Counseling, Higher Education & Special Education
Permanent URI for this communityhttp://hdl.handle.net/1903/2226
The departments within the College of Education were reorganized and renamed as of July 1, 2011. This department incorporates the former departments of Counseling & Personnel Services; Education Leadership, Higher Education & International Education (excluding Organizational Leadership & Policy Studies); and Special Education.
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Item An Investigation of Early Literacy Outcomes by Socio-Economic Status and Race/Ethnicity(2010) Worthington, Kelly Lane; 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 early literacy outcomes of children prior to school entry and describe the magnitude of outcome and experiential differences by socio-economic status (SES) and racial/ethnic groups. In addition, I examined the extent to which SES, race/ethnicity, child, home, and early care/education factors and experiences explained early literacy outcomes. My study was an extension of research conducted by Lee and Burkam (2002) about early literacy outcomes at kindergarten entry. I used the full sample data from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, Birth Cohort (ECLS-B), a study of a nationally representative sample of children in the United States. The results of this study show large gaps in the 48-month early literacy scores when examined by SES and a wide variation in child experiences prior to school entry. The findings suggest a need for specific and targeted consideration of group outcomes when revising, creating, and funding federal early childhood policies that are designed to improve group early literacy outcomes prior to school entry.Item 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.Item 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.Item 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.Item The Experiences and Needs of Parents Whose Children Died Due to Degenerative Disabilities: A Qualitative Analysis(2008-04-16) Stepanek, Jennifer Smith; Beckman, Paula J; Special Education; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)Remarkable advancements in life-saving technology have led to prolonged survival rates for premature infants and young children who have experienced trauma, illnesses, or medical disabilities. However, this progress has also led to a concurrent increase in long-term morbidity, including chronic and degenerative health conditions that result in early death. Early interventionists, special educators, and other multidisciplinary professionals are subsequently working with a growing number of families who are facing the potential deaths of their children due to life-threatening disabilities. To support parents facing such loss, an understanding of their life experiences and support needs is essential. However, most research related to supporting grieving parents is based on samples drawn from self-help bereavement support groups which typically consist of parents whose children died as a result of catastrophic illnesses or trauma. Little is known about supporting parents whose children are diagnosed with life-threatening or degenerative disabilities. This qualitative inquiry explored the experiences and needs of 7 bereaved parents whose children died between the ages of 3 and 21 due to a degenerative neuromuscular disease. Four professionals also participated for triangulation in this national study. Narrative analysis was used to search for themes in the stories shared by participants. The themes that emerged for parent experiences include: abundant stress from dissonance, exhaustion, chronic changes, unanticipated shock, and profound grief; ongoing struggles for validation; and, the positive impact of formal and informal supports. The themes that emerged for parent needs include: hope, information, useful resources, helpful networks, healthy partnerships, choices, and validation. Finally, the themes that emerged for preferred supports during loss and bereavement include: professionals' awareness of and attention to parent experiences and needs throughout the child's lifespan; ongoing connections with providers and activities that were a part of the child's life; and, support options beyond traditional bereavement groups. The results are discussed with reference to previous and emerging theory and research in parental bereavement. Practical implications and future research are also discussed.Item CASE STUDY OF A CARIBBEAN FAMILY'S PERCEPTIONS OF CULTURALLY APPROPRIATE AND FAMILY CENTERED SERVICE PROVISION(2007-01-08) Joseph, Lenisa Nicole; Cooper, David; Special Education; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)This case study explores a Caribbean family's perceptions of the cultural appropriateness and the family-centeredness of services they received from their service providers. Families' cultural beliefs and the mandates of early intervention services under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act are sometimes very different. Researchers have done well to highlight issues of importance to many cultural groups; however, there is as yet no record of Caribbean families' experience. This qualitative study collected data over a two-month period through interviews, observations and document analysis. The constant comparative method was used to analyze the data, resulting in the themes used to describe the phenomenon. The number of years this family lived in the US seems to have resulted in acculturation to the point where their experiences were similar to that of an American family. They perceived the services they received to be family centered.Item Perceived Social Support in the Classroom(2005-05-01) Lanier, Sonya Teresa; Teglasi, Hedwig; Counseling and Personnel Services; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)Second and third grade children's perceptions of available classroom peer social support and peer acceptance were investigated using sociometric nomination and rating procedures. Nomination items included giving, receiving, seeking, and friendship support. Reciprocal nominations were investigated by exploring matches between nominator and nominee for friendship or support, and expected reciprocity was investigated in terms of consistency of children's nominations across items. The relationship between peer acceptance, expected reciprocity, and reciprocity in social support were also examined. Results revealed that boys and girls rated their own gender higher in peer acceptance, and girl's ratings of girls increased across the school year. No gender differences were found in expectations for support or in reciprocal nominations for support. For all, the number of reciprocal nominations for support increased across the school year. Peer acceptance was related more to reciprocal nominations for support as opposed to expectations for support. Directions for future research are discussed.Item Gender Differences in Preschool Children's Activity Level as Measured by Parent and Teacher Report(2004-08-04) Denny, Michelle Lisa; Teglasi, Hedwig; Counseling and Personnel Services; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)Gender differences in preschool children's activity level were investigated using archival data, consisting of temperament questionnaires and an open-ended interview. Parents of 63 preschool students ranging in age from 3 to 6 years completed the Temperament Assessment Battery for Children (TABC; Martin, 1988), the Colorado Childhood Temperament Inventory (Rowe & Plomin, 1977), and the Children's Behavior Questionnaire (Rothbart, Ahadi, Hershey, 1994). Teachers completed the TABC. The Structured Temperament Interview (Teglasi, 1994) was administered to both teachers and parents. Results support conceptualization of activity level as comprised of two factors: motoric movement and modulation. Mean gender differences were due to differences in frequency of boys and girls at the extremes of activity level continua. Qualitative analyses indicate parents and teachers conceptualize activity level similarly for both genders, and that low modulation of activity level is maladaptive in preschool children. Implications for the measurement of activity level and intervention development are discussed.