Implementing evidence-based practices (EBPs) for children with autism is challenging for teachers because these practices are often complex, requiring significant training and resources that are not available in most school settings. This brief investigation was designed to identify areas of strength and difficulty for teachers implementing one…

The purpose of this quasi-experimental non-equivalent control group study was to test theories of constructivism and motivation, along with research-based teaching practices of differentiating instruction and instructing within a child's Zone of Proximal Development, in measuring the effect of computer-aided instruction on fifth grade students'…

Learn how to increase rigor so that all students can reach higher levels of learning! With this new edition of a teacher-tested best seller, you get practical ideas for increasing text complexity, providing scaffolding during reading instruction, creating open-ended projects, and much more. The enhanced second edition provides important…

This dissertation describes the development of a state-of-the-art immersive media environment and its potential to motivate high school youth with autism to vocally express themselves. Due to the limited availability of media environments in public education settings, studies on the use of such systems in special education contexts are rare. A…

Teachers and their students increasingly come from different cultural backgrounds (Black, 2006). Aronson (2004) noted that 86% of the teaching populations in public schools were Caucasian and female and failing to connect with students was often cited in schools where the student populations were predominantly African American. Howard (2006)…

Establishing reliable indicators of the current state of school crime and safety across the nation and regularly updating and monitoring these indicators is important in ensuring the safety of our nation's students. This is the aim of "Indicators of School Crime and Safety." This report is the fifteenth in a series of annual publications…

Providing a meaningful and experiential learning environment for all students has long created a concern for alternate ways to teach students who are reportedly demonstrating non-mastery on state standardized assessments. As the benchmark for showing successful academic achievement increases, so does the need for discovering effective ways for…

This study examines the cultivation of intentionality and integration in a foundation level General Education class: Communities and Societies. Three research tasks were set within the context of a grounded theoretical approach: codification of indicators for both intentionality and integration, and an examination of student learning logs.…

Teaching mathematics through Open Distance Learning (ODL) has been a challenge to educators due to the nature of communication with learners and material delivery during instruction. In this paper, as a case study, we look at one mathematics module offered through ODL and the performance in the course for the past four years. A sample of 50…

Educational leaders have a substantial degree of control over students and generally have a tremendous influence on the decisions that they make. District administrators are already involved in comprehensive efforts to stem sexual harassment, teen violence and bullying; therefore, they may be well positioned to identify and address the problem of…

Science education scholars emphasize the significance of an integrative, interdisciplinary STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) education that encourages students to learn about the natural world through exploration, inquiry, and problem-solving experiences. This article reports on a professional development program aimed at…

Women are underrepresented in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) areas in university settings; however this may be the result of attitude rather than aptitude. There is widespread agreement that quantitative problem-solving is essential for graduate competence and preparedness in science and other STEM subjects. The research…

This article reviews 43 U.S. studies assessing adaptive and challenging behavior outcomes associated with people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) who moved from institutions to community residential settings. These studies were published between 1977 and 2010. Longitudinal and comparison group studies were selected based on a…

Information literacy--the ability "to recognize when information is needed and have the ability to locate, evaluate, and use effectively the needed information" (American Library Association [ALA], 1989, para. 3)--has been widely and increasingly cited as an essential competency for college success, for the workplace, and for life…

Response to Intervention (RTI) is an initiative first outlined by the federal government in the No Child Left Behind Act (2001) and the Individuals with Disabilities Improvement Act (2004). The purpose of the model is twofold: to address the needs of struggling students with research-based interventions and regular progress monitoring and to…