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Riding Fences 40.1 Rural Special Education Quarterly Pub Date : 2021-03-11 Ginevra R. Courtade
In this first issue of Volume 40, I am pleased to present four research reports and a program description from colleagues across the country.
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iCoaching Behavior-Specific Praise in a Rural Classroom Rural Special Education Quarterly Pub Date : 2021-01-23 Kathleen M. Randolph, Caroline Sutton Chubb, Brittany L. Hott, Elisa Cruz-Torres
The purpose of this study was to explore the efficacy of iCoaching to increase the use of behavior-specific praise (BSP) by three educators (one teacher, two paraprofessionals) working in a rural center–based classroom for students with emotional and behavioral disabilities using a short, focused professional development and iCoaching. Results of the single-case delayed multiple baseline design study
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E-Peer Coaching: A Model to Support Rural Special Education Field Placements Rural Special Education Quarterly Pub Date : 2021-01-22 Jessica Gugino, Sharon Raimondi, Larry Maheady
Providing adequate supervision for pre-service teachers enrolled in special education field placements is a challenge. Rural placements often exacerbate this challenge due to the large geographical areas in which these placements are located. The purpose of this article is to describe one approach to early field supervision in rural settings that may provide solutions to this dilemma. E-peer coaching
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Challenges for Rural Native American Students With Disabilities During COVID-19 Rural Special Education Quarterly Pub Date : 2021-01-19 Candi Running Bear, William P. A. Terrill, Adriana Frates, Patricia Peterson, Judith Ulrich
The COVID-19 pandemic unexpectedly changed almost all aspects of people’s everyday lives. This included new challenges in the education of Native American students with disabilities who live in rural and remote areas of the United States. Native American students with disabilities living on reservations are served by local schools, tribally controlled schools, and Bureau of Indian Education schools
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A Tale of Two Countries: An International Perspective on Non-Traditional Special Education Rural Special Education Quarterly Pub Date : 2021-01-19 Elif Tekin-Iftar, Bree A. Jimenez, Hatice Deniz Degirmenci
A global perspective of education, special education, rural communities, and non-traditional instruction is provided for two countries. Both Turkey and Australia have responded to the COVID-19 global pandemic in similar yet, different ways. Through the tale of two countries navigating the rapid response to school closure for students with disabilities, we all can gain understanding from examining strategies
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Developing Pre-Service Teachers’ Skills in Post-Secondary Transition Through Applied Practice Rural Special Education Quarterly Pub Date : 2021-01-19 Kelly Ann Swindlehurst, Ann Bassett Berry
The need for special educators who can support students with disabilities in the transition to adulthood is well documented in the literature. In this article, we will report on the program improvement efforts by one university to embed more evidence-based transition practices into their pre-service teacher preparation program with the support of a state personnel development grant. Key aspects of
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Special Education Meetings: The Role of the Facilitator in Districts Serving Rural Communities Rural Special Education Quarterly Pub Date : 2020-11-27 Stephenson J. Beck, Keri DeSutter
Special education professionals serve as facilitators of Individualized Education Program (IEP) team meetings. This study explores how facilitators see their IEP meeting roles and probes further into how IEP facilitators envision an ideal IEP meeting in school districts with rural schools. Findings indicate that facilitators see their roles in three parts: procedural due process, informal problem solving
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Special Topic Series: Responses to COVID-19 Rural Special Education Quarterly Pub Date : 2020-11-17 Melinda Jones Ault, Ginevra R. Courtade
In the fourth issue of volume 39, we are pleased to begin a special topic series addressing the issue that has altered our world in 2020 in unprecedented ways: the global COVID-19 novel coronavirus pandemic. Never before in our history has the world been so affected by health, educational, social, and economic outcomes as those associated with COVID-19. The articles in this special series were written
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Free Appropriate Public Education in the Time of COVID-19 Rural Special Education Quarterly Pub Date : 2020-10-23 J. Matt Jameson, Sondra M. Stegenga, Joanna Ryan, Ambra Green
In the spring of 2020, public schools across the United States were forced to close their campuses due to an emerging public health crisis caused by the detection of the first cases of the COVID-19 virus. Although schools closed their buildings, the delivery of educational services did not stop. This included the ongoing provision of services mandated by federal law under the Americans With Disabilities
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Enhancing Professional Development for Educators: Adapting Project ECHO From Health Care to Education Rural Special Education Quarterly Pub Date : 2020-10-07 Canyon Hardesty, Eric J. Moody, Shira Kern, Wendy Warren, Mary Jo Cooley Hidecker, Susan Wagner, Sanjeev Arora, Sandra Root-Elledge
Adequately prepared educators are critical to the success of children in rural settings, but many educators receive little training on how to support students with disabilities. Professional development for educators is challenging in rural areas due to the lack of opportunities and travel requirements. Project ECHO™ was originally developed to overcome similar challenges facing physicians. The ECHO
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Providing Support for Rural Special Educators During Nontraditional Instruction: One State’s Response Rural Special Education Quarterly Pub Date : 2020-10-07 Melinda Jones Ault, Ginevra Courtade, Sally A. Miracle, Amanda E. Bruce
In the midst of the COVID-19 global pandemic, teachers were forced to quickly determine how to deliver a free appropriate public education to their students when in-person instruction was not possible. School districts and states have a variety of ways to provide supports to their teachers. One method for providing technical assistance, professional development, consultation, and mentoring to teachers
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Distance Education Support for Students With Autism Spectrum Disorder and Complex Needs During COVID-19 and School Closures Rural Special Education Quarterly Pub Date : 2020-10-04 Donald M. Stenhoff, Robert C. Pennington, Melissa C. Tapp
Schools serve an essential function for individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and complex needs. However, school-based instruction may be interrupted due to pandemics, natural disasters, and school shootings, and as a result, schools are forced to stop traditional services and begin teaching students in their homes. Fortunately, distance education strategies are available to mitigate brick
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Supporting Strong Transitions Remotely: Considerations and Complexities for Rural Communities During COVID-19 Rural Special Education Quarterly Pub Date : 2020-09-18 Dawn A. Rowe, Erik Carter, Shimul Gajjar, Erin A. Maves, Jennifer C. Wall
Transition education is a distinctive aspect of special education that extends well beyond the boundaries of the school building, engages partners from all corners of the local community, and addresses so many different life domains. In the midst of a pandemic, creative strategies are needed to equip students with the skills, knowledge, experiences, supports, and relationships that prepare them well
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Riding Fences Rural Special Education Quarterly Pub Date : 2020-09-18 Ginevra R. Courtade
In this third issue of Volume 39, we are pleased to present four research reports and a program description from colleagues across the country.
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Educating Students With Disabilities During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Lessons Learned From Commerce Independent School District Rural Special Education Quarterly Pub Date : 2020-09-16 Patricia Tremmel, Rachel Myers, David A. Brunow, Brittany L. Hott
As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, many school districts have moved from brick-and-mortar instruction to remote instruction with little planning time and limited resources. Rural localities, already facing barriers and hardships, attempted to provide special education and related services in accordance with rapidly changing state and federal guidelines. Despite funding difficulties and challenges
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Parent and Youth Post-School Expectations: Students With Intellectual Disability in Rural Schools Rural Special Education Quarterly Pub Date : 2020-08-12 Emily C. Bouck, Holly M. Long, M. Patty Costello
While research exists on parent expectations associated with post-school outcomes of youth with intellectual disability, limited research examines issues of parent—and youth—post-school expectations relative to issues of community, such as living in rural versus urban or suburban settings. Through a secondary analysis of the National Longitudinal Transition Study (NLTS) 2012, we examined parent and
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edTPA: Assisting Rural Special Education Teacher Candidates to Incorporate Self-Regulation Skills in Planning and Instruction Rural Special Education Quarterly Pub Date : 2020-06-24 Christopher J. Rivera, Bethany McKissick, Madison Adams
Forty-one states and 928 teacher preparation programs across the United States are using the Teaching Performance Assessment (edTPA) as an evaluation tool to determine teacher readiness and/or meet licensure requirements. Nationwide, pre-service special education teachers struggle to demonstrate proficiency in specific areas of the edTPA (i.e., plan assessments to monitor and support student learning
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Riding Fences Rural Special Education Quarterly Pub Date : 2020-05-25 Susan M. Schultz, Brenda L. Barrio, Ginevra R. Courtade
In this second issue of volume 39, we are pleased to present the final three articles in the series on English Learners (ELs) receiving special education services in rural settings.
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Students and Perceived Screen Time: How Often Are Students in a Rural School District Looking at Screened Devices? Rural Special Education Quarterly Pub Date : 2020-05-22 Nicholas A. DiMartino, Susan M. Schultz
As technology advances across the United States, schools should consider not only the benefits of using screened devices but also the short- and long-term effects on student health. Both the positive and negative effects of using devices are often intensified for students in rural schools, as online learning and the use of e-therapy becomes more prevalent. The purpose of this study was to investigate
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A Survey of Rural Principals: Preferences Regarding Teacher Candidates Rural Special Education Quarterly Pub Date : 2020-05-10 Lindsay L. Diamond, MaryAnn Demchak, Tammy V. Abernathy
Rural school principals continue to have difficulty hiring and retaining qualified teachers. Researchers have sought to determine the preferred type of preparation programs and the specific characteristics of teacher candidates, but few have specifically focused on the perceptions of the rural principal. The purpose of this study was to understand current rural school principals’ perceptions regarding
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Preventing Summer Reading Slide: Examining the Effects of Two Computer-Assisted Reading Programs Rural Special Education Quarterly Pub Date : 2020-05-04 Sekhar S. Pindiprolu, Lori J. Marks
Students who display reading difficulties/disabilities at the end of third grade are less likely to succeed in content areas and graduate from high school than their reading-proficient peers. Literature suggests that students in rural school districts lag behind their suburban peers in terms of their reading levels and accessibility to resources. Furthermore, students from low socioeconomic status
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Young Children With Hearing Impairment and Other Diagnoses: Effects of Sound-Field Amplification Rural Special Education Quarterly Pub Date : 2020-05-01 Lois Furno, MaryAnn Demchak, Ann Bingham
This study examined the effects of sound-field amplification (SFA) use for children who are deaf or hard of hearing (DHH) with additional diagnosed conditions enrolled in preschool and first and second grades in a rural district. Four focus children who are DHH with additional diagnoses were matched with hearing peers and observed for attending behaviors and latency in compliance to following routine
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There’s No Place Like Home: Finding Teachers in Your Backyard Rural Special Education Quarterly Pub Date : 2020-04-30 Nancy Mamlin, Jennifer A. Diliberto
The current investigation surveyed 83 preservice teacher education candidates enrolled in institutions of higher education (IHEs) to pursue licensure in special education. The purpose of the investigation was to determine why these candidates were pursuing a career as a special education teacher, when they decided, and where they saw themselves teaching in the near future. The survey yielded implications
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Beyond Traditional Response to Intervention: Helping Rural Educators Understand English Learners’ Needs Rural Special Education Quarterly Pub Date : 2019-12-23 Maria Isolina Ruiz
Response to intervention (RTI) allows schools to support the academic success of English learners (ELs) while helping educators rule out cultural or linguistic differences and educational background as the root of ELs’ academic or behavioral struggles. However, in rural schools, insufficient training in how to effectively instruct ELs and limited experience teaching ELs due to local demographics may
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A Qualitative Examination of Social Changes and Challenges in Rural Adolescents With Traumatic Brain Injury Rural Special Education Quarterly Pub Date : 2019-12-15 Brandon J. Rennie, Anisa N. Goforth
This article describes the results of a qualitative investigation of social changes and challenges for rural adolescents who have a traumatic brain injury (TBI). We interviewed adolescents with mild to moderate TBI and their mothers using an iterative approach based in grounded theory. Interviews focused on social adjustment and interaction as well as environmental variables, especially those related
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Promoting Self-Advocacy Through Persuasive Writing for English Learners With Learning Disabilities Rural Special Education Quarterly Pub Date : 2019-12-15 Sara Jozwik, Yojanna Cuenca-Carlino
Constructing written text in English can be a challenging endeavor for all students, but it holds particular challenges for English Language Learners (ELLs) with learning disabilities (LD). For this reason, effective instruction needs to recognize the gifts of emergent bilingualism and respond to the challenges that ELLs with LD bring to the task of writing. In this article, we explore the benefits
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Students With Disabilities From Migrant Farmworker Families: Parent Perspectives Rural Special Education Quarterly Pub Date : 2019-11-19 Georgina Rivera-Singletary, Ann Cranston-Gingras
Children of migrant farmworkers change schools frequently and must navigate through a maze of confusing and often inconsistent academic policies. Migrant students are often identified as English learners and some have disabilities, which results in additional academic and federal policies that families must contend with as they seek to support their children’s educational endeavors. Further affecting
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Riding Fences Rural Special Education Quarterly Pub Date : 2019-11-07 Karen D. Hager, Melinda Jones Ault, Ginevra R. Courtade
In the fourth issue of Volume 38, we are pleased to complete the special series on alternative teacher preparation with the final three articles of this series. In the first of these articles, Jameson, Walker, Farrell, Ryan, Conradi, and McDonnell address a critical issue in alternative teacher preparation: the impact of providing financial support on recruitment of teacher candidates. The authors
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Facing Double Jeopardy: The Transition Experiences of Latina Family Caregivers of Young Adults With Disabilities Living in a Rural Community Rural Special Education Quarterly Pub Date : 2019-10-23 Grace L. Francis, Judith M. S. Gross, Carlos E. Lavín, Lu Ankely Casarez Velazquez, Nicholas Sheets
The transition for young adults with disabilities from high school to gainful employment is often difficult. This transition is even harder for students from minority or marginalized backgrounds, including young adults who identify as Latino. As the Latino population increases in the United States, it is imperative that the transition from high school to employment becomes more effective for Latino
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Changing Lives on the Border: Preparing Rural, Culturally Responsive Special Educators Rural Special Education Quarterly Pub Date : 2019-10-16 Patricia J. Peterson, Alma M. Sandigo, Susan E. Stoddard, Kathleen Abou-Rjaily, Judith Ulrich
Arizona teacher education programs are largely concentrated in urban or suburban areas, with the majority of practicum experiences and student teaching placements located in the same metropolitan areas. However, in Arizona, 35% of K–12 students are served by the 135 school districts that qualify as “rural.” In the extreme southwest corner of Arizona bordering Mexico, 70% of these rural K–12 students
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Where Are All the Reading Teachers? Redesigning a Reading Master’s Degree Rural Special Education Quarterly Pub Date : 2019-10-04 Kari L. Dahle-Huff, Rachael J. Waller
This article examines how a small, regional comprehensive university located in a geographically isolated context reinvigorated its master’s degree in reading. The process began with articulating a vision for the program that was centered in understanding the unique geographic context of the region. Coherent program goals were then developed to align with state and national standards. Following goal
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Creative, Yet Practical: 20 Years of Distance Education Teacher Preparation Rural Special Education Quarterly Pub Date : 2019-10-04 LuAnn Jordan, Fred Spooner, Kelly Anderson, Ann S. Dillon
For more than 20 years, distance education has provided an option for prospective special education teachers to achieve licensure and a graduate degree. The program began as a two-way interactive television endeavor located at area community college sites. Over time, the program evolved to include online coursework with synchronous class meetings. In addition, changes in licensure and the graduate
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The Impact of Federal Personnel Preparation Grants on Special Education Teacher Candidate Recruitment for Rural and Remote Alternative Teaching Pathways Rural Special Education Quarterly Pub Date : 2019-09-02 J. Matt Jameson, Ryan M. Walker, Michael Farrell, Joanna Ryan, Lyndsey Aiono Conradi, John McDonnell
This article describes rural and remote teacher training in low incidence (LI) disabilities through an alternative teaching pathway (ATP) and the efforts of one university’s ATP program to address the ongoing critical special education teacher shortage in rural and remote school districts. The impact of the federal investment in recruiting/training teacher candidates in LI disabilities in rural and
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A Statewide Early Childhood Alternative Teacher Preparation Program Delivered via Synchronous Video Conference Rural Special Education Quarterly Pub Date : 2019-07-22 Barbara J. Fiechtl, Karen D. Hager
This article describes a statewide online alternative teacher preparation program in early childhood special education. The history and evolution of the program is explained along with the programmatic changes that resulted from working with noncertified teachers with a wide variety of backgrounds in both rural and urban districts. Challenges and solutions for providing coursework and supervision via
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Evolution of Technology-Enhanced Alternative Preparation for Special Education Teachers Rural Special Education Quarterly Pub Date : 2019-07-19 Karen D. Hager, Barbara J. Fiechtl
In this article, we describe the evolution of a statewide alternative teacher preparation program for teachers of students with disabilities and explain current processes to revise and expand the program to increase accessibility to teacher candidates in rural schools. We will identify important features of the program including (a) significant collaboration with Local Education Agencies, (b) the combination
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Alternative Teacher Preparation Programs: Examination Through a Marketing Lens Rural Special Education Quarterly Pub Date : 2019-07-19 Janet Chamberlin-Kim, Jennifer Tarnay, Jenny C. Wells
This investigation used the 7 P’s Service Marketing Mix (i.e., product, price, place, promotion, people, physical evidence, and processes) to review development and recruitment strategies of special education alternative teacher preparation programs. Articles published between 1997 and 2018 were reviewed to identify alternative teacher preparation programs developed to tackle the chronic teacher shortage
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Evaluation of Remote Versus Face-to-Face Observation of Teacher Candidates in an Alternative Certification Program Rural Special Education Quarterly Pub Date : 2019-07-19 Melinda Jones Ault, Amy D. Spriggs, Margaret E. Bausch, Ginevra R. Courtade
The University of Kentucky provides an alternative certification program to prepare teacher candidates in moderate and severe disabilities. Observations occur every semester that candidates are in the 2-year program and must be conducted all across Kentucky, often many miles away from campus. University researchers placed cameras in the classrooms of teacher candidates and measured reliability of teacher
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Increasing the Rural Special Education Teacher Pipeline Through Asynchronous Online Instruction: A Program Description of the Colorado Christian University Alternative Certification Program Rural Special Education Quarterly Pub Date : 2019-07-19 Marla J. Lohmann, Bushrod White, Kathy A. Johnson
There is a documented shortage of special education teachers nationwide, and many rural school districts report hiring uncertified or temporary teachers to fill the open positions. To meet the needs of rural schools in our state, Colorado Christian University developed an asynchronous online alternative special education teacher certification program. Colorado Christian University’s program includes
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Sustaining a Multitiered System of Supports for English Learners in Rural Community Elementary Schools Rural Special Education Quarterly Pub Date : 2019-05-29 John J. Hoover, Lucinda Soltero-González, Chao Wang, Shelley Herron
A 5-year model demonstration project designed to improve literacy instruction and special education referrals for English learners (ELs) in grades K–3 in three rural community elementary schools was completed with specific attention to sustainability 1 year after implementation. The model, which was developed and implemented through a university–school district collaborative partnership, incorporated
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Endorsement by Exam: Policy and Practice in Rural Special Education Rural Special Education Quarterly Pub Date : 2019-04-19 Alexandra Hollo, Kim K. Floyd, Carla B. Brigandi
National- and state-level education policies are evolving to address teacher shortages that are pervasive across the United States and are particularly problematic in rural special education. In this article, we describe a policy we call “endorsement by exam” in which teachers certified in one subject area can become certified in other areas by passing a content knowledge test. Although such add-on
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Using Telehealth and Expert Coaching to Support Early Childhood Special Education Parent-Implemented Assessment and Intervention Procedures Rural Special Education Quarterly Pub Date : 2019-04-13 Audrey N. Hoffmann, Bistra K. Bogoev, Tyra P. Sellers
Researchers and clinicians have successfully demonstrated the use of telehealth in supporting parents to conduct functional analyses (FAs) and subsequent functional communication training (FCT). We replicated and extended previous research by utilizing telehealth to train an existing Early Childhood Special Education (ECSE) Behavior Specialist to support parent implementation of behavioral procedures
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Preservice Teacher Experiences Implementing Classroom Management Practices Through Mixed-Reality Simulations Rural Special Education Quarterly Pub Date : 2019-04-09 Melissa E. Hudson, Karen S. Voytecki, Tosha L. Owens, Guili Zhang
The effects of mixed-reality teaching experiences on participants’ perceptions of their classroom management ability are evaluated using a mixed-methods design. Mursion, a technology that enables virtual simulations, is used. Participants include 29 undergraduates pursuing a degree in special education for learners with mild or moderate/severe disabilities enrolled in a university-level course focused
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The Founding, Evolution, and Impact of the American Council on Rural Special Education Rural Special Education Quarterly Pub Date : 2019-03-06 Melinda Jones Ault, Britt Tatman Ferguson, Ann B. Berry, Sarah Hawkins-Lear, Kathleen Magiera
Interest in documenting the history and evolution of the American Council for Rural Special Education (ACRES), from the perspective of its original members, resulted in distribution of a survey and interviews. The data collected recount the original mission of ACRES and describe the organization’s impact over the past 37 years. Overarching themes that emerged from the data include the unique needs
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Preparing Interns to Use Functional Story-Based Instruction to Teach Students With a Severe Intellectual Disability in Rural Schools Rural Special Education Quarterly Pub Date : 2019-02-22 Glenda Hyer, Karena Cooper-Duffy
The primary purpose of this study was to prepare special education interns to implement two-task analyses to teach elementary students with severe intellectual disability (SID) emergent literacy and hand washing skills. The secondary purpose was to evaluate the effect of intern instruction on both the independent emergent literacy and hand washing responses of the students. A multiple probe across
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Learning From Graduate Training in Related Fields: A Model Online School Psychology Program Rural Special Education Quarterly Pub Date : 2019-02-22 Kathleen M. Waldron-Soler, Susan F. Ruby, Jamie M. Chaffin
Since the enactment of Public Law 94-142, school districts have struggled to hire and retain required special education personnel (i.e., special education teachers, school psychologists, and related service providers). Data show that shortages of these qualified personnel are even more magnified in rural school districts. Distance education can provide an opportunity for candidates in rural areas to
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Using Assistive Technology to Generate Social Skills Use for Students With Emotional Behavior Disorders Rural Special Education Quarterly Pub Date : 2018-09-26 Francie Murry
Researchers have demonstrated the positive outcomes of using video self-modeling (VSM) with students with emotional behavior disorders (EBDs). VSM typically refers to teacher-created videos demonstrating desired skills or behaviors where the student is the video model performing the skill at a level higher than his or her typical display. The purpose of this article is to demonstrate the ease and effectiveness
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Supporting Literacy Instruction for Students With Extensive Support Needs in Rural Settings Through Collaboration: So Much Better When We Work Together! Rural Special Education Quarterly Pub Date : 2018-08-23 Katrine S. Gosselin, Todd H. Sundeen
The roles of teachers and related service providers (e.g., speech-language pathologists, occupational therapists, physical therapists) are vital to skill acquisition and meaningful access to the general education curriculum for students who have been identified as having significant or extensive support needs. However, often delivery of instruction can become fragmented and disjointed as time for service
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Applying Systematic Instruction to Teach ELA Skills Using Fictional Novels via an iPad App Rural Special Education Quarterly Pub Date : 2018-08-22 Pamela J. Mims, Carol Stanger, Julie A. Sears, Wendee B. White
Increasingly, researchers have successfully identified strategies to promote comprehension to students who are nonreaders. Further research is needed to replicate these promising results. In the current study, we used a multiple probe across participants design to evaluate the effectiveness of an iPad app, which incorporates evidence-based practices such as constant time delay and system of least prompts
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Practitioner Perceptions of Algebra Strategy and Intervention Use to Support Students With Mathematics Difficulty or Disability in Rural Texas Rural Special Education Quarterly Pub Date : 2018-08-22 Brittany L. Hott, Rebecca-Anne Dibbs, Gil Naizer, Lesli Raymond, Campbell C. Reid, Amelia Martin
Students with mathematics difficulties and disabilities require evidence-based instructional strategies and interventions to improve their mathematical performance. Dissemination of these practices to teachers in rural settings presents specific challenges, including lack of Internet access, few discretionary resources, and geographic isolation. This mixed-method study explored rural Texas teachers’
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Teaching Early Math Skills to Young Children With Disabilities in Rural Blended Early Childhood Settings Rural Special Education Quarterly Pub Date : 2018-08-17 Sarah Hawkins-Lear, Jennifer Grisham-Brown
Two case studies were utilized to teach math skills while embedding the constant time delay teaching strategy. The study targeted children who were at risk for having mathematic difficulty in school due to disabilities, socioeconomic status, and living in a rural area. Four 3- to 5-year-old children with disabilities who attended rural inclusive preschool programs participated. Results indicated that
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Parent Connectors: A Parent-to-Parent Support Program Feasible for Rural Settings Rural Special Education Quarterly Pub Date : 2018-07-28 Kristin Duppong Hurley, Jacqueline Huscroft-D’Angelo
Supporting the needs of youth with emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD) and their families can be challenging in rural settings. Implementing strategies that take into account for and address barriers in rural settings is important. One strategy to improve outcomes for both students with EBD and their families in rural settings is providing parental support. Parent Connectors is a phone-based parent-to-parent
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Riding Fences Rural Special Education Quarterly Pub Date : 2018-07-25 Ginevra R. Courtade
I am pleased to continue our third issue of Volume 37 with a final set of invited commentary from experts in our field. As noted in 37:1, in attempting to ensure an interesting and important look back at issues surrounding rural special education, I invited notable researchers to write about topics or issues that we know have changed significantly over the years. This issue begins with, “The Continuing
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Extending Caregiver Training Via Telecommunication for Rural Icelandic Children With Autism Rural Special Education Quarterly Pub Date : 2018-07-19 Kristín Guðmundsdóttir, Shahla Ala’i-Rosales, Zuilma Gabriela Sigurðardóttir
This study describes the development and evaluation of a behavioral parent training protocol via telecommunication for three parents of preschool children with autism, with limited access to behavioral expertise. A single-subject, multiple baseline experimental design across child behaviors, replicated across parents, was used to evaluate the effects of the training protocol. Dependent measures were
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Using Computer-Assisted Instruction to Teach Science Vocabulary to Students With Autism Spectrum Disorder and Intellectual Disability Rural Special Education Quarterly Pub Date : 2018-07-17 Bethany R. McKissick, Luann Ley Davis, Fred Spooner, Larry B. Fisher, Carlie Graves
Rural special educators face unique challenges in providing high quality special education services, especially when teaching grade-aligned science content. Computer-assisted instruction (CAI) is one strategy that has the potential to address two major challenges (i.e., a lack of preservice training and limited professional development opportunities) in providing grade-aligned content instruction with
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Directed Consultation and Supported Professionalism: Promoting Adaptive Evidence-Based Practices in Rural Schools Rural Special Education Quarterly Pub Date : 2018-06-25 Thomas W. Farmer, Jill V. Hamm, David L. Lee, Brittany I. Sterrett, Karen Rizzo, Abigail S. Hoffman
Although there have been several advances in the development of evidence-based practices (EBPs) to support students with disabilities, many rural schools struggle to use EBPs. Rural schools may experience challenges that constrain their potential to provide support for the implementation of EBPs. Furthermore, there may be a mismatch between EBPs and the circumstances, resources, and needs of many rural
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Participatory Action Research and Student Perspectives in a Rural Postsecondary Education Program Rural Special Education Quarterly Pub Date : 2018-06-21 Kristen Love, Martha Mock
Students with intellectual disabilities have a unique pathway into college, and for many rural areas, this is a relatively new pathway. The reauthorization of the Higher Education Opportunity Act of 2008 (P.L. 110-315) prioritizes inclusive postsecondary education opportunities with an emphasis on students accessing academic, social, and meaningful employment experiences. However, in this legislation
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Assistive Technology for Students With Visual Impairments: A Resource for Teachers, Parents, and Students Rural Special Education Quarterly Pub Date : 2018-05-24 Sultan Turki Bin Tuwaym, Ann Bassett Berry
Assistive technology (AT) for students with visual impairments (VI) is an essential part of their educational program. AT allows students to develop skills, engage in the academic environment, and function independently. Despite the Individuals With Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) mandate for AT as part of a student’s Individualized Education Program (IEP), research has found that rural schools use
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Demographic Changes in Rural America and the Implications for Special Education Programming: A Descriptive and Comparative Analysis Rural Special Education Quarterly Pub Date : 2018-05-23 Jerry Johnson, Matthew A. Ohlson, Shane Shope
In this descriptive and comparative study, we present results highlighting the complexity and scope of the challenges facing rural districts as they navigate the changing demographics of the students and families they serve. Rapid increases in the number and concentration of racially, culturally, and linguistically diverse students in rural areas may have significant implications for teaching and learning
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Easy as A-B-C Rural Special Education Quarterly Pub Date : 2018-05-22 Corey D. Pierce, Tracy Gershwin Mueller
The challenges of working within rural schools can impact successful implementation of a multitiered system of supports (MTSS). Although special education and general education teachers’ responsibilities within a MTSS framework have been addressed through a myriad of school districts across the nation, rural districts face unique challenges that can impact successful MTSS implementation. Some of these
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Priming Mathematics Word Problem Structures in a Rural Elementary Classroom Rural Special Education Quarterly Pub Date : 2018-05-07 Cynthia C. Griffin, Joseph C. Gagnon, Maggie H. Jossi, Tracy G. Ulrich, Jonté A. Myers
This study examined mathematics strategy instruction that primes the common underlying structures of word problems using explicit instruction in a rural elementary classroom with fourth- and fifth-grade students with and without disabilities (n = 27). Although intervention students did not outperform control condition students on a word problem solving (WPS) measure (p = .054), a statistically significant
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