Abstract

The purpose of this mixed methods study was to investigate the design and implementation of the Pull-Out and the Co-Teaching special education resource models at 2 elementary schools in the Golden Cactus Elementary School District and to compare the student reading performance of 56 3rd through 5th grade students, by grade level, who participated in one of the two models at the selected schools during the 2010-2011 school year, to determine which model was associated with higher levels of student success and under what circumstances. The following two research questions guided this study: 1. How does the 2010-2011 reading performance of 3rd through 5th grade elementary students with a diagnosed specific learning disability in reading, as measured by the Galileo criterion-referenced assessment, compare by Program service models at 2 selected elementary schools in the Golden Cactus Elementary School District? 2. What type of professional development, resources, and support, if any, do the Golden Cactus Elementary School District elementary school principals, resource teachers and co-teaching general education teachers at two selected elementary school sites believe are needed to best implement the Pull-Out and Co-Teaching special education Resource Model delivery options at their sites? Overall, the study revealed no significance between the Co-Teaching and Pull-Out instructional models on the student reading achievement of 3rd, 4th and 5th grade students identified with a specific learning disability in reading. Because the findings revealed little difference overall in compared performance, and because these findings are counter to literature findings, further research will need to be conducted in order to truly make conclusions about the effectiveness of the 2 programs. The results of this study suggest that proper training was needed to create a foundation for expected instruction. It also suggests that there was a range of understanding which impacts student achievement. This study was the first step in examining the impact of both Pull-Out and Co-Teaching instructional practices on students identified with a specific learning disability. It is important that instructors be assisted with the specific skills needed to implement the instructional delivery models critical for higher levels of student

Library of Congress Subject Headings

Dissertations (EdD) -- Educational leadership, administration, and policy; Reading -- Study and teaching; Education, Elementary -- Arizona -- Evaluation; Educational tests and measurements; Special education teachers -- Training of

Date of Award

2012

School Affiliation

Graduate School of Education and Psychology

Department/Program

Education

Degree Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctorate

Faculty Advisor

Purrington, Linda;

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