Date of Award
2004
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Education
Department
Fischler School of Education and Human Services
Advisor
David Weintraub
Committee Member
John Kellmayer
Committee Member
Maryellen Maher
Keywords
collaborative efforts, disabilities, disability identification, district, elementary schools, evaluation, intervention committee, modifications, New Jersey, prereferral intervention, professional development, referral, regular education, regular education intervention committee (REIC), special education, student referral, strategies, suburban elementary school, teacher attitudes, teacher beliefs, teachers, teamwork
Abstract
This applied dissertation was designed to reduce the rate of student referral for special education evaluation at a suburban elementary school in New Jersey. The rate of referral for special education evaluation at this elementary school was excessively high compared to all other elementary schools in the district. All the elementary schools in the district used a regular education intervention procedure, but the identified school required professional development in the use of the procedure.
This author provided professional development to all regular education teachers on (a) the usefulness of the regular education intervention committee (REIC), (b) strategies to use with students experiencing difficulties in regular education classrooms, and (c) collaborative efforts to assist students with difficulties. Teachers were encouraged to brainstorm ideas as a team and use the strategies and modifications determined by the team with those students having difficulty in their classes.
An analysis of the data revealed that changes occurred in teacher beliefs and attitudes about prereferral intervention. A very successful activity was the development of a fully functioning REIC, which met on an established schedule. The professional development program was helpful to teachers, thus reducing the rate of student referral for special education evaluation by .55%.