The purpose of this study was to determine how placement, professional development, and the years of experience of special education teachers impacted the standardized test scores of special education students. This was done by comparing the type of placement of students, mainstream (80+% of the day), co-teaching, separate classroom (100%) and…

This dissertation examines the school factors which support and limit efficacy in rural special education resource room teachers. To explore these factors, a qualitative case study involving interviews, observations, and data analysis was conducted during the spring of 2010. Data collection included interviews and observations of the teachers,…

Discussed are the major areas that must be considered as part of the total development of a resource room program for learning disabled middle school students. (SBH)

Third through sixth graders (n=4,514) scoring at or above the 95th percentile on standardized achievement tests reported on their educational experiences. Although 40% of students were in pull-out programs, 37% were not receiving any special programming. Gender, grade level, and type of school (public vs. private/parochial) explained little of the…

The sourcebook provides descriptions of 16 exemplary middle school/junior high school resource room programs in Massachusetts. Programs in the following schools are covered: Walsh Middle School (Framingham), Wilson Junior High School (Natick), Oxford Middle School (Oxford), North Junior High School (Pittsfield), Sutton Middle School (Sutton),…

A study of 17 middle school students with learning disabilities examined their perceptions of their experiences with an inclusive delivery system organized around a team of teachers and students. Results found that most students preferred this delivery system to the pull-out program in which they had been involved the previous year. (CR)

Sixty-eight teachers were randomly assigned to one of four experimental conditions involving written information descriptions (positive and negative) and videotaped behavior (withdrawn and acting out). Findings suggest that a behaviorally disordered child should be seen as a student with specific problems within the normal range of behavior.…

This column offers two articles: one on problems in identifying students who are gifted and learning disabled and recommendations for working with this population; a second article describes a resource program for students in grades six through eight who are gifted and learning disabled, involving collaboration through weekly team meetings. (SW)

Providing additional academic challenges to gifted middle schoolers can be demanding, considering their involvement in multitudinous activities. A Pennsylvania school developed a three-prong approach that provides more rigorous curricular content and adopts the group instruction method favored by music departments and the one-on-one technique used…

Describes four models that have been shown to be effective in including students with disabilities in regular school programs: consultation, team teaching, aide services, and limited pullout service. Advantages and challenges of inclusion at the middle-school level are addressed. (DB)

A resource vision teacher describes activities to develop skills in solving mathematical word problems by three seventh graders with severe visual impairments. Students kept portfolios of problems they actually experienced in their daily lives. Success was achieved through providing an optimal environment, active involvement, self-assessment, and…

A study investigated the relationship between placement in inclusive (n=36) and pullout (n=22) special education programs and academic and behavior outcomes for students with disabilities. Eighth-graders in inclusive classrooms earned higher grades, achieved higher or comparable standardized test scores, committed no more behavioral infractions,…

Describes the Alternative School Program (ASP) in Willington (Connecticut), a pull-out program that uses a "core group" team approach to provide special services for students with behavior problems. It explains the program's methodology (facilities, operating principles, and the core group concept); its results (documentation of ASP…

Resource teachers (n=124) from 69 middle and junior high schools responded to a survey about the collaboration model at their school site. Results indicated that resource programs are usually a combination of collaboration and traditional pull-out models. Teachers viewed the collaboration model positively, reported administrative support, and…

Evaluated a five-month effort to prepare students with disabilities to move from a resource room into a regular classroom for math instruction. Preparation included use of curriculum-based measurement and transenvironmental programing. Results indicated that the experimental procedures contributed to students' positive attitudes and confidence.…