Proficiency in mathematics involves the seamless synchronization of conceptual understanding, procedural knowledge, computational fluency, and problem solving (NMAP, 2008). Clearly, fluency with mathematics facts is one element embedded within mathematical proficiency and important for students with disabilities to develop. As more and more…

Children with disabilities perform lower in mathematics than their peers without disabilities, and this gap widens from ages 7 to 13 (Wei, Lenz, & Blackorby, 2013). Of even greater concern is that fifth-grade children with mathematics disabilities continue to perform in the bottom quartile of their grade in high school (Shalev, Manor, &…

In this article, the authors illustrate how the practice of number strings--used regularly in a classroom community--can simultaneously support computational fluency and building conceptual understanding. Specifically, the authors will demonstrate how a lesson about multi-digit addition (CCSSM 2NBT.B.5) can simultaneously serve as an invitation to…

Student graduation from high school with a regular high school diploma is an important indicator of school success and one of the most significant indicators of student college and career readiness. In addition, there are substantial economic benefits to high school completion. For example, according to the U.S. Department of Education's National…

This article's focus is on including computing and computational thinking in K-12 instruction within science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education, and to provide that instruction in ways that promote access for students traditionally underrepresented in the STEM fields, such as students with disabilities. Providing computing…

Blind students are bound to make up a very small part of the population most university lecturers will encounter during their careers. Research to date shows that good communication between staff and student improves the chances of a successful outcome for both parties. The research does show, however, that the exercise seems to be one of…

This document provides an overview of the critical role of fiscal data in state Part C systems. This information is intended to help state Part C lead agency staff better understand strategic fiscal policy questions, the fiscal data elements needed to address those questions, and the benefits of using these data. Fiscal data provide powerful…

"Achieving Fluency" presents the understandings that all teachers need to play a role in the education of students who struggle: those with disabilities and those who simply lack essential foundational knowledge. This book serves teachers and supervisors by sharing increasingly intensive instructional interventions for struggling students on…

Within a response to intervention model, educators increasingly use progress monitoring (PM) to support medium- to high-stakes decisions for individual students. For PM to serve these more demanding decisions requires more careful consideration of measurement error. That error should be calculated within a fixed linear regression model rather than…

Childhood disabilities entail a range of immediate and long-term economic costs that have important implications for the well-being of the child, the family, and society but that are difficult to measure. In an extensive research review, Mark Stabile and Sara Allin examine evidence about three kinds of costs--direct, out-of-pocket costs incurred…

Perhaps the greatest value of response to intervention (RTI) as a decision framework is that it brings attention to variables (e.g., mastery of prerequisite skills, frequency of instructional corrective feedback, reinforcement schedules for correct responding) that if changed might make a meaningful difference for students (e.g., child rate of…

This fact sheet highlights the statistics of the current status of high schools in the United States. It provides information on the following variables: (1) demography of high school students; (2) students with disabilities; (3) high school student achievement; (4) the schools; (5) school funding; (6) high school graduation rate; (7) high school…

A math teacher describes an approach to help special education students solve addition and subtraction problems through a system involving finger counting. The systems for subtraction and addition solve the problem faced by students unable to memorize facts and unable to use their fingers when numbers exceeded five. (Illustrations of the approach…

A calculation method using the 10 fingers to perform the four basic operations with whole numbers can be an introductory and supplementary approach to math instruction for handicapped children. Using the finger calculation method to learn arithmetic is supported by J. Piaget's stages of cognitive development. Studies showing the worth of this…

This article reviews briefly some of the research related to the development of automaticity for recall of basic math facts, reports on a research project with six fourth- and fifth-grade students, and gives teaching suggestions for the development of automaticity. (PB)