Showing papers in "Remedial and Special Education in 2012"
TL;DR: Findings support the efficacy of the Self-Determined Learning Model of Instruction for both goal attainment and access to the general education curriculum, though students varied in the patterns of goal attainment as a function of type of disability.
Abstract: Promoting self-determination has been identified as best practice in special education and transition services and as a means to promote goal attainment and access to the general education curriculum for students with disabilities. There have been, however, limited evaluations of the effects of interventions to promote self-determination on outcomes related to access to the general education curriculum. This article reports findings from a cluster or group-randomized trial control group study examining the impact of intervention using the Self-Determined Learning Model of Instruction on students’ academic and transition goal attainment and on access to the general education curriculum for students with intellectual disability and learning disabilities. Findings support the efficacy of the model for both goal attainment and access to the general education curriculum, though students varied in the patterns of goal attainment as a function of type of disability.
192 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, a review of the literature was conducted for articles published between 2003 and 2010 to build a case for the degree to which evidence-based practices were documented for teaching academic skills to students with severe developmental disabilities.
Abstract: A review of the literature was conducted for articles published between 2003 and 2010 to build a case for the degree to which evidence-based practices were documented for teaching academic skills to students with severe developmental disabilities. This review extended earlier comprehensive work in literacy, mathematics, and science for the population in question. A total of 18 studies met the Horner et al. (2005) quality indicator criteria. In general, time delay and task analytic instruction were found to be evidence-based practices. In addition, specific target responses were defined to show academic learning, with the most prevalent target responses being discrete responses; the type of systematic prompting and feedback used most often was time delay, while the component used least often was stimulus fading/shaping; and teaching formats used most often were massed trials and one-to-one instruction.
163 citations
TL;DR: Literacy instruction for students with significant intellectual disabilities traditionally emphasizes isolated skills instruction focusing on sight words and basic vocabulary as discussed by the authors, but the LBD approach emphasizes reading for meaning, combining UDL-scaffolded e-books and letter and word recognition software.
Abstract: Literacy instruction for students with significant intellectual disabilities traditionally emphasizes isolated skills instruction focusing on sight words and basic vocabulary. Recent research suggests these students benefit from high-quality instruction that includes comprehension and storybook reading. This study examined the effect of a technology-based universal design for learning (UDL) approach to literacy instruction, Literacy by Design (LBD), on the reading achievement of 16 students with significant intellectual disabilities in Grades K–2. The LBD approach emphasizes reading for meaning, combining UDL-scaffolded e-books and letter and word recognition software. Nine teachers received training in research-based literacy practices. Of these, five received LBD training and implemented it four to five times weekly. Controlling for initial reading achievement, the LBD group made significantly greater gains on the Woodcock–Johnson Test of Achievement III Passage Comprehension subtest. Implications for research and practice in beginning reading instruction for children with significant intellectual disabilities are discussed.
148 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, a survey study was conducted to obtain descriptive information about job situations of special education paraeducators from paraeduators across one state and determine their perceptions regarding roles, current issues identified in the literature, and other issues of concern.
Abstract: The purpose of this survey study was to obtain descriptive information about job situations of special education paraeducators from paraeducators across one state and determine their perceptions regarding roles, current issues identified in the literature, and other issues of concern. Of particular interest was whether perceptions varied based on (a) paraeducator assignment (one-to-one or group) or (b) time in general education settings. More than 1,800 paraeducators responded. Findings supported previous studies based on smaller samples. Problematic issues previously associated with one-to-one paraeducators in general education settings were reported as concerns by both one-to-one and group paraeducators who spent all or most of their day in self-contained settings. Discussion centers on the importance of “paraeducator voice” in efforts to address broader issues of inclusive schooling, clarification of paraeducators as instructional team members, and better understandings situated in practice of the para...
133 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the effects of in-service plus follow-up coaching on first grade teachers' accurate delivery of three research-based strategies during math instruction were examined, and teachers reported very high levels of satisfaction with the training model.
Abstract: Increasing the accurate use of research-based practices in classrooms is a critical issue. Professional development is one of the most practical ways to provide practicing teachers with training related to research-based practices. This study examined the effects of in-service plus follow-up coaching on first grade teachers’ accurate delivery of three research-based strategies during math instruction. Teachers were trained to use a combination of whole-class instruction strategies, including model-lead-test for introducing new concepts and correcting errors, choral responding, and response cards. Results indicated that all teachers improved their delivery of the strategies after the in-service, with a second level of growth achieved after coaching. Improvements also generalized to untrained math sessions. Teachers reported very high levels of satisfaction with the training model.
112 citations
TL;DR: This paper conducted a survey with 144 parents of 144 children with autism spectrum disorders and found that the ability of school personnel to effectively manage children's behavior, teacher education and understanding of the disability, and effective communication and collaboration between parents and school.
Abstract: Parents of 144 children with autism spectrum disorders were surveyed regarding their perceptions of and satisfaction with the education their children were receiving. This article focuses on an analysis of the parents’ responses to the open-ended questions of this survey. Overall themes that emerged repeatedly across all questions concerned the ability of school personnel to effectively manage children’s behavior, teacher education and understanding of the disability, and effective communication and collaboration between parents and school. The implications for future research and practice emerging from these findings are discussed.
92 citations
TL;DR: In this article, a meta-analysis examined school-based intervention research based on functional behavioral assessment (FBA) to determine the effectiveness of key individualized positive behavior support (IPBS) practices in school settings.
Abstract: This meta-analysis examined school-based intervention research based on functional behavioral assessment (FBA) to determine the effectiveness of key individualized positive behavior support (IPBS) practices in school settings. In all, 83 studies representing 145 participants were included in the meta-analysis. Intervention, maintenance, and generalization effects were measured by computing the percentage of nonoverlapping data points (PND). Overall, FBA-based interventions were found to be equally effective across diverse student populations and educational settings, including inclusive classrooms. In terms of key IPBS practices, results indicated that team decision making during intervention planning led to significantly larger PNDs. Descriptive analysis revealed that there has been an increase in the use of IPBS practices in school-based FBA-based intervention research; however, some deficiencies were noted. Implications and recommendations for future research are discussed.
91 citations
TL;DR: This paper used a computer software program to practice math facts an average of three times per week for 8 to 15 weeks and found that students who participated in the intervention had significantly larger gains on their math scores than those in the control group, and students with severe math problems (at or below the 15th percentile) grew at a rate that was equal to that of students with a pretest score that was between 15th and 25th percentiles.
Abstract: The current study reviews a computer-based math fluency intervention with 216 third- and fourth-grade students who were at risk for math difficulties. The intervention used a computer software program to practice math facts an average of three times per week for 8 to 15 weeks. Data were compared to those of 226 students in a control group. Results indicated that students who participated in the intervention had significantly larger gains on their math scores than those in the control group, and students with severe math problems (at or below the 15th percentile) grew at a rate that was equal to that of students with a pretest score that was between the 15th and 25th percentiles. Moreover, significantly fewer students remained at risk for math failure in the intervention group after participating in the intervention. These data suggest that the computer-based intervention was a useful supplemental math intervention. Suggestions for future research are provided.
80 citations
TL;DR: Findings indicated that self-efficacy and outcome expectancy scores, student-directed transition planning instruction, and students’ preintervention transition planning knowledge were predictive of higher self-determination scores among students.
Abstract: This study examined individual and instructional predictors of the self-determination of students with disabilities, as measured by The Arc's Self-Determination Scale and the AIR Self-Determination Scale, Student version. The general findings indicated that instructional, knowledge and dispositional factors predicted students' self-determination over personal predictor variables. In particular, self-efficacy and outcome expectancy scores, student-directed transition planning instruction, and students' pre-intervention transition planning knowledge predicted higher students' self-determination.
68 citations
TL;DR: The authors evaluated the effectiveness of a multicomponent early literacy curriculum that included phonics and phonemic awareness in comparison to a sight word approach, and found that phonics skills appeared to contribute most to the differences between the two curriculum approaches.
Abstract: This study evaluated the effectiveness of a multicomponent early literacy curriculum that included phonics and phonemic awareness in comparison to a sight word approach. A total of 93 students with severe developmental disabilities who were enrolled in Grades K through 4 were randomly assigned to either a multicomponent early literacy curriculum or a sight word comparison curriculum. The instructional interventions were implemented over an academic school year. Results indicated that students in the multicomponent early literacy curriculum had significantly higher mean literacy scores than the students in the sight word condition, with small to moderate effect sizes (.30–.49). Further analysis indicated that phonics skills appeared to contribute most to the differences between the two curriculum approaches. Implications for teaching decoding skills, one of the components needed for students to become fully literate, are discussed.
65 citations
TL;DR: This article examined whether secondary individualized education program (IEP) teams who used the Transition Planning Inventory (TPI) in conjunction with a structured IEP meeting that based discussions and decisions on TPI data as a planning intervention generated significantly more transition-related IEP goals.
Abstract: This study examined two areas. First, the authors looked at whether secondary individualized education program (IEP) teams who used the Transition Planning Inventory (TPI) in conjunction with a structured IEP meeting that based discussions and decisions on TPI data as a planning intervention generated significantly more transition-related IEP goals. Second, the authors examined (a) whether parents reported after IEP meetings that they felt they had been heard and valued in their structured IEP process and (b) if all legally required transition-related IEP components had been discussed. From a convenience sample of three high schools in one large Midwestern suburban special education cooperative, 56 students and their families were randomly assigned to a control or an experimental (TPI and structured IEP process) group. Results indicated significantly more transition-related goals for the experimental group. In addition, parents of students in the experimental group were likely to report more satisfaction ...
TL;DR: The authors criticizes the treatment of disability as cultural difference by the theorists of the "social model" and "minority group model" of disability, and the consequences of this strategy for the disability movement and special education are discussed.
Abstract: This article critiques the treatment of disability as cultural difference by the theorists of the “social model” and “minority group model” of disability. Both models include all of the various disabling conditions under one term—disability—and fail to distinguish disabilities from cultural differences (e.g., race, ethnicity, or gender differences). Equating disability with cultural difference, they adopt a political strategy of positive identity similar to that used in other civil rights movements. The consequences of this strategy for the disability movement and special education are discussed.
TL;DR: The authors describes how justification approaches to paraprofessional decision making operate from a reactive posture, include inherently problematic criteria, and perpetuate socially constructed myths that certain students need one-to-one parapprofessionals.
Abstract: Paraprofessional utilization has steadily risen in an effort to meet the needs of students with disabilities in inclusion-oriented classrooms. To date, no widely accepted processes exist to assist schools in determining when the use of paraprofessional staff is warranted. Many schools have attempted to fill this void by developing local processes designed to justify paraprofessional assignment. This article describes how justification approaches to paraprofessional decision making operate from a reactive posture, include inherently problematic criteria, and perpetuate socially constructed myths that certain students need one-to-one paraprofessionals. An alternative framework for making decisions is offered through a series of school/district- and classroom/team-level concepts and corresponding actions that can be pursued in developing proactive processes and practices tailored to local contexts.
TL;DR: This article found that foster youth present serious challenges to beginning teachers that go largely unaddressed because of lack of information about the child, lack of teacher preparedness for such challenges, and lack of supports by the school and collaboration with the child welfare system.
Abstract: Children in foster care compose a population of students very vulnerable to school failure. Placement and school instability and lack of collaboration between the school and child welfare agency are some of the barriers that impede their school performance. This study focused on the classroom context and questioned beginning general and special education teachers in urban schools about their experiences instructing students living in foster care. Findings revealed that foster youth present serious challenges to beginning teachers that go largely unaddressed because of lack of information about the child, lack of teacher preparedness for such challenges, and lack of supports by the school and collaboration with the child welfare system.
TL;DR: The authors investigated the effects of the paraphrasing strategy taught using the self-regulated strategy development model and found that the use of the RAP paraphrase strategy increased reading comprehension as measured by the percentage of text recall and shortanswer questions.
Abstract: Reading comprehension is an important component of academic success and a skill required for many activities in school. However, little is known about effective reading comprehension interventions for younger students. This study investigated the effects of the paraphrasing strategy taught using the self-regulated strategy development model. Participants were six third grade students identified as fluent readers who experienced difficulty with comprehension. All instruction for the six participants was one on one. Results indicate that the use of the RAP paraphrasing strategy increased reading comprehension as measured by the percentage of text recall and short-answer questions (RAP is a three-step strategy: Read a paragraph, Ask myself “What was the main idea and two details?” and Put it into my own words). Ideas for future research and implications are discussed.
TL;DR: In this paper, a multiple-probe, multiple-baseline, across-subjects design was used to examine the writing performance of four low-achieving adult students with and without disabilities enrolled in general equivalency diploma (GED) preparatory classes.
Abstract: A multiple-probe, multiple-baseline, across-subjects design was used to examine the writing performance of four low-achieving adult students with and without disabilities enrolled in general equivalency diploma (GED) preparatory classes. Students’ writing was evaluated before instruction and after self-regulated strategy development (SRSD) instruction for the POW (Pick my idea–pay attention to the prompt, Organize, Write and say more) + TREE (Topic sentence, Reasons, Explanations, Ending) + COPS (Capitalize, Organize, Punctuate, Sense) strategies. Results following the instruction indicated that students had learned to independently write expository essays. The number of essay parts and transition words increased, demonstrating evidence of organized essays. The number of words written and descriptive word use also increased. Gains were maintained on maintenance probes. All students who took the GED exam passed the essay-writing portion following the intervention.
TL;DR: This article found significant mean differences in self-concept but similarities in the shape of trajectories across disability categories, gender, and race in a nationally representative sample of approximately 3,500 students with disabilities ages 8 to 17 representing 11 federal disability categories.
Abstract: Developmental trajectories of two self-concept constructs (self-confidence and importance beliefs) in three domains (academic, social, and self-image) were estimated in a nationally representative sample of approximately 3,500 students with disabilities ages 8 to 17 representing 11 federal disability categories. Students’ self-confidence in the three domains declined in elementary school but rebounded in secondary school, whereas their importance beliefs showed linear declines over time. The authors found significant mean differences in self-concept but similarities in the shape of trajectories across disability categories, gender, and race. Students with emotional disturbances or autism had significantly lower self-confidence in the social and self-image domains and lower academic importance beliefs than students with learning disabilities. Girls had significantly higher self-confidence and importance beliefs than boys. Compared to their white peers, Black students had significantly higher self-confidenc...
TL;DR: In this article, the authors examined the effectiveness of a multicomponent reading comprehension strategy (TWA: Think Before Reading, Think while reading, Think After Reading) taught following the self-regulated strategy development model on social studies expository text recall of three high school students with ADHD.
Abstract: Students with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) often have difficulty with reading comprehension. This multiple baseline across participants design with multiple probes study examined the effectiveness of a multicomponent reading comprehension strategy (TWA: Think Before Reading, Think While Reading, Think After Reading) taught following the self-regulated strategy development model on social studies expository text recall of three high school students with ADHD. Results showed improvement in the number of main ideas and percentage of supporting details recalled. Gains were maintained and some improvement occurred at 2- and 4-week follow-ups. Implications for future research and practice are discussed.
TL;DR: In this article, the authors explored the relationship between receipt of assistive technology in school and postschool outcomes and found that students with high-incidence disabilities who reported receiving assistive technologies in school had more positive post-secondary outcomes in terms of a paid job, wages, and participation in postsecondary education.
Abstract: Assistive technology use in secondary school and postschool has been shown to improve the educational attainment and life outcomes of students with high-incidence disabilities. This study used data from the National Longitudinal Transition Study–2—collected in the early to mid-2000s—to explore the relationship between receipt of assistive technology in school and postschool outcomes. Few students in this study reported receiving assistive technology in high school (7.8%) and fewer still after high school (1.1%). In general, students with high-incidence disabilities who reported receiving assistive technology in school had more positive postschool outcomes in terms of a paid job, wages, and participation in postsecondary education. Yet assistive technology receipt was not a statistically significant factor in the logistic regression model for any dependent variable (i.e., postschool outcome). Although positive implications for receipt of assistive technology in school were suggested, receipt was not a pred...
TL;DR: This article investigated the effectiveness of Math Explorer at enhancing the word problem-solving skills of students with mathematics difficulties (MD) by using four-step cognitive and three-step metacognitive strategies to solve addition and subtraction word problems.
Abstract: This study investigated the effectiveness of Math Explorer at enhancing the word problem-solving skills of students with mathematics difficulties (MD). The study, which had a multiple-probe-across-subjects design, was conducted over 18 weeks. Four students with MD in Grades 2 and 3 participated. All students were able to use the four-step cognitive and three-step metacognitive strategies to solve addition and subtraction word problems and improved their word problem-solving performance on the computer- and paper/pencil-based tests. After the intervention phase, three out of the four students successfully maintained their improved word problem-solving performance levels during the follow-up phase. Implications for teachers and future software programmers are discussed, and directions for future computer-assisted instruction (CAI) research are suggested.
TL;DR: The authors used a simultaneous treatments design to analyze the comparative effects of whole-word vocabulary instruction and morphograph instruction on students' vocabulary acquisition and generalization through the use of a computer-assisted peer-tutoring program.
Abstract: Students with disabilities often have large vocabulary deficits that continue to increase over time if effective interventions that supplement daily academic instruction are not put in place. The current study used a simultaneous treatments design to analyze the comparative effects of whole-word vocabulary instruction and morphograph instruction on students’ vocabulary acquisition and generalization through the use of a computer-assisted peer-tutoring program. Seven of eight middle school participants with mild disabilities involved in this study acquired higher percentages of vocabulary in the morphograph condition compared to the whole-word condition. All eight students were better able to generalize to unknown vocabulary in the morphograph condition. This study’s findings indicate a functional relationship between morphograph instruction and the acquisition and generalization of vocabulary.
TL;DR: The authors compared the effect of a repeated reading and question generation intervention entitled Re-read-Adapt and Answer-Comprehend (RAAC) with a modified RAAC intervention without the repeated reading component.
Abstract: The purpose of this study was to compare the effect of a repeated reading and question generation intervention entitled Re-read-Adapt and Answer-Comprehend (RAAC) with a modified RAAC intervention without the repeated reading component. The sample included 30 students in Grades 3 through 5. The students received services in reading within a three-tiered response to intervention framework or in special education. Students were randomly assigned to the nonrepetitive condition or the control repeated reading condition and participated in 50 intervention sessions over a 4-month period. Regardless of condition, all students made gains in oral reading fluency on independent passages. The modified RAAC program without passage repetition appeared to be as effective if not more so at increasing reading fluency when compared to the RAAC program with passage repetition.
TL;DR: Most investigators using single-case experimental designs use interobserver agreement (IOA) checks to enhance the credibility of the collected data, and they report the results of those assessments using percentage of agreement estimates, which leads to greater transparency and is advocated for five reasons.
Abstract: Most investigators using single-case experimental designs use interobserver agreement (IOA) checks to enhance the credibility of the collected data, and they report the results of those assessments using percentage of agreement estimates. An alternative is to graph both observers’ records of the measured behavior on the primary study graphs. Such graphing leads to greater transparency and is advocated for five reasons: (a) to make explicit how IOA assessments were distributed across the study, (b) to ensure agreement estimates are reported at the level of the measured behavior of interest rather than a broader observational code, (c) to detect observer drift, (d) to detect the effect of observer expectations, and (e) to put the IOA data in a more suitable context for assessing the internal validity of the study by eliminating the need for an arbitrary agreement criterion.
TL;DR: In this paper, a methodological illustration of how to conduct randomized controls trials (RCT) for secondary levels of prevention within the context of three-tiered models of support is provided. But, the authors do not consider the effects of interventions on the secondary level of prevention.
Abstract: This article provides a methodological illustration of how to conduct randomized controls trials (RCT) for secondary levels of prevention within the context of three-tiered models of support. First, the authors demonstrate one method of using school-wide data to identify middle school students (N = 45) who were struggling in academic and behavioral domains. Second, the authors describe the procedures for conducting an RCT to compare two interventions (study skills [n = 34] and conflict resolution [n = 31]) relative to a business-as-usual condition (study skills [n = 34]). Third, the authors conclude by offering recommendations for conducting scientifically rigorous—yet feasible—investigations within three-tiered models of prevention that adhere to the core quality indicators recommended by Gersten, Fuchs, Compton, Coyne, Greenwood, and Innocenti.
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors examined the tier assignment decisions for students across grade-level teams in three K-5 elementary schools implementing identical RTI models for reading, and found that teams had high overall levels of agreement with the DIBELS recommendations, especially after Grade 1 and during the winter of each year.
Abstract: Data-based decision making by teams is central to implementation of response to intervention (RTI) models. Few studies have examined the actual decision-making process within RTI systems of service delivery. The purpose of this study was to examine the tier assignment decisions for students across grade-level teams in three K–5 elementary schools implementing identical RTI models for reading. Decisions of grade-level teams primarily composed of teachers were compared against the recommendation made by the Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills (DIBELS) universal screening measure during fall and winter assessments across a 2-year period. Results showed teams had high overall levels of agreement with the DIBELS recommendations, especially after Grade 1 and during the winter of each year. When teams initially disagreed with the DIBELS recommendations, increased agreement in the use of data-based decisions was present over time. Implications for the data decision-making process within an RTI model...
TL;DR: The authors surveyed elementary teachers in one state to examine the characteristics of the supplemental reading interventions that their students receive through general education to reveal differences among grade levels in the amount of time interventions are provided to students, the providers of the intervention, and the materials selected.
Abstract: The implementation of response to intervention requires interventions for struggling students be provided through general education prior to referral for special education. We surveyed elementary teachers (K-3) in one state to examine the characteristics of the supplemental reading interventions that their students receive through general education. Findings reveal differences between grade levels in the amount of time interventions are provided to students, the providers of the intervention, and the material selection for the interventions. No differences between grade levels were noted in the frequency of intervention or instructional group sizes. Three-quarters of the teachers reported providing the supplemental interventions to students in their class. The findings provide insight into the resources utilized by schools to implement supplemental interventions.
TL;DR: The authors found that children and adolescents with an educational diagnosis of autism were given significantly higher ratings in the domains of Developmental Social Disorders and Withdrawal and significantly lower ratings in Functional Communication.
Abstract: Accurate diagnosis and treatment planning for children with autism are a growing concern. This study sought to address two questions: (a) Which domains of the of the Behavior Assessment System for Children (2nd ed.) Teacher Rating Scales (BASC-TRS) are most effective in discriminating students diagnosed with higher functioning autism from children and youth who do not have a disability or psychiatric diagnosis? and (b) Are there noteworthy differences in BASC-TRS domain scores between children and adolescents with autism? The results indicated that children and adolescents with an educational diagnosis of autism were given significantly higher ratings in the domains of Developmental Social Disorders and Withdrawal and significantly lower ratings in Functional Communication. These scales appear to discriminate best between those students with autism and their nondisabled peers. In addition, the results suggest that the differences between students with autism and students without clinical problems may beco...
TL;DR: In this article, the Fast ForWord computer-assisted reading program was used to improve reading and spelling skills of incarcerated youth in an average of 24 sessions in an 11-week intervention.
Abstract: Despite the importance of literacy skill training for incarcerated youth, a very limited number of empirically based research studies have examined reading instruction in correctional facilities. The purpose of this study was to determine whether the Fast ForWord computer-assisted reading program improved the reading and spelling abilities of incarcerated youth. A group of 51 incarcerated male youth identified by facility staff as low performers in reading composed the target group for this study. Both standardized and curriculum-based measures were employed to determine reading and spelling skill growth over an average of 24 sessions in an 11-week intervention. Results indicated no clear literacy skill improvement for the treatment group. Implications for future research are discussed.
TL;DR: This paper found that formal mentoring involved more of the 19 identified mentor activities than did informal mentoring, indicating a need for mentor training for novice special education teachers and for further exploration of mentoring roles in the professional literature.
Abstract: Although mentoring programs for novice special education teachers have been highly touted, there is scant research describing either novice needs or mentor roles. This study is based on a sample of 66 randomly selected national board certified teachers (NBCTs) in special education in an effort to determine the nature and extent of their involvement in mentoring junior colleagues, both formally and informally. A previously published instrument was modified to determine the frequency of their engagement in various mentoring roles. Results indicated that formal mentoring involved more of the 19 identified mentor activities than did informal mentoring. Implications include a need for mentor training for NBCTs and for further exploration of mentoring roles in the professional literature.
TL;DR: In this article, the participation and performance of students with emotional disturbance (ED) on a statewide accountability assessment in math were investigated, finding that only 34% of the students with ED participated and met at least minimum proficiency standards.
Abstract: The participation and performance of students in statewide accountability and assessment systems are measures of student and school success. These accountability systems theoretically reflect performance for all students, including students receiving special education. Yet few examine the participation and performance of students in special education by disability category, instead reporting on “special education” as a homogeneous population, when in fact it is not. Students with emotional disturbance (ED) demonstrate some of the most challenging academic and behavior problems and present low performances in school. The participation and performance of students with ED on a statewide accountability assessment in math were investigated in this article. Only 34% of students with ED participated and met at least minimum proficiency standards. Factors predictive of student participation and performance were identified through logistic regression. One primary finding is that instructional setting predicted par...