collaborative practice, guided practice, independent practice). Then, I quantitized (Tashakori & Tedlie, 1998) the instructional code data into average frequency counts across observations in order to conduct multiple regression analyses with student reading comprehension outcome measures. I found no statistically significant results related to the explicit instruction model (as a whole), or skills-based practice and students' outcomes. However, when analyzing separate parts of explicit instruction, results suggested that more guided practice was associated with higher scores on one outcome measure. In exploring interactions between language background and instructional codes, I found no differences in relationships between instructional codes and reading comprehension for EOs versus ELLs.
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    The Effects of Prompt Condition and Genre on the Writing Performance of Students in 3rd and 5th Grade
    (2014) Worland Piantedosi, Kelly; De La Paz, Susan; Special Education; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)
    Research on writing at the elementary level has shown that prior knowledge and task environment can have a significant effect on writing performance. In addition, there is preliminary evidence that suggests that children's development in writing may vary by genre favoring the narrative over expository genres (e.g., Olinghouse & Wilson, 2011; and Camp, 1993). One way to mitigate the effects of prior knowledge on topic and genre is through varying prompting conditions. The new Common Core writing assessment context requires students to write in response to texts read. To date, however, there are no studies that simultaneously examine the effects of genre and prompt condition in the elementary grades. This study examines the effect of two prompting conditions (supported and unsupported) on students' writing performance in multiple genres (narrative, persuasive and informational report) in order to assess the potential impact of the read aloud accommodation on these new types of writing assessments along with the effect of genre simultaneously. Findings show that at the 3rd grade level, students write best in the informational report genre over the narrative and persuasive genre, and that the read aloud accommodation positively affects writing quality. At the 5th grade level, the read aloud accommodation does not have a significant effect on writing quality. Based on the findings above, there are a number of implications for current testing policy and instruction. First, features of the prompt condition such as providing a common text, and audience and genre cues resulted in higher style, organization, conventions and mechanic scores for the informational report genre in the younger grades. This contradicts earlier findings that suggest at the elementary level, the narrative genre is more accessible. Accordingly, an effort should be made by test-makers and educators to provide students with these beneficial supports when designing tests and assignments particularly for expository genres. Second, given the observed benefit of the read aloud accommodation for students in the younger grades, test makers should consider designing tests that vary the degree of supports students are provided on the read and write response tasks as they progress through the grade levels.
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    CHARACTERISTICS, PREDICTORS, AND GROWTH TRAJECTORIES OF CHILDREN WHO EXIT SPECIAL EDUCATION AND THEIR GENERAL AND SPECIAL EDUCATION PEERS
    (2013) Dragoo, Kyrie Elizabeth; McLaughlin, Margaret J; Special Education; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)
    The purpose of this study was to examine the characteristics and predictive factors for children receiving special education services, and if they received special education services, factors associated with them discontinuing those services before eighth grade. In addition, a second purpose was to determine whether there are differences in the reading and mathematics growth trajectories of children who exit special education, children who remain in special education, and children who attend general education classes and how those growth trajectories vary by characteristics such as race and gender. I used data from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study - Kindergarten Cohort (ECLS-K), a study of a nationally representative sample of children attending kindergarten during the 1998 school year and followed through eighth grade. I used a subsample of the data to compare the characteristics and predictive factors of children receiving special education services or exiting from special education using chi-squares, t-tests, and logistic regression analyses. Using hierarchical linear modeling, I analyzed data on the academic growth trajectories of children who exited special education, remained in special education or never received special education. The results of my study indicate that large number of children exit special education between kindergarten and eighth grade and the children who exit special education differ from their general and special education peers both in their characteristics and their academic growth rates in reading and mathematics. Finally, I discuss the implications of these findings for policy and future research.
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    Longitudinal Analyses of Achievement Growth and Associated Kindergarten Factors for Subgroups of Children with Mathematics and Reading Difficulties
    (2013) Cho, Ming-yi; McLaughlin, Margaret J.; Special Education; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)
    The present study used data from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study - Kindergarten Class of 1998-1999 (ECLS-K) to explore the performance profiles of children with difficulties in mathematics. Two issues were particularly addressed in the present study- the longitudinal manifestation of math difficulties and the differential influence of early predictors on math growth rates and fifth-grade achievement for children with different subtypes of MD. The first issue was investigated by considering the stability and patterns of subgroup change for children with MD, MD-RD, RD, and TA, as well as by examining the math and reading achievement trajectories of children in different achievement subgroups. The second issue was explored by investigating how the identified kindergarten predictors influence progress in learning math and whether the effects of these kindergarten predictors vary among children in different achievement subgroups. Two main findings emerged: (a) children with MD-RD differed from children with MD and children in the comparison groups in the patterns of subtype change over time, math and reading IRT scale scores, and math and reading achievement trajectories; and (b) children's demographic characteristics, learning-related skills, math and reading performance at kindergarten entry, class size, and instructional time were all significantly predictive of their later math achievement and progress. Among the identified kindergarten predictors, only the effects of socioeconomic status and initial math knowledge vary across children in different kindergarten achievement subgroups. Despite some study limitations, the results of the present study add to the knowledge of academic development for children with difficulties in mathematics and have implications on early identification and intervention for this population.
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    AN INVESTIGATION OF THE EFFECTS OF READ 180® ON FOURTH GRADE READING ACHIEVEMENT AND HOW SELECTED TEACHERS IMPLEMENT THE PROGRAM
    (2011) Hubbard, Anne Judith; McLaughlin, Margaret J.; Special Education; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)
    This study examined the effects of the READ 180®® program on the reading achievement levels of fourth grade students who participated in the READ 180®® program (Scholastic Incorporated, 2005) compared to fourth grade students who were reading below grade level but who were not participating in the READ 180®® program. The study compared the Scholastic Reading Inventory (SRI) scores of each group administered in September 2009 and May or June 2010. The mean reading achievement gain for each group was compared to determine if there was a significant difference between the reading scores. Results of the One-Way ANCOVA yielded no significant statistical differences, at the probability level (p level) of .05, in the posttest SRI reading score means for students in READ 180®® and non-READ 180®® reading programs, after controlling for initial differences on the pretest SRI scores. However, if the probability was set for p=< .10, the results of the study would demonstrate a statistically significant difference between the posttest SRI scores. Although there was evidence READ 180®® was statistically significant and beneficial to students, the results are not conclusive. The results of the Two-Way ANCOVA showed no significance of interaction between reading program status and TerraNova Third EditionTM qualification criteria on posttest reading scores. The study also investigated whether teachers supplemented the standard READ 180®® program with other reading interventions, activities, and modifications based upon the needs of the students. Teachers who taught READ 180®® and special education teachers who assisted with READ 180®® implementation were surveyed using a web-based survey program. Survey results indicated teachers supplemented the standard READ 180®® program including Whole Group, Small Group, and Independent Reading Group rotations with reading interventions, activities, and modifications based upon the needs of the students. Supplementary activities included the use of Internet resources, reading materials, Smartboard activities, and alternate methods for evaluating student progress. The use of other commercially available materials and activities for written language instruction were included to expand the READ 180®® curriculum. Modifications and interventions were rarely made to READ 180®® Software instructional sessions, with the exception of keyboarding devices and headsets.
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    The Effects of School-Based Social Skills Programming on Academic Instruction Time and Student Achievement
    (2009) Nese, Joseph F.; Gottfredson, Gary D; Counseling and Personnel Services; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)
    The purposes of this study are to examine: (a) the effects of a well-implemented, school-based, universal social skills intervention on time-spent in formal social skills instruction and academic instruction time in the classroom; and (b) the effects of time-spent in formal social skills instruction on student achievement. Twelve elementary schools were matched and one school of each pair was randomly assigned to the treatment. The sample included 1,724 students in 113 third, fourth, and fifth grade classrooms with low rates of social-behavioral problems. Multilevel data analyses (HLM) methods were used to investigate the school-based treatment effect of social skills programming on academic instruction time as well as the classroom-level effect of social skills instruction on student achievement. Results indicated that treatment students received significantly more formal instruction in social skills, and that the frequency of formal social skills instruction had a very small, negative effect on students' report card grades and standardized test scores when lessons were 30 minutes or less in duration. The effects were not consistent and were so small as to have little theoretical or practical significance. Research and policy implications are discussed.