Theses and Dissertations from UMD

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New submissions to the thesis/dissertation collections are added automatically as they are received from the Graduate School. Currently, the Graduate School deposits all theses and dissertations from a given semester after the official graduation date. This means that there may be up to a 4 month delay in the appearance of a give thesis/dissertation in DRUM

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A Case Study Description of the Impact of Check & Connect with Students Returning from Alternative Educational Placements
(2010) Bartolotta, Robert Joseph; Leone, Peter E; Special Education; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)
In this case study, the impact of Check & Connect on the first semester reintegration experiences of a cohort of high school students who had returned from a disciplinary alternative educational placement was examined. Archival data, surveys, and interviews were used to compare the students' experiences, academic and behavioral performance, and attendance, to a cohort of control students who returned to schools lacking the intervention and a group of students who remained at the alternative placement. Interviews were also conducted with the intervention implementers (monitors), a sample of the intervention participants' teachers, and the administrators who oversaw the intervention. These interviews allowed for a more thorough examination of the experiences, opinions, and perceptions of Check & Connect's value to the educational experience. Quantitative data collected showed that while both groups of students who left the alternative school experienced declines in their academic performance, the decline was greatest among students with longer established academic and behavioral difficulties. Students with IEPs or 504 Plans had a higher average decline than their nondisabled peers. Improvements in the number of absences and behavioral referrals were seen with the majority of the intervention students. Results among the control students were mixed. Interviews indicated that the intervention participants experienced a stronger connection to their school that was frequently attributed to the use of Check & Connect. Many felt that the intervention, particularly their relationships with the monitors, had provided them opportunities to succeed that they might not have had otherwise. Control students, and students who remained at the alternative program, expressed an interest in developing a similar connection with an adult in their schools. School staff interviewed believed that the benefits of Check & Connect may not be immediately evident in the quantitative data, but that the relationships made between the students and monitors were potentially beneficial. Teachers found the additional information provided helpful and frequently requested greater sharing of resources. Administrators believed that the positive adult relationships formed between the monitor and students reduced the likelihood of eventual school dropout.
EXPLORING THE POTENTIAL OF ART-BASED EDUCATION FOR ADOLESCENTS WITH LEARNING DISABILITIES: A CASE STUDY OF ENGAGEMENT IN LEARNING THROUGH THE ARTS
(2010) Abedin, Golnar; Spreen, Carol Anne; Weible, Thomas; Education Policy, and Leadership; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)
The purpose of this study was to explore the benefits of arts-based education for adolescents with learning disabilities (LD) placed in an inclusion program. The goal was to examine the potential of arts education as an inclusive curricular component that enhances students' engagement in learning. The study is framed within the education policy context in which many LD adolescents are at risk of dropping out of school due to the large gap between their basic skills and the expectations of standards-based curriculum. A quality arts program at a public charter school was chosen as the site for this case study that involved investigating seven LD adolescents' engagement in their music and drama classes during an eight-week curriculum unit through qualitative research methods. Based on the application of the social-constructivist theoretical framework, students' individual learning profiles, as well as environmental aspects of learning in the arts such as teachers' pedagogical styles and the classroom context informed the findings of this study. Students' narrative accounts regarding their learning experiences in arts education classrooms served as the primary source of information for the themes in the findings. Interviews with parents, teachers, and the school director were used to gain a comprehensive understanding of students' strengths and weaknesses in learning and to gain insights into the place of the arts in their overall educational opportunities. Qualitative methods of analysis were used to derive three over-arching themes based on students' experiences learning in the arts. The themes included 1.) "It feels like you open up to yourself," (The Importance of Nonverbal, Embodied Engagement in Learning); 2.) "You get to create what's your own;" "it has some thought part of it centered near you," (Student Ownership of the Learning Process); 3.) "In arts there is no wrong answer;" "it's a safer social environment," (Social and Environmental Context of Learning). These themes showed the importance of successful learning experiences for adolescents with LD within a diverse school curriculum that offers them multiple modes of engagement and expression. Participation in arts education classes enhanced LD students' self-efficacy beliefs and motivation, providing them with inclusive and meaningful educational opportunities.
IDEA Part C referrals, determination of eligibility, and services recommended for infants and toddlers affected by illegal substances: A policy implementation study
(2010) Williams, Asha-Lateef; McLaughlin, Margaret J.; Special Education; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)
The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) Part C requires early intervention programs to develop procedures for ensuring the referral of infants and toddlers who are affected by illegal substance abuse to Part C services. There are no approved regulations for implementing Part C under IDEA 2004. This study utilized the Part C Online Database for a Mid-Atlantic state to describe the data from a large urban jurisdiction during the period of 2003-2009 that pertains to infants and toddlers affected by illegal substance abuse. The following research questions guided the investigation: What were the reasons, counts, and trends over time for referrals to the local ITP for infants and toddlers who were documented to be exposed to and/or affected by illegal substance abuse? What were the reasons, counts, and trends over time for determination of eligibility for Part C services for infants and toddlers who were documented to be exposed to and/or affected by illegal substance abuse? What were the reasons, counts, and trends over time for services recommended for infants and toddlers who were documented to be exposed to and/or affected by illegal substance abuse? Analyses included examination of frequencies, percentages, chi squares with phi adjustment for associations, and trends. Results indicate that though the total number of referred infants and toddlers steadily increased from 1,426 in 03-04 to 1,833 in 08-09, referrals for infants and toddlers referred to Part C for reasons related to substance abuse peaked in 04-05 (13.95%), then steadily declined to a low of 2.73% of total referrals in 08-09. Reasons for referral related to substance abuse were significantly associated with referrals due to delayed and atypical development in communication and motor skills. Over 60% of infants and toddlers who were referred for reasons related to substance abuse had services listed on their IFSPs, as did over 96% of infants and toddlers who were determined eligible due to the high probability condition effects of intrauterine drug exposure. For infants and toddlers who were referred for reasons related to substance abuse, significantly associated services included special instruction, occupational therapy, speech/language therapy, and family counseling/training.
A grounded theory of deaf middle school students' revision of their own writing
(2010) Yuknis, Christina; Hultgren, Francine; Education Policy, and Leadership; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)
This study used a grounded theory methodology to examine the experiences of deaf middle school students attending a program for deaf children in a public school to answer the following question: How do deaf children in middle school construct meaningful texts? The students were in one of two self-contained classes taught by a teacher of the deaf. The eight students and two teachers were each interviewed at least once. Classroom observations of the students engaged in writing an essay were conducted, and writing samples from each student were provided by the teachers. All of the data were analyzed, and a grounded theory that describes the experiences of the deaf students emerged. The theory consists of one core category and four key categories, which encompass three parts of writing: Knowing, Experiencing, and Doing. The core category, which captures the essence of what revision is to the students, is Living in Language and is the sole category in Knowing. Three key categories fall under the Experiencing heading: Interacting with the Text, Interacting with Instruction, and Interacting with Self as Reviser. The final key category is the sole category in Doing: Fixing Wrongs. This research contributes to the literature by illustrating how deaf students who are in one middle school understand, experience, and approach revision tasks. A significant understanding is that the students in this study are not given many opportunities to construct meaningful texts independently in their classes. Despite the lack of control over their own texts, the students have developed strategies to successfully “play the game” of writing in school. In addition, recommendations for future research and ways to improve instruction are offered. The greatest implication for instruction is that teachers need to step back and consider how instruction impacts the students. Students especially need to be empowered to control their own writing and develop metacognition of their own work. Future research can be done to test the theory using a broader scope of participants in other settings. It could also examine the writing process from the teachers’ perspectives to provide information about what informs their instruction of writing and revising.
An Investigation of the Characteristics and School Readiness of Children with Disabilities who Attend Head Start Programs
(2010) Smith, Amy Falk; 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 school readiness of children with disabilities who attend Head Start programs, as well as the characteristics of the programs they attend and the school districts in which they receive special education. In addition, a second purpose was to determine whether there are differences in these characteristics of children who attend Head Start programs and those who attend other early childhood education programs. I used data from the Pre-Elementary Education Longitudinal Study, a study of a nationally representative sample of preschool children with disabilities. I used a subsample of the data to compare the characteristics and school readiness of children with disabilities who attended Head Start to those who attended other early childhood education programs using chi-squares, analysis of variance, and ordinary least squares regression analyses. The results suggest that there is no difference in the school readiness of children with disabilities who attended Head Start and those who attend programs in elementary schools. However, in comparison to children who attended other programs, children with developmental delays who attended Head Start had more advanced receptive language skills and those with other disabilities had less advanced pre-reading skills. Additionally, the results of this study show that there is some variation in the characteristics of children with disabilities who attend Head Start and those who attend other programs. Children who attended Head Start were more likely to be Black or Hispanic and from low socioeconomic families. They were also less likely to have disabilities other than speech impairments or developmental delays and, on average, received fewer special education services. Finally, children who attended Head Start were more likely to be from rural school districts and districts with higher rates of poverty. These findings indicate that children with disabilities who attend Head Start programs face additional risk factors that are associated with poor school readiness and emphasize the need to ensure that the programs provide services that are adequate to meet the needs of the diverse population they serve and to prepare those children for the onset of formal schooling.
The Maternal Role in Promoting Emotional Competence: Predicting Head Start Mothers' Expressiveness, Perceived Role, and Receptivity to Support
(2010) Edwards, Nicole Megan; Lieber, Joan A.; Special Education; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)
Guided by Bioecological Systems Theory and Schema Theory, I investigated mothers' perceptions regarding the emotional development of their preschool children. Researchers acknowledge mothers' contributing role in influencing children's behavioral displays of emotion, but there is a dearth in the literature on mothers' emotion-related behaviors, beliefs, and needs. In my quantitative study, I collected self-report data from a mid-Atlantic, low-income, urban sample of Head Start mothers (n = 114) and assessed which child, mother, and/or community-based factors may predict the probability of mothers being high in negative expressiveness, low in positive expressiveness, not strongly supportive of the literature in their perceived role in emotional development, and not highly receptive to parent-focused support. I pretested my devised Perceived Role and Receptivity to Support measure and conducted interviewer-administered interviews (using my devised measure, the Parenting Stress Scale, the Early Childhood Behavior Problem Screening Scale, and the Self-Expressiveness in the Family Questionnaire). Results supported only a few instances of group uniformity, with mostly group variability in Head Start mothers' emotion-related behaviors, beliefs and needs. Further, logistic regression analyses suggested: (1) mothers are likely to be high in negative expressiveness when raising a preschooler with a combination of internalizing and externalizing behaviors, high in parenting stress, and obtaining at least an Associate's degree; (2) mothers are predicted to be less positive in expressiveness when raising a preschooler with a delay, not having had any child in the family receive specialized services, raising only one child, dropping out of high school, and not having received advice from Head Start staff; (3) mothers are predicted to be less supportive of the purported role of mothers in the literature when raising only one child and not having received behavior advice from Head Start staff; (4) mothers are predicted to be lower in receptiveness to parent-focused support when raising a preschooler with no perceived behavior concerns, anticipating maladaptive behaviors to improve with age, raising only one child, dropping out of high school, and having had fewer outreach efforts in the past. I discuss implications for research and practice, including how results may inform early screening and parenting intervention initiatives.
State Efforts to Collect Child Outcomes Data for the Part B-619 and Part C Programs Under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act
(2010) Gupta, Sarika Sarpatwari; Lieber, Joan; McLaughlin, Margaret; Special Education; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)
The Part B-619 and Part C Programs under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) provide preschool special education and early intervention services, respectively, to children with disabilities birth through age 5. Recent requirements in IDEA require states to monitor the implementation of these programs through a series of indicators, one of which focuses on the outcomes that infants, toddlers, and preschoolers make as a result of program participation. Known commonly as child outcomes, these data will be used to evaluate the effectiveness of the Part B-619 and Part C programs. The purpose of this investigation was to determine how Part B-619 and Part C programs are collecting high-quality child outcomes data, what barriers these programs are facing in this collection, and how programs are addressing these barriers. Telephone interviews were used to gather descriptive information from a national sample of Part B-619 and Part C coordinators. The clarity and scope of the interview was improved through Dillman's (2000) pretest procedures. The final interview consisted of open-ended questions and was standardized to elicit consistent information from each respondent (Patton, 1990). The results of the study showed that state Part B-619 and Part C programs used similar methods to support the accurate and reliable collection of child outcomes data. Most frequently noted methods included training, a statewide measurement approach, and data review. Despite these methods, 18 types of barriers emerged from collection efforts. Barriers primarily pertained to data quality and the transmission of child outcomes data from local programs to the state. States chose to address barriers through the methods used to support high-quality collection efforts, most notably training and the use of communication and collaboration. Findings suggest that states have established a structure to coordinate the collection of child outcomes data statewide. These efforts focused primarily on improving the quality of these data. Barriers related to the quality of the data emerged despite these efforts, which further indicate the need for ongoing support to sustain high-quality collection efforts. These findings emphasize the importance of training and continuous monitoring to ensure the quality of child outcomes data in statewide collection efforts.
Asian Parents' Perceptions of Child Disability and School Contact for Services
(2010) Kim, Nayoung; Gottfredson, Gary D.; Counseling and Personnel Services; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)
This study examined Asian parents' perceptions of children's disability and factors influencing their utilization of school services. Using the parent questionnaires from a large national sample of high school sophomores (the ELS:2002 data), survey results from Asian American (n=810) and European American parents (n=7710) were analyzed to examine cultural differences between the two ethnic groups as well as between immigrant vs. non-immigrant Asians. This study also assessed the extent to which parental characteristics (Belief About Learning, Recency of Immigration, English Proficiency, Socio-Economic Status, and whether they indicate their child is disabled) predict contacting the school for services. Results indicated that Asians were less likely than Europeans to believe that their child has a disability and also were less likely to contact the school for help. Nevertheless, immigrant parents sought help when they perceived that their child had a disability. Neither immigrant parent's length of stay in the U.S. nor English proficiency predicted the school contact behaviors. Implications for introducing school-based services and outreach for Asian American parents are suggested, particularly for recent immigrants.
Spiritual Community Experiences of Families of Children with Disabilities
(2009) O'Hanlon, Elizabeth Ellen; Beckman, Paula J; Special Education; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)
This mixed methods investigation examined experiences of families of children with disabilities in their spiritual communities. Using the Spiritual Community Experiences Inventory, fifty-eight parents rated importance of and satisfaction with clergy, various religious activities, and support received from clergy and spiritual community members. Families reported that participation in religious activities and support from clergy and members were important. Moreover, families were highly satisfied with these activities and support. As predicted, a significant relationship was found between frequency of attendance, amount of support, and satisfaction with activities and support. Only in the case of formal ceremonies was frequency/satisfaction relationship not significant. Parents described a variety of factors that influenced their level of satisfaction with spiritual community experiences. Families reported that participation was influenced by: (1) amount and quality of social interactions with other children and adults, (2) level of knowledge, training and understanding of staff and volunteers, (3) level and appropriateness of accommodations provided, and (4) degree to which their child's disability interfered with participation. Additionally, parents reported that their experiences were affected by availability of emotional and practical support targeted to their unique needs, existence of social support networks, level of acceptance and knowledge of community members and clergy about disability, and the value the religious community places on parental knowledge of disability. Parents did elaborate on negative experiences and lack of support, which led to their non-participation and in some instances to switching communities. Further testing and refining of the instrument is required to strengthen its reliability and validity, clarify ambiguities, and identify factors families believe are important to participation. Additionally, leaders of spiritual communities must identify needs of families of children with disabilities. By tapping families as "experts" and networking with other religious communities, disability groups, and agencies, they can better meet these families' needs.
Treatment Effectiveness in Preschool Education- A Look at Affective Variables
(2009) Tsakiris, Elizabeth Ann; Strein, William O; Counseling and Personnel Services; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)
Autism now occurs in 1 out of 150 births in the United States (Centers for Disease Control, 2008). Increasing numbers and complexity of the disorder make the need for identifying effective interventions critical. DSM-IVTR identifies core characteristics of autism as significant deficits in communication, social interaction, and symbolic play. Neither intellectual ability nor academic achievement, two variables frequently used for measuring intervention effectiveness, are included as diagnostic criteria. Yet IQ scores are often used as entry criteria for treatment studies (Tsakiris, 2000). Therefore, intervention effectiveness has utilized variables other than the primary deficits and cannot be applied to the wider range (and truer representation) of children with autism.. From 1980 to 1999, Applied Behavior Analysis (Lovaas, 1987) and the Developmental-Individual Differences Relationship model (Greenspan & Wieder, 1998) were associated with improvement for children with autism; they remain the foundation for most current interventions. While researchers have examined gains in language and academic skills for these models, few empirical studies have examined improvement in the core deficits for autism. This study examined the core affect variables for 28 children with autism who had undergone a minimum of two years of intensive intervention. This study used a retrospective descriptive design to examine treatment effectiveness in development of social interaction, play, and communication competencies. Assessment instruments measured these skills in young children, incorporating both quantitative behavioral data and qualitative psychodynamic interpretation. Results were analyzed to determine relationships between social interaction, communication, and play with the intervention. Parent interviews and record reviews were used to examine child characteristics that might differentiate the presence or lack of relationship to the selected therapies, including age at symptom onset and treatment initiation, self-stimulation levels, echolalia, motor planning and language skills, and biomedical factors. No differences were seen between treatment programs on all outcome measures. The individual characteristics of the children played the more significant role in determining social interaction and communication improvements regardless of the child's intellectual functioning level. The results have important implications for determining which treatments may have better potential for addressing the core deficits of autism and identifying skill trajectories that warrant more attention.

Theses and Dissertations from UMD

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