Assessing the Impact of Academic Placement on Academic Achievement Among 5th Graders with Disabilities: A Causal-Comparative Inquiry

dc.contributor.advisorKouzekanani, Kamiar
dc.contributor.authorRivera, Roana Kasandra
dc.contributor.committeeMemberMcCaleb, Karen
dc.contributor.committeeMemberYoung, Chase
dc.contributor.committeeMemberSanford, Amy Aldridge
dc.date.accessioned2017-07-24T21:10:43Z
dc.date.available2017-07-24T21:10:43Z
dc.date.issued2017-05
dc.descriptionA dissertation Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of DOCTOR OF EDUCATION in EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP from Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi in Corpus Christi, Texas.en_US
dc.description.abstractSince the mid ‘70s, school districts have been trying to place students with disabilities in the least restricted environment. As governments strive to create a more inclusive society, an inclusive academic setting for students with disabilities has become a priority. The purpose of the study was to examine the impact of academic setting on academic achievement in reading, science, and mathematics among 5th grade students with disabilities. The hypotheses were that 5th graders with disabilities receiving academic instruction in a segregated setting perform differently in reading, science, and mathematics than do those receiving instruction in an inclusive setting. The study utilized an ex post facto, casual-comparative research design. The independent variable was the educational placement with two levels. The segregated level was identified by only the students with disabilities. The comparison level consisted of students with disabilities in the general education setting. The outcome measures were academic achievement in reading, science, and mathematics. The characteristic-present group consisted of a non-probability sample of 20 5th grade students with an instructional arrangement code of 42; indicating 21% to less than 50% of the academic school day is spent in a special education setting, receiving direct instruction from a special education teacher. The comparison group consisted of 50 5th grade students with an instructional arrangement code of 40; indicating 0% of the academic school day is spent in a special education setting. Due to the non-experimental nature of the study, no causal inferences were drawn. Due to the non-probability nature of the sampling technique, external validity was limited to the study’s participants. After adjusting the data on the basis of gender, which was a confounding variables, it was concluded that academic achievement in reading and mathematics was not impacted by academic setting. Academic achievement in science was impacted by the intervention and favored the inclusive setting. All effect sizes were meaningful and favored the inclusive setting. A series of power analysis showed that the small sample of the subjects in the characteristic-present group could have contributed to the lack of statistical significance in the findings. It was also concluded that gender must be taken into consideration in designing instructional settings for children with disabilities. Students with disabilities, who are receiving special education services, are not only held accountable for the same academic standards within the academic setting, but are also held accountable for meeting state standards on the STAAR assessments. The results of the study may provide an understanding of what adjustments need to be made to be sure students with disabilities are receiving the best education possible.en_US
dc.description.collegeCollege of Education and Human Developmenten_US
dc.description.departmentEducational Leadership, Curriculum & Instructionen_US
dc.format.extent96 pages.en_US
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/1969.6/3804
dc.language.isoen_USen_US
dc.rightsThis material is made available for use in research, teaching, and private study, pursuant to U.S. Copyright law. The user assumes full responsibility for any use of the materials, including but not limited to, infringement of copyright and publication rights of reproduced materials. Any materials used should be fully credited with its source. All rights are reserved and retained regardless of current or future development or laws that may apply to fair use standards. Permission for publication of this material, in part or in full, must be secured with the author and/or publisher.en_US
dc.rights.holderRivera, Roana Kasandra
dc.subjectdisabilitiesen_US
dc.subjectelementaryen_US
dc.subjectinclusiveen_US
dc.subjectsegregateden_US
dc.subjectspecial educationen_US
dc.subjectstaaren_US
dc.titleAssessing the Impact of Academic Placement on Academic Achievement Among 5th Graders with Disabilities: A Causal-Comparative Inquiryen_US
dc.typeTexten_US
dc.type.genreDissertationen_US
dcterms.typeText
thesis.degree.disciplineEducational Leadershipen_US
thesis.degree.grantorTexas A & M University--Corpus Christien_US
thesis.degree.levelDoctoralen_US
thesis.degree.nameDoctor of Educationen_US

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