Education Placement Decisions Research Articles

Assessment Practices among Inclusive School Teachers: A Case from Basic Schools in the Volta Region of Ghana

Assessment techniques in special education provide information on how teachers can evaluate learners with special educational needs to ease educational placement and instructional decisions. This paper aimed at investigating assessment techniques used by teachers in assessing learners with special educational needs in inclusive schools in the Volta Region of Ghana. The descriptive survey design was employed for the study. The study involved 80 teachers in all selected pilot inclusive schools in the region, which was the study's target population. A questionnaire with closed-ended items was developed for data collection. Percentages and frequencies were used as statistical tools to analyse the research data generated from the questionnaire. The findings revealed that most teachers have insufficient knowledge and did not use appropriate assessment techniques in assessing learners with special educational needs in the schools. Based on the results, some recommendations were made for the Ghana Education Service through the Ministry of Education to organise in-service training and seminars for trained and untrained teachers on assessment techniques in special education.

Teacher Trainees’ Administration and Scoring Errors on the Kaufman Test of Educational Achievement

Achievement tests are used to make high-stakes (e.g., special education placement) decisions, and previous research on norm-referenced assessment suggests that errors are ubiquitous. In our study of 42 teacher trainees, utilizing five of the six core subtests of the Kaufman Test of Educational Achievement, Third Edition (KTEA-3), we found that while most trainees make errors, they do not make a large number per person with the exception of a few error-prone trainees. In addition, Wilcoxon signed-rank tests indicated that reading comprehension was the most prone subtest to administration ( T = 120; p < .001) and clerical ( T = 45; p < .01) errors. However, subtests pairwise comparisons indicated nonsignificant differences between error rates across subtests. Based on these findings, we recommend that training programs focus extra attention on reading comprehension and remediating students who make a disproportionate number of errors. Implications for future research are also noted.

Planning for and Working With Children With an Auditory Brainstem Implant: What Therapists Need to Know

IntroductionInvestigations of auditory brainstem implants (ABIs) in children started around 2012 in the United States. The team at the University of Southern California-Caruso Family Center for Childhood Communication began seeing children, implanted abroad, in 2006. ABIs are indicated for children who cannot benefit from cochlear implants (CIs). The habilitation and educational needs of children with ABIs versus CIs differ.PurposeThis document provides information professionals can use when implementing habilitation programs for children with ABIs.MethodThe University of Southern California-Caruso Family Center for Childhood Communication, as part of the Los Angeles Pediatric ABI team, is conducting an ABI safety and feasibility clinical trial. This article shares experiences from the viewpoint of a multidisciplinary team. The article provides background knowledge, an outcomes review, and considerations to guide ABI intervention.ResultsABIs and CIs differ in the acoustic information they provide. Outcome studies suggest progress is slow with ABIs but that children can develop some auditory or spoken language skills. The children require highly supportive learning experiences. Visual communication support remains important. The considerations outlined reflect the children's need for explicit instruction.ConclusionsWhen serving children with ABIs, therapists must apply their broad knowledge about working with children with hearing loss, tempering that knowledge, and recognizing that auditory access and progress differ with ABIs compared to CIs. Educational and program placement decisions may require unconventional thinking.

Impact of Societal and Cultural Beliefs on Inclusive Special Education Practices in the Indian Context

In 1995, India passed The Persons with Disabilities (equal opportunities, protection of rights and full participation) Act, which guaranteed “free and appropriate education of children with disabilities up to the age of 18 years”. This law was finally enforced in 2005, with the National Curriculum Framework, which made it mandatory for every school to have a special education department that overlooked the inclusive special education needs of their students. At a macro level, this paper highlights the social, historical and cultural factors that affect special education policies and practices in India. And at a micro level, it aims to comment on how these factors percolate down to the school system and shapes pedagogical practices and educational placement decisions for students with disabilities.

ADMINISTRATIVE PRESSURE TO PRACTICE UNETHICALLY AND BURNOUT WITHIN THE PROFESSION OF SCHOOL PSYCHOLOGY

This investigation involved the surveying of school psychology practitioners (N = 291) to determine the possible existence of a relationship between administrative pressure to practice unethically and impaired occupational health, as manifested in elevated levels of burnout, job dissatisfaction, and intent to exit the workforce. Almost one‐third of participants claimed to have been pressured to behave unethically, with directives most commonly consisting of instructions to withhold recommendations for support services and to agree with inappropriate special education placement decisions. Practitioners who experienced administrative pressure reported higher levels of burnout, less satisfaction with their current position and the profession, and a greater desire to leave their job and the field of school psychology. The findings are presented within the context of current and projected shortages of practicing school psychologists. Implications for preventing burnout and promoting school psychologists’ occupational well‐being are discussed.

Implications for Educational Classification and Psychological Diagnoses Using the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale–Fourth Edition With Canadian Versus American Norms

Building on a recent work of Harrison, Armstrong, Harrison, Iverson and Lange which suggested that Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale–Fourth Edition (WAIS-IV) scores might systematically overestimate the severity of intellectual impairments if Canadian norms are used, the present study examined differences between Canadian and American derived WAIS-IV scores from 861 postsecondary students attending school across the province of Ontario, Canada. This broader data set confirmed a trend whereby individuals’ raw scores systematically produced lower standardized scores through the use of Canadian as opposed to American norms. The differences do not appear to be due to cultural, educational, or population differences, as participants acted as their own controls. The ramifications of utilizing the different norms were examined with regard to psychoeducational assessments and educational placement decisions particularly with respect to the diagnoses of Learning Disability and Intellectual Disability.

Educational Placement of Students With Autism

Typically, child characteristics such as IQ and severity of autism symptoms are thought to determine educational placement. The present study examines external factors, including state of residence and state funding formulas, to determine their potential influence on placement outcomes. Findings reveal that considerable variations exist among states in placing students with autism spectrum disorders in inclusive, mainstreaming, self-contained, and separate schools. This variation suggests that factors beyond child characteristics, such as IQ, play a major role in educational placement decisions. Furthermore, states in the Eastern United States tend to have more restrictive placement rates than states in the Western United States. State special education funding was found to have a minimal impact on placement outcomes. As a whole, it is unlikely that child characteristics alone determine placement outcomes.

School-Based Evidence for the Validity of Curriculum-Based Measurement of Reading and Writing

Research has shown curriculum-based measurement (CBM) to be valid and reliable for a number of assessment purposes. This study provides school-based evidence of CBM validity for screening and placement purposes. CBM oral reading fluency and written expression scores for 465 students in Grades 6 and 7 were compared with their year-end English and social studies marks received in Grades 8, 9, and 10. Correlation and regression analyses provided evidence of the predictive validity of CBM scores as indicators of academic performance. Discriminant analysis procedures demonstrated the ability of CBM to differentiate between student groups of various proficiency levels. Overall, our findings supported the inclusion of CBM scores, particularly oral reading fluency, in the assessment information used to make special education screening and placement decisions.

Predictors of Placement Recommendations for Children with Behavioral or Emotional Disorders

This study investigated the relationship among teacher efficacy, child socioeconomic status (SES), child ethnicity, and educational placement recommendations concerning children with behavioral or emotional disorders (E/BD). For the study, 350 special education teachers were randomly selected from 10 school districts in the Denver metropolitan area. Participants completed the Expanded Teacher Efficacy Scale to measure Classroom Management/Discipline, External Influences, and Personal Teaching Efficacy. Participants also completed the Educational Placement Vignette. After reading the descriptive case study of a fourth grade boy identified as having E/BD, special educators indicated the placement option they would recommend for the student. Vignettes were identical except for variations regarding the child's SES and ethnicity. Results suggest that Classroom Management/Discipline, External Influences, and child SES are significant predictors of special education teachers’ placement recommendations. Knowledge acquired through this investigation provides a foundation for a theory concerning how educational placement decisions are determined. Recommendations are made for using the knowledge to reduce placement rates in restrictive environments, and suggestions are provided to advance the theory regarding how placement decisions are made.

Using Data to Promote Academic Benefit for Included Students with Mild Disabilities

The purpose of this article is to (a) briefly discuss how special education reform movements continue to influence school practices regarding special education placement decisions, and (b) offer recommendations for promoting academic educational benefit for included students with mild disabilities. Schools must make responsible and individualized decisions regarding the inclusion of students with mild disabilities by developing measurable educational goals and objectives and evaluating the efficacy and appropriateness of those placements based on data.

The Role of IQ in Special Education Placement Decisions

ABSTRACTThe role of IQ in arriving at placement decisions in special education was portrayed in the 1972 Larry P. case as “primary and determinative” by Judge Peckham. In the present paper the evidence bearing on that portrayal—both past and present—of the emphasis placed on IQ is reviewed. Although IQ is central to state education codes and their criteria for certifying a child as eligible for special education as mentally retarded or learning disabled, the evidence shows that many children exhibiting psychometric scores that would make them eligible are never referred and, if referred, are not placed in the state-sanctioned disability category for which they qualify psycho-metrically. Evidence from ongoing research on classification of children is presented that fails to support the position that IQ is weighted heavily in arriving at eligibility and placement decisions. In fact, the evidence suggests that absolute low achievement seems far more definitive than IQ scores or discrepancies between IQ and standardized achievement. We conclude that IQ has not been, and is not currently, primary and determinative; in fact, the evidence suggests that it is peripheral to placement decisions.

The Cognitive Assessment of Limited-English-Proficient Children: Current Problems and Practical Recommendations.

Children from limited-English-proficient backgrounds are frequently assessed for the purposes of classification, educational placement decisions, and intervention planning. Problems inherent in the process of identifying their intellectual strengths and weaknesses are discussed, including questionable special education referrals, the use of English as the language of testing, the use of interpreters, the administration of normed tools, and the use of translated tests. Among the practical recommendations explored are prereferral activities, assessment of language dominance and proficiency, training of bilingual personnel, the integration of multiple assessment tools, adaptation of available measures, and alternative assessment models.

Teachers’ Perceptions of Educational Placement Decisions for Pupils with Emotional or Behavioral Disorders

We conducted intensive group interviews with 11 special education and 3 general education teachers regarding the educational placement of pupils with emotional or behavioral disorders. We sorted the teachers’ comments to identify their views on recurring topics. Major themes emerging from the interviews included (a) teachers have diverse opinions about placement alternatives, (b) schools are faced with problems they are not able to handle, (c) administrative procedures often impede appropriate services, (d) collaboration and support among those making placement decisions and providing services are often lacking, and (e) teachers feel they have little influence in placement decisions. We discuss implications for practice and further research.

The WISC-III: A reality check

Although the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Third Edition (WISC-III) is arguably the best instrument currently available for assessing students' intelligence, its use will present practitioners, especially school psychologists, with some unique challenges. Recent research suggests that significant reductions in special education students' WISC-III Verbal, Performance, and Full Scale IQ scores will be found, compared with their previous WISC-R results. This finding will have a profound impact on special education placement decisions. Specifically, students who were previously found eligible for learning disability programs may now no longer evidence the significant discrepancies necessary in order to receive continued services. Conversely, students earlier identified as “slow learners” may now be eligible to receive services for those classified under the category of educably mentally handicapped. In addition, the notion that the WISC-III may underestimate the ability of certain populations of students requires further exploration. This article will address these issues as well as implications for practitioners presently administering the WISC-III.

When, How, and Why Educational Placement Decisions Are Made

Students with emotional or behavioral disorders are frequently placed in restrictive settings, yet we have little knowledge or understanding of the decisions leading to these placements. We interviewed educators involved in decisions to place two students with emotional or behavioral disorders in a special regional day school program. We were particularly interested in information regarding the rationale, procedures, participants, and contexts of these placement decisions. In these cases we think that the rationale for the decisions was comparatively well developed but that the procedures and participants were not well documented. The contexts of the decisions suggested that the elimination of options on a placement continuum may have had the effect of forcing more restrictive placement.

Bias in special education decisions: The contribution of analogue research.

Reviewed analogue research that investigated bias in school psychologists' and other educators' special education diagnostic and placement decisions. Methodological and theoretical concerns related to analogue studies are addressed subsequently. Finally, recommendations for future research are provided.

Variability in Reading Achievement Test Scores as Related to Reading Curriculum

The extent of curriculum biasing was examined for seven criterion-referenced and standardized reading achievement tests in relation to five widely used commercial reading programs at the third grade level. Because of the exaggerated bias found to exist, especially with the standardized achievement tests, caution must be exercised when interpreting test results and using them for educational placement decisions. These types of decisions can best be made when the teacher is aware of the direction and degree of bias for obtained test scores.

An analysis of variables that affect special education placement decisions.

The purpose of this study was to determine the degree to which intellectual, achievement, and behavioral data would predict the placement of students with learning disabilities into a special program. The data were obtained from evaluations conducted on 95 students who were referred for evaluation of learning problems. Stepwise discriminant analysis revealed that only 33% of the variance was accounted for by the battery of assessment instruments in deciding whether to place a student in a learning disabilities classroom. With regard to placement of students with learning disabilities in full-or part-time learning disabilities classrooms, the test data accounted for only 27% of the variance. Thus a large portion of the variance was not accounted for by the assessment data. Implications for future research were discussed.

The effects of assessment-based and non-assessment-based factors on special education placement decisions

Abstract This study investigated the relative importance of assessment-based factors (attainment, IQ), and non-assessment-based factors (sex, age, reason for referral) on the placement recommendations of guidance officers (school psychologists) for children of borderline eligibility for special education services. Respondents were asked to recommend the most appropriate placement, from regular classroom to full-time special education class, and to rate the importance of the information presented in the case folder to their decision. Overall, 55% of the respondents recommended full-time special school placement and all of the respondents recommended some form of special education service. There were discrepancies between what guidance officers perceived as influencing their decisions and what actually influenced them. Assessment-based factors of attainment levels and IQ scores were perceived as most influential and sex was perceived as the least influential. Statistical analysis revealed that girls were si...

LD Students: Clarifications and Recommendations

this age group is relatively recent, many problems and questions still need to be resolved. In many ways, LD early adolescents constitute a special category because, in addition to coping with the typical LD difficulties, these students must also confront the significant changes and pressures which are a landmark for all adolescents as well as the major transition from the safe, familiar elementary school to the larger, more complex middle school. The interaction of these three variables— LD characteristics, adolescent adjust ments, and new, more involved school demands—may confuse and even over whelm these students. A further dilemma exists for middle school teachers because they are generally not trained to deal with these specialized learning problems even though most learning disabled students are placed in regular classes. The legal mandate to make special education placement decisions based on the least restrictive environment concept requires that handicapped students, including the learning disabled, be educated in the most normal