Students with disabilities (SWDs) depend upon special education teachers (SETs) to provide effective instruction. SETs, in turn, depend upon school leaders to provide conditions necessary to learn and engage in effective instructional practices for students with the most significant learning needs. A promising body of research indicates that…

The effects on child engagement of adult use of systematic, naturalistic instructional strategies within an embedded instruction context were examined. Following baseline observations of two children with disabilities and same-age classmates without disabilities, three different instructional strategies were implemented with each child with a…

The purpose of the present study is to evaluate the use of a reinforcement package with four middle school students who were below grade level in reading. Data were gathered, independently by two observers, for on-task behavior for the number of correct words read for a two-minute timed trial, and for book pre- and posttests. These data were…

This manuscript reports on a preliminary study to examine the effect of teaching problem-solving skills on the task persistence of handicapped preschool children. Ten mildly handicapped children completed a series of lessons in which they were taught to use problem-solving strategies to complete fine motor tasks. Both qualitative and quantitative…

The current exploratory study investigated the effects of a Direct Instruction program implemented with middle school students identified as at-risk for failure in mathematics. Direct Instruction has typically been implemented with students with disabilities in separate special education settings. However, this study examined the extent to which…

Naturalistic observation procedures examined the use of time by 230 elementary students with disabilities in four special education placements--regular class, resource room, special class, and special school. The least restrictive alternatives, particularly the resource room, made more in-class learning time available. (Author/DB)

This study of social grouping versus curricular revision components of cooperative learning involved 2 eighth-grade students with moderate/severe disabilities and 22 peers. Both conditions occasioned high levels of active engagement by students with and without disabilities. The study concluded that benefits from such curricular revision are not…

The literature on effective instruction for difficult-to-teach students is reviewed. Preinstructional variables include classroom management planning and planning for instructional tasks (student assessments, communication of learning goals, pacing decisions, and time allocations). Instructional delivery variables include engagement time, success…

Through a literature review and classroom observations, several variables affecting the quality of education were studied, focusing on processes related to student placement in special education and to instruction after placement. The study found that: (1) A dynamic interaction is needed among the referral, assessment, placement, and instruction…