January 2020 – Special Educator e-Journal

Table of Contents

• Special Education Legal Alert. By Perry A. Zirkel
• Buzz from the Hub
• Book Review: Act Like a Leader, Think Like a Leader by Herminia Ibarra. By Lymairy Checo
• Literature Review: Providing Visual Models for Non-verbal Students to Improve Behavioral Outcomes in the Classroom. By Melanie Calise
• Book Review: School Leadership that Works: From Research to Results. By Amanda A. Fernandez
• Literacy Portfolio. By Samantha Ashely Forrest
• Comparing: The End of Molasses Classes and Leading a Culture of Change. By Deborrah Griffin
• Recruiting and Retaining Special Education Teachers in the Public Schools. By Charles Robinson
• Self-Monitoring for Students with Different Abilities: A Review of the Literature. By Luz Arevalo
• Acknowledgements

­

Special Education Legal Alert

By Perry A. Zirkel

© Decmeber 2019

This month’s update concerns issues that were subject to recent, unpublished federal court decisions of general significance: (a) the continuing issue of the need prong for eligibility under the IDEA, and (b) the occasional issue of “reverse attorneys’ fees,” i.e., where the district rather than the parent is the party seeking payment. For both of these issues, see Publications section at perryzirkel.com.

To top

Buzz from the Hub

All articles below can be accessed through the following links:

https://www.parentcenterhub.org/buzz-nov2019-issue2/

Videos for Families and Staff

How to Request a Special Education Assessment
This 7-minute video from Parents Helping Parents (CA) introduces the assessment process used when considering a child for special education services. It’s great for anyone who is new to the process and in need of a simple explanation.

Consent and Kids with Disabilities
Talking about consent with children may feel like a daunting task, but the speaker in this 4-minute video discusses why understanding consent is important for all children, especially those with disabilities. The video comes with a written guide, A Step-by-Step Guide to Talking about Consent with Disabled Kids.

Person-Centered Career Planning Exercise
This 33-minute video from Person Centered Planning demonstrates a person-focused career planning exercise.

Videos for Professional Development and Program Planning

Webinar | Cultural Competence: What it Means for Person-Centered Thinking, Planning, & Practice
Cultural competence is widely recognized as essential to delivering high-quality services and supports. This 1-hour webinar, which includes Diana Autin as a presenter, explores what this means in terms of actual practice and includes real-life examples and personal narratives. (The link above will take you to a webinar archive page. Scroll down to October 2019, and find this webinar’s slides, recording, Spanish transcript, and handouts.)

On The Outs: Reentry for Inmates with Disabilities
This 34-minute documentary follows 3 inmates with disabilities through the reentry process. Each person’s experience is depicted at 3 points: in prison prior to release, on their release date, and life on the “outs” after release. The film can be used to raise awareness about people with disabilities in prison and to stimulate communication and collaborative relationship building for much-needed reentry reform.

To top

Transforming School Culture:Book Review: Act Like a Leader, Think Like a Leader by Herminia Ibarra

By Lymairy Checo

To top

Book Review: School Leadership that Works: From Research to Results

By Amanda A. Fernandez

Robert J. Marzano, Timothy Waters, and Brian A. McNulty. School Leadership That Works: From Research to Results. Virginia: Association for Supervision & Curriculum, 2005. 198 pp. $34.29

Change is a word that might inspire or put fear into people. Leadership is challenging when it comes to dealing with change and how individuals react within the organization to the change. In the book School Leadership that Works: From Research to Results Marzano, McNulty, and Waters (2005) use leadership research in the United States to teach schools how to cope with change and which leadership practices have the biggest impact on student achievement.

Author Robert J. Marzano is a Senior Scholar at Mid-Continent Research for Education and Learning in Aurora, Colorado. He has truly grown in his educational career becoming Vice President of Pathfinder Education, Inc.; and President of Marzano & Associates consulting firm in Centennial, Colorado. He has developed programs and practices used in K–12 classrooms that translate current research and theory in cognition into instructional methods. Author Timothy Waters served as CEO for Mid-continent Research for Education and Learning (McREL) since 1995; before that he worked for 23 years in public education and worked as Superintendent. He is able to provide a teaching perspective as well as an administrative one. Brain McNulty is Vice President of Field Services at McREL (Mid-continent Research for Education and Learning. McNulty has more than 30 years of experience in education; his areas of expertise include leadership development, school effectiveness and improvement, early childhood education, and special education. 

School Leadership that Works: From Research to Results consists of two parts and seven chapters. The first part of the book and three chapter consists of research base about leadership the second part consists of practical application. Based on the author’s research they created a book to help encourage school administrators and teachers with 21 leadership responsibilities that have a significant effect on student achievement. Readers are given a breakdown of these 21 responsibilities and how to incorporate them into your everyday teaching and leadership. The author’s also use the book to provide a five step action plan for leaders to follow in order to bring about achievement not only in students but from the staff as well. What is interesting about it is not only does it to speak to the “administrators” who are the leaders in the school, but to teachers as well empowering them to bring about their on change in their classroom as well.

In School Leadership that Works Marzano introduces 21 responsibilities of a school leader (Appendix A). These leadership responsibilities are used in the two change orders discussed by Marzano, McNulty and Waters (2005). “Some innovations require changes that are gradual and subtle; others require changes that are drastic and dramatic (Marzano, et. al.2005, p.66). The breaking change into two characters made me look at the changes that occur within my own school environment and how relevant it is. The two categories of change happen often in a school environment and good leaders are able to handle these changes and help those around them as well.  And with these types of changes occurring Marzano, McNulty and Waters propose five steps for a plan of effective school leadership to make it through these changes. The first step is developing a leadership team with purpose. The definition used for a purposeful community is one with the collective efficacy and capability to develop and use assets to accomplish goals that mater to all community members through agreed-upon process (Marzano, et. al, 2005). The second step is distributing some responsibilities throughout the leadership team. The third step is to select the right work. The fourth step is to identify the order of magnitude implied by the selected work. The last step is to match the management style to the order of magnitude of the change initiative.

However with the responsibilities associated with these changes, can feel overwhelming. It has two effects in that, it forces you to want to make yourself better and start to develop this responsibilities within; but the negative is that you feel pressured to take on all the responsibilities to feel like you are adequately leading. The books breaks these 21 responsibilities into the top nine leadership responsibilities in order to manage first order change are: 1) Optimizer; 2) Affirmation; 3) Ideals/Beliefs; 4) Situational Awareness; 5) Visibility; 6) Relationships; 7) Communication; 8) Culture: and 9) Input (p.115 ). The school leader with the help of a leadership team must address nine of the twenty-one responsibilities to be a purposeful community in first-order change. 

School Leadership that Works: From Research to Results isvery similar to Fullan’s book Leading in a Culture of Change (2001). Fullan’s book designates opportunities in the fields of education and in the fields of business, where the leadership strategies will be beneficial. They review the ideology of change and how effective leaders can help motivate their staff in the work place. The book highlights how strategies of patience, malleability, resourcefulness, collaboration, and interpersonal skills are in line with what educators face daily. Many of Fullan’s and Marzano, McNulty and Waters ideas correlate as there list 21 responsibilities mirror Fullan’s. Some responsibilities of Marzano, McNulty and Waters such as relationships, resources, communication and more are all traits in which effective leaders need to have.

Change affects people in different ways. Leaders need to be able to respond to the individuals throughout the change process. This book combines rigorous research with practical advice, School Leadership That Works gives school administrators the guidance they need to provide strong leadership for better schools.

To top

Comparing: The End of Molasses Classes and Leading a Culture of Change

By Deborrah Griffin

Abstract

Hamish Brewer writes about his personal education journey and how it led him to persue a career in education where he challenges all of the educational norms in order to make a difference in lives of all students, especially those that most would write off.  His book challenges educators to change the status quo and to not be afraid to color outside of the lines with teaching and reaching all students. 

Comparing: The End of Molasses Classes and Leading a Culture of Change

Hamish Brewer writes, “When you acknowledge, respect, empower, motivate, inspire, and believe in people, you can move mountains.”  He believes that in order to change how teachers teach in schools and how students learn and view school, you first have to build a culture of confidence in the students and allow them to know that they are wanted and loved when they are in your class and school.  Too many times, people tend to do what has always been done because it “works.”  The problem with that is that somethings need to be changed because they don’t work, and people are either unaware that things are broken or are unsure of possible solutions.  In education, it is imperative that teachers, administrators and others involved, are doing all they can do to change the status quo of education to prevent students from being disengaged.  Hamish Brewer leads you through his personal journey and struggle with schooling as a young boy and how it led him to by the educator he is today and why he believes in challenging the status quo inside of education. 

Students are able to spot the teachers who are there day in and day out because it is a way for them to pay their bills, they are also able to see the teachers who truly care about them and their success, not just in the classroom, but in life as well.  Hamish Brewer wrote, “Being relentless in my relationships is all about being authentic and caring enough to say and acknowledge the things that are hard to hear. It’s about being there for people and believe in them when they have a hard time believing in themselves.”  He pushes his staff to create authentic and genuine relationships because he knows that everything within education revolves around having authentic connections.  Students tend to perform better for teachers   It is important for teachers to realize that some students have experienced so much life in a short period that traditional ways of teaching are not going to reach them.  As teachers, it is important to fight for your students and to do whatever is necessary to reach them where they are, not where you want them or where you think they should be. 

Teachers also have to stop the blame game and take accountability for the lessons that are going on inside their rooms and what they students are taking away from the lessons.  When something goes wrong instead of blaming the teachers the students had before you, or blaming the students for not caring enough, teachers need to look in the mirror and figure out where they went wrong and how they can improve to prevent it from happening again.  Teachers also have to get away from the mindset of doing things a specific way because that’s how it’s always been done.  The students they are teaching now are in a different world than the students that sat in their classrooms 5 to 10 years ago.  The things that worked then are not going to work or have the same effect on the students they have today. 

Relentless is full of simplistic ways for teachers and administrators to change education for the students they see and interact with daily.  Most the items Hamish talks about revolve around teachers and administrators changing their attitudes towards their profession and the students, especially by changing their opinions with positive ones even when no one would blame them for having a negative outlook.  One weakness within Relentless deals with gaining community support and changing their perspective of school.  He suggests inviting parents to more activities instead of seeing them as financial supporters for the school.  Teaching in an area where there are various levels of socio-economic status, it is hard to have parental involvement from those who are working and have no choice but to work.  In my school, parents are welcomed to come during any school-based activity (Field Day, Day of Awesomeness, 8^th grade Picnics, etc.) but there are very few who come or are involved with those items even though the invitations are always extended to the parents. Hamish makes it seem so simple that once the initiation is made parents will come around and begin to change their minds and opinions.

Hamish Brewer’s Relentless has some similarities with Michael Fullan’s Leading in a Culture of Change.  One of those similarities deals with relationships. Both books place an emphasis on building and maintaining relationships that are authentic.  People who feel valued or that feel they are of importance are going to be more engaged and willing to put forth more effort.  Without relationships, no one will reach their full potential.  These two books also have several differences.  Fullan’s book revolves around knowing and understanding your moral purpose.  Once you know and understand that, everything else flows from it.  With Brewer’s book, everything deals with building and maintaining relationships. Both of these books bring great ideas for changing school culture and allowing everyone to reach their full potential.

References

Brewer, H. (2019). Relentless: changing lives by disrupting the educational norm. San Diego, CA. Dave Burgess Consulting Inc.

Fullan, M. (2001). Leading in a culture of change. San Francisco, CA. John Wiley & Sons Inc.

To top

Recruiting and Retaining Special Education Teachers in the Public Schools

By Charles Robinson

Abstract

In recent years the United States has experienced a decrease in special education teachers in its’ public-school system.  This shortage has been felt across the country especially in states where annual teaching salaries are low, instructional resources are minimal, technology is nonexistent, and the educational facility is less than stellar.  These disenfranchised schools are often attended by children from low-income families, are located in urban high crime poverty-stricken communities which leads to high turnover rates of highly qualified teachers leaving these schools to solicit uncertified and novice teachers.  This article will focus on the detrimental factors that influence special education teachers’ turnover rates and investigate ways to recruit and retain qualified teachers in the public-school system.

Administrators have struggled to find qualified special education teachers to fill vacancies.  Therefore, thousands of positions have been filled by teachers with no certification or minimal qualifications.  While it could be agreed upon that some teacher turnover may be favorable from time other studies report that these turnover rates do interfere with school constancy for the students as well as the community stakeholders.  For example, when a school loses teachers who have invested themselves in the lives of their students and have built positive community relationships they have a relationship level of meaning that the new teachers coming to replace them does not have. These new teachers are at an immediate disadvantage because the trust factor has to be restored in both the student and the community.  Over time these constant new arrivals efforts of building relationships are thwarted due to constant mental and emotional readjustments (Boe & Southerland, 2008).

In order to solicit qualified special education teachers and most importantly retain them administrators should investigate the reasons why these teachers do not remain in high turnover schools.  According to a major national survey conducted by the National Center for Education Statistics (2019) the reasons site the following:

A. Experience: 50% of teachers leave the school system within the first five years in the classroom. 

B. Working Conditions: According to the survey teachers place significant importance on their working conditions and consider it an important factor in their decision to leave or continue in the teaching profession.  Good working conditions include administrative support, professional development, and teacher education.  Research studies show that teachers who work in affluent and high socioeconomical communities experience better working conditions than those who work in low-income schools.  Special education teachers who work with those disadvantaged students experience less appealing working conditions, with limited support and larger caseloads to handle.  It is evident that working conditions play an important part in a teacher’s decision to continue or leave the profession.  Those that leave contribute to the high teacher attrition rate. 

Current research has shown us that a major factor in the recruitment and retaining of special education teachers is school climate.  Building level administrators (principals) can influence teacher retention by developing a positive school climate.  School climate includes promoting commitment, teacher collaboration, shared values and the implementation of policies and practice that support special education teachers’ work and students learning.  In an effort to retain qualified special educations teachers principals can and should lead system-wide efforts to promote positive student outcomes, involve teachers in leadership and decision-making, provide mentorship, provide continued training, support collaboration and facilitate the work of special education teachers (Leko & Smith, 2010). 

A very important factor that school personnel tend to forge is what can be done to reduce the number of special education teachers who leave each year.  School leaders must focus on how to recruit and hire special education teachers.  Though some states may provide a great deal of support as it relates to recruiting and hiring.  Others offer not as many supports are in place.  Putting some thought into recruitment and hiring will assist in school personnel hiring and retaining certified and effective special education teachers. (Connelly & Graham, 2009). 

Teachers who have extensive experience and training in special education are more likely to remain at a high risk school is because they have developed relationships, they have knowledge of creating curriculum for special need students and they possess the tools to write and develop individual plans for their students.  In contrast those teachers who are hired on a lateral entry level to satisfy a vacant position does not possess the credentials necessary to be successful with special education students. Unfortunately, these teachers are ill prepared to handle the case load of students and they find themselves without adequate support to be successful in their new role.  These teachers are easily overwhelmed and soon leave the school in search of other job opportunities.  It is important that school personnel become proactive by doing the following:

I. Provide teachers with adequate opportunities for professional development and continuous growth. 

II. Recruit diverse candidates and create inclusive, supportive environments to help retain the teachers.

III. Provide new teachers with opportunities to build their skills and gradually assume increased responsibility. 

IV. Recruit and hire early. 

V. Offer incentives and partner with colleges and universities.

Research shows that teachers who receive a range of induction supports are more likely to stay in the teaching profession.  (Smith & Ingersoll, 2004).  Induction is a term used for supports that are put in place to assist teachers in adapting to a new workplace and culture.  Induction programs are more than learning about classes, curriculum and understanding students.  Induction provides information about processes and procedures that help move the workplace forward.  With induction you learn school norms and as time goes on a sense of confidence.  Induction is vital phase of teacher development because I. Teachers need support as they begin to apply what they have learned in pre-service programs in the everyday classroom.  II. New special education teachers are more likely to experience teachers to the leave their jobs.  III. Special education teachers who do not have a lot of experience and lack of preparation are also likely to leave their prepared peers and may need intensive support.  Below are some ways that school administration can increase the overall effectiveness of a teacher induction program are as follows: state the goals of the induction program, provide professional development, provide opportunities for new teachers to connect with others, monitor the effectiveness of the mentoring piece, consider the mentor-mentee match and lastly monitor the effectiveness of the overall induction program within your school district.

Lastly, the most important factor when trying to retain special education teachers is principal support.  Special education teachers who have principals and assistant principals who are encouraging and supportive are likely to stay in that role.  Teachers who feel confident that they have principal support express greater job satisfaction, feelings of commitment to their schools, and typically report less stress due to their jobs.

Principals who are aware of the issues new teachers face and take a proactive approach to supporting these teachers may be able to retain them.  Principals who make sure that they check in on them are more likely to understand the supports that the teachers require.

Principals who engage in behaviors such as listening, considering ideas, sharing respect and being encouraging are viewed by teachers as supportive.  Taking the time to show appreciation for the things that special educators do is an important aspect of support.

There is research that supports the fact that principals need to create an environment that is welcoming for all teachers, staff, students and parents.  Some special education teachers and students with special needs sometimes experience alienation, so principals need to ensure that they are included in the school community. 

References

Boe, E. E., Cook, L. H. & Sunderland, R. J. (2008). Teacher turnover: Examining exit attrition, teach area transfer, and school migration.  Exceptional Children, 75, 7-31.

Connelly, V. & Graham, S. (2009). Student teaching and teacher attrition in special education.  Teacher Education and Special Education, 32, 257-269.

Leko, M. M. & Smit, S. W. (2010). Retaining beginning special educators: What should administrators know and do? Intervention In School and Clinic, 45, 321-325.

Smith, T. M., and Ingersoll, R. M. (2004). What are the effects of induction and mentoring on beginning teacher turnover? American Educational Research Journal, 41, 681-714.

To top

Self-Monitoring for Students with Different Abilities: A Review of the Literature

By Luz Arevalo

Abstract

This is a review of the literature of several articles and studies that include information about the importance of executive functioning. The research articles discussed include students with disabilities, self-monitoring their behavior. The researcher initially discusses why self-monitoring is vital and then introduces digital self-monitoring tools. Additionally, two studies with the implementation of ClassDojo are discussed. Then, the use of token economies for self-monitoring is also addressed. The researcher concluded that, as a result to explicitly teaching students with disabilities to self-monitor their behaviors, their quality of life is improved.

Every person has a different way of dealing with their thoughts, emotions, temptations, and how to control their cognitive and motivation during learning conditions (Roebers, Cimeli, Rothlisberger, & Neuenschwander, 2012).  Due to this, in some inclusive setting various abilities are apparent. All the skills to monitor oneself all fall under the same umbrella, Executive Functioning. A student that lacks Executive Functioning skills may struggle to cope with emotions, regulate their thoughts, monitor themselves or lack intrinsic motivation. Typical students and students with various exceptionalities may struggle with executive functioning, however it is more apparent with students with disabilities. In the intermediate grades, executive functioning skills become of greater importance, due to increase in rigor and independence.  Therefore, negative behaviors may be common due to the lack of these skills. Fundamentally, self-monitoring, an executive functioning skill, is a vital skill that all students should have.

Self-monitoring of own behaviors is essential because it holds the students accountable for their actions. Self-advocacy and self-help skills are then developed, which leads to excellence in academics. To promote teaching in the general education classroom, it is critical to teach self-regulation and learning strategies leaded by the student, to advocate for self-determination and to meet the demands of such setting (Cho, Wehmeyer, & Kingston, 2012).

Self-Monitoring

According to Parker and Kamps (2010), there is a higher level of task completion across many activities when the use of self-monitoring on the task analysis is used. The participants of this study were two students with ASD who were high functioning, nine years old and attended public schools. The study focused on task analysis with self -monitoring to encourage learning functional skills and verbal interaction with two students with ASD.  The research design was a single-subject, multiple baseline probe design that focused on social activities in which the students were either playing a game, cooking or doing restaurant activities. The task analysis materials used for the activities included steps on how to complete all the activities. Additionally, there were social scripts materials to encourage students with Autism to talk during the activities and provide them examples of appropriate communication.  Each intervention sessions lasted about 30 minutes. As the intervention continued, the students were successfully self-monitoring and using the task analysis of the activity and then the written steps were slowly taken away. Fading was done for the social scripts and task analysis components. The data that the researchers collected were the number of completed steps in each task analysis. Furthermore, the experimenter measured the percent of intervals of peer-directed verbalizations, and activity engagement. Since the experimenter used a video camera to observe the data, an interobserver agreement was also used to check the reliability of data.

Therefore, the results were that engagement and peer-directed verbalizations increased, along with self-monitoring and completion of all activities with the use of task analysis. For the male subject in the study, he went from a zero baseline, to 17 completed steps in the task analysis area. The task analysis had 22 possible task analysis steps. The other participant, the female,  had a baseline of 0 and increased to 14 completed steps in the task analysis area. The results of the study turned out this way because promoting self-monitoring is essential for students to understand how to be independent and complete activities. Self-monitoring with task analysis allows the student to comprehend what is expected of them and they learn what they must do in order to complete what is desired. Along with that, socializing and working with peers allows collaboration to be included, which helps students model for one another and increase their independence.  The strategies found in this research support the idea that explicitly teaching self-monitoring can have a great impact of what is expected of students and to increase their independence.

In the study by Xu, Lee and Luke (2017), the use of self-monitoring was paired to guided goal setting with a student with autism in an inclusive setting in China, to promote academic engagement. The participant was a 9-year-old boy, who frequently displayed disruptive behaviors in the classroom. The participant was in third grade and he was diagnosed with mild autism. The student frequently displayed manipulation of stationary items, shaking of his chair, tapping of table.  The study took place in the autism research center and at a public elementary school in a city in China. The intervention used was to self-monitor for 20-minutes in language art class from Monday through Thursday in the general education classroom (Xu, Lee, & Luke, 2017).  The method focused on using a self-monitoring tool that promoted setting goals that would influence self-management, which could allow for growth within academic engagement. The self-monitoring tool consisted of a form that involved a segment in which a goal could be formulated with the guidance of the teacher. This sheet allowed for self-monitoring during specific intervals. After every 15 minutes, the student would put a plus sign or minus sign, based on his behaviors. The data that the researcher collected were the outcome of using a self-monitoring sheet, along with a goal setting with guidance to improve student’s engagement in their academics (Xu, Lee, & Luke, 2017). According to baseline, the participant showed low levels of academic engagement, however with the intervention, it increased from 20% to 43% in Phase 1, then 33%to 53% in Phase 2, 30% to 63% in Phase 3, 57% to 80% in Phase 4, and 67% to 87% in Phase 5. In total, there were 27 intervention sessions across 5 phases (Xu, Lee, Luke, 2017). The participant steadily kept increasing his academic engagement and throughout the process he was self-monitoring on his sheet with a plus or minus sign. In conclusion, the student showed increase in academic engagement in an inclusive classroom due to goal setting and self-monitoring. These results occurred because the student was able to learn how to set a goal, along with self-monitoring which made him accountable for his behaviors. This also made the participant independent. This study contributed to the research proposal because it truly demonstrated that self-monitoring is essential, and it can start at a young age, such as intermediate elementary school.

Digital Self-Monitoring Tools

Another great method for self-monitoring is with the use of technology. In Blood, Johnson, Ridenour, Simmons, and Crouch (2011) study, technology, an iPod, was used for a student to self-monitor their behavior. The participant was a 10-year-old male, in 5^th grade with emotional and behavioral disorders. He displayed frequent off-task and disruptive behavior during small group math instruction and the intervention to alleviate this was to use an iPod touch for video modeling and self-monitoring purposes. On the iPod, the student used it to see video modeling videos on how he should behave during a small group activity. He would watch this 5 minutes prior to small group. Andy would then use the timer on the iPod and would continue self-monitoring on a sheet of paper, every time the timer went off. All data collection took place during the regularly scheduled math group time in the special education classroom (Blood, Johnson, Ridenour, Simmons, & Crouch, 2011).   The experimental design included the use of A-B-BC design, which is a single-subject changing conditions design to see how video modeling and a combination of video modeling and self-monitoring helps the participants on task and disruptive behavior. The participant was explicitly taught how to self-monitor and how to use the iPod touch to see the video modeling and as a timer. In the self-monitoring form, the participant had to use happy faces and sad faces within 10 intervals. For each interval he had to circle which face represented his behavior during the most part of math instruction. The results indicated that the student responded positively to both the video modeling intervention and the self-monitoring. The iPod was convenient because it is portable and accessible to the student. The participants mean percentage of intervals on-task was a 44% in baseline, 81% with video modeling alone, ad 99% with video modeling and self-monitoring combined (Blood, Johnson, Ridenour, Simmons, and Crouch, 2011). The OTA also observed the same trend in the participants’ behavior during the intervention, which means the data is reliable. The results are an evidence that self-monitoring makes a difference for some students. The student needed the self-monitoring portion to completely stay on task and avoid disruptive behaviors. The participant was able to regulate his feelings and work hard to keep getting a smile face on his self-monitoring sheet for 10 intervals. He was aware that he was accountable for his behaviors and if he tried his best, that he would have a sheet filled with a smile face. This was important to the researcher’s study because it showed that self-monitoring allowed students to take ownership in their behavior and it motivated them to work harder. Along with that, technology is a great way to constantly have video modeling and a timer anywhere the student may be.

The following study from Finn, Ramasamy, Dukes and Scott (2015), focused on using another technological tool to increase self-monitoring and positive behavior. The WatchMinder is a vibrating prompt watch and was used during this study. Additionally, a self-graphing tool was used by the participants. The participants included were four students with Autism, in the elementary, special education setting. These students were selected because it was expressed that the students with varying exceptionalities, such as Autism, benefit from interventions that require self-monitoring, which increases their executive functioning skills. (Finn, Ramasamy, Dukes, and Scott, 2015).  Three of the participants were 8 years old and one was 9 years old, all in the third grade. The students were all explicitly taught self-monitoring skills. The dependent variable of the study was the on-task behavior. A participant was considered being on-task if he was demonstrating any of the behaviors listed on his checklist as “working” when the WatchMinder vibrated (Finn, Ramasamy, Dukes, & Scott, 2015).  The WatchMinder was worn by these students and they were set to a 2-minute interval, in which it vibrated. If the students were on task during those times, they would get a check mark. By the end of the 30-minute session, if the students had 13 checks out of 15 for on task they would get a reward. After the student were comfortable with the WatchMinder, the self-graphing was added to the intervention. The students would graph their data points on the Data Manager Pro application, which was on an iPad. Fading was also implemented in the study and instead of 2-minute intervals for the watch to vibrate, it was changed to 5-minute fixed interval. The students were able to demonstrate 5 consecutive sessions of on-task behavior for 80% or more intervals. As a result, all students showed increase in positive, on task behavior and grew independence by self-monitoring. These results were made possible because the use of technology and the explicit teaching of self-monitoring skills allows for the students to be independent and have control of their behavior. The WatchMinder was shown to work for students with Autism, due to its prompting, which allowed for growth in on-task behaviors across all participants. This allowed for increase in time being used wisely in class and independent working at their desks (Finn, Ramasamy, Dukes, & Scott, 2015).  This was extremely important results for the researcher because it definitely demonstrated that students in third grade are capable of using technology to prompt themselves and to self-monitor their own behaviors. Students engage more when they are able to do things for themselves and technology allows them to feel independent and in control.

Another technological tool that was studied by Schuck, Emmerson, Ziv, Collins, Arastoo, Warschauer, and Lakes (2016) is an iPad app called iSelfControl. This iPad app was used to monitor and improve classroom behavior for children with ADHD. The participants included all students in a fifth-grade classroom, whom were the ages of 9-11 years and males.  All the students had ADHD and have related deficits in attention and self-control. The iSelf Control was piloted in this single classroom.  The collection of data started on the first day of school that involved observing and the teacher would record the amount of points collected for each center, which was every 30 minutes and then the students would how many points he thought he earned, based on his behavior (Schuck, Emmerson, Ziv, Collins, Arastoo, Warschauer, & Lakes,2016). The method was the use of iSelfControl in the classroom. Students would earn points for following key behaviors for school success. Each 30-minute period the teacher would provide points or reduce points based on behaviors. As a result, having to stop every 30 minutes to award or reduce points for all students was not feasible for the teacher. This would not be easily reproduced in a typical educational setting. It would be better to have longer intervals in a typical setting. As a result, after the project being piloted for 6 weeks, it was not enough time to clearly see the impact of iSelfControl. Students were often out of the classroom for further instruction outside of class and/or the student would be absent. In addition, the students were already accustomed to a universal token economy system. Along with the generalizability of the tool to more typical settings must be taken to consideration. Although there were some setbacks, the findings of the study supports that iSelfControl can improve self-awareness and self-regulation for those who lack executive functioning skills (Schuck, Emmerson, Ziv, Collins, Arastoo, Warschauer, & Lakes, 2016). This study was vital for the research because the limitations of this study had to be taken to consideration with the participants. Often in the setting of the study, students are being pulled out to the resource room and to RTI intervention, therefore the researcher had to collaborate with the teachers outside the classroom and come up with a way to remove or add Class Dojo points of the student, based on their behavior outside the researcher’s classroom. This increased generalization among the school setting because the good behaviors demonstrated anywhere outside of the researcher’s classroom indicated a reward. Additionally, the research on iSelfControl, allowed for the researcher to know that explicit teaching of all software and the meaning of the items on it is essential to increase student’s engagement. The research project also took into consideration the fixed interval time to add or remove points from ClassDojo, based on the information of this research too.

Moreover, this study was conducted by Vogelgesang, Bruhn, Coghill-Behrends, Kern and Troughton (2016), with participants that have difficulty with self-regulation skills and have ADHD. The use of technology for self-monitoring is becoming popular. For example, in this single-subject study an application called SCOREIT is being tested to with three, fifth graders to see if their behavior can improve. The students used the SCOREIT app to monitor their behavior, some had ADHD or were at risk of it. The study took place in an elementary school in a Midwestern school district. These three students were chosen by the teacher because they would often show defiant behavior or low academic engagement, and students who were given a questionnaire and got an at risk for ADHD, were chosen for the study as well. (Vogelgesang, Coghill-Behrends, Kern, & Troughton, 2016). The dependent variable was the academic engagement, recording system and reliability.  The independent variable was the iPad app called SCOREIT, which used for self-monitoring. According to Vogelgesang, Coghill-Behrends,Kern, and Troughton ( 2016),  the application allowed for the students and the teachers to rate behaviors every 10 minutes. The class duration was usually about 45 to 60 minutes. However, the class did not always start on time, so the students would on average have three to four opportunities to rate their behaviors during the sessions.   

Due to this intervention, all the students showed increase of positive behavior. They were all engaged and self-monitoring. They were also about to maintain the positive behavior with the fading of the SCOREIT application. However, limitations include no generalization probes and limited number of data points per phase. These results occurred because the students had a visual and constant technology to self-monitor. It allowed the student to be accountable for their own actions and the app was user friendly. The results from this research guided the researcher personal research with ClassDojo because the student had to self-monitor their behavior, which had the students engaged and intrinsically motivated to gain as many points as they can. Additionally, the students had to generalize those positive behaviors everywhere they went, and fading was done once the students gained independence and generalization.

ClassDojo

The following study by Luma da Rocha Seixas, Gomes, and de Melo Filho (2016), focused on ClassDojo and ClassBadges. This study was developed to demonstrate the effectiveness of gamification in the engagement of students. Using of gamification is an essential component of getting students engaged and for the progression of their knowledge (Luma da Rocha Seixas, Gomes, & de Melo Filho, 2016). The participants included two groups at a public elementary school, total of 61 students in Brazil. The students were between 13 and 14 years old, both male and female in the 8^th grade of elementary school in Geometry class. The use of ClassDojo and ClassBadges platforms were selected as interventions for this study. The Game mechanics are included in ClassDojo and ClassBadges. Game Mechanics have the capability of motivating players because it includes a variety of techniques, widgets, and instruments that allow for a website or application to be gamified (Luma da Rocha Seixas, Gomes, & de Melo Filho, 2016). Typcail game mechanics used in games include: a test, ranking, rewards, points, achievement, and any positive reinforcement for the player (Luma da Rocha Seixas, Gomes, & de Melo Filho, 2016). Games motivate students or any player because game mechanics allow them to meet their needs and desires through these rewards and/or accomplishments they receive once they accomplish something. ClassDojo was used to reward the objectives. It allows the creation of positive behaviors and the teacher can give rewards in real time and a report is used to evaluate students individually. The data collection included a mixture of observation, semi-structured interview and survey. As a result, the data from the research showed the effectiveness of using gamification as a strategy to engage students from elementary school.  The students had higher motivation to perform positive behavior because they were able to get immediately rewarded with a point of a badge on both of these online platforms. The students with the most points and badges demonstrated increased levels of engagement. Along with that, the students were able to collaborate with one another and communicate in a positive way to get points and badges. The results of this study demonstrated that the use of a gamification promoted extrinsic and intrinsic motivation among students. This method was beneficial to these particular students because they are able to self-monitor their behaviors and work hard to gain points and badges, in order to gain rewards. The students loved the visuals and the excitement they had when they met their needs or desires from ClassDojo and ClassBadges. Although, the study was done with a typical population, the results correlated similarly to the researchers’ third grade, inclusive class. The participants in the third grade, loved games. The researcher used ClassDojo to promote positive behaviors, increase growth mindset, promote generalization across different setting, collaboration with other teachers and parents, and to show that ClassDojo can work for any population, typical and various exceptionalities.

In the next research conducted by Homer, Khe Foon and Cheng Yong (2018), gamification was discussed due to the use of ClassDojo as an intervention. In ClassDojo, the use of badges and points are used. Self-efficacy is activated by the badges and points because it allows the participants to see their progression, compare it with others, and get feedback on their performance (Homer, Khe Foon, & Cheng Yong, 2018). ClassDojo works like a token economy, however it also promotes engagement. Digital badges and points may foster better student engagement because it makes the coursework look more like a game-like challenge rather than a chore (Homer, Khe Foon, & Cheng Yong, 2018). This study was conducted to compare digital token economy with classroom paper and pencil token system. The participants are students in the English class at an Elementary school in Hong Kong. Two classes from Grades 1, 2, 3, and 4 participated in this study for 16 weeks. The participants’ ages ranged from 6 years old to 11 years old. These classrooms were selected because the same teacher taught all of these courses. Out of two classes selected per grades, one served as a control group and the other class was the experimental class. Due to the study being in China, English was a second-language for most students (Homer, Khe Foon, & Cheng Yong, 2018). With this intention, four of them were part of the digital badges-and points afforded by ClassDojo, while the four others did not have a digital conventional school token point system. The experiment design started with the English teacher clearly stating the rules and explicitly expressed how to get points for the ClassDojo. During the teacher’s lesson, points were awarded when the students achieved the targeted behavior or learning objectives. When points were deducted the students demonstrated negative behaviors outlined in the class. As a result, the digital token economy showed that it was engaging, positive, and increased on-task behaviors, rather than non-digital token point system group. According to Homer, Khe Foon, &Cheng Yong (2018), ClassDojo had an effect on Grades 3 and 4 students on their oral scores, compared to those that used the non-digital point system. A possible reason why this occurred is because the students were more engaged, which allowed for more participation, completion of work, and longer on-task time. Besides that, with Grades 1 and 2, there were no great difference in the Reading scores between the experimental and control groups. The researchers believe that the young age had an effect on these results.

These results were important to the researcher because they exhibited why ClassDojo promoted engagement and self-regulation of behaviors. The results indicated that ClassDojo encouraged self-monitoring and positive behavior. These results also contributed to the academic performance of the students. The students in the intermediate age showed determination and increase of positive behavior and academic work. Although the participants did not indicate any exceptionalities, these results may be reliable among all populations of students.

Token Economy

This study was conducted by Carnett et al. (2014) and involved a single subject study of a seven-year-old boy with autism who was given a treatment design that included perseverative interest-based token economy. The method involved using a token economy with items that are constant interests and a token economy without items with a steady interest. According to the Childhood Autism Rating Scale (CARS; Schopler et al.1980), the participant had mild to moderate symptoms of Autism (Carnett et al., 2014). The method used was to have a token economy system that did not include items with his steady interest, which included the use of pennies with  for his token board, while the other token economy system used an item of constant interest of his, which involved jigsaw puzzles.  The data collected were based on the challenging behavior and on-task behavior. Some of the behaviors that the researchers were trying to reduce with the token economy was the screaming, falling or lying on the floor. The researchers wanted to increase his sitting time, his active listening time, and a total decrease of the screaming, falling or lying on the floor (Carnett et al., 2014). The challenging behaviors were recorded with 10 seconds partial interval recording, while on-task behaviors were recorded using 10 seconds whole-interval recording. In the token economy with perseverative interests resulted in decrease in challenging behavior and an increase of on task behaviors. The study demonstrated the good use of using student’s interest to increase the desired behaviors and to generalize those behaviors in different settings, such as an inclusive classroom. The researcher will use these results to improve the usage of student’s interest to reduce challenging behavior in their classroom.

In the study of Pritchard, Penney, and Mace (2018), token economies for students with intellectual and other developmental disabilities were used. The ACHIEVE! Program was used as an intervention to reduce severe problem behaviors, which involved points and a leveled system. The participants were nine male pupils attending a residential special school over a 5-year period. The ages ranged from 15 to 19 years and they are placed in the school for about 17 to 59 months. All the students that were in the school were admitted for severe problem behavior. The ACHIEVE! Program which involves five prosocial skills and skills points are earned, not lost. Along with this, backup reinforcers were used to reinforce their behavior with a preferred item or activity. The method involved having everyone get an incentive when positive behavior was demonstrated. The students had access to a 2-Star Menu system, a 5 Star Menu system, bank money, and points. The students had constant access to reinforcers, rather than reduction of them. The ACHIEVE! program was also successful due to having a solution to the functions of the problem behavior (Pritchard, Penney, & Mace, 2018). In result, all participants but one student, showed reductions in severe problem behavior as they progressed through the level system. This most likely occurred because the students had access to a reward for trying and for doing outstanding in the classroom. The results of this study were beneficial to the researcher’s study because the use of incentives was essential to further motivate students. Moreover, all students are capable of self-monitoring and a token economy with constant motivation is a successful way for students to learn positive behavior.

Overall, the literature review allowed the researcher to see that self-monitoring is a skill that has to be explicitly taught and students benefit from learning how to do this independently. Furthermore, technology is vital to use with students because there are several apps and tools that can be used that are portable, free and user friendly, which results in successful skill building and intrinsic motivation. All of this allows the students to demonstrate their full capability in being successful in the learning environment. The researcher also came to the realization that there is a lack of research that demonstrates the use of ClassDojo with students with exceptionalities and how the skills learned are generalized in various settings. Not to mention, there was a lack of research about collaboration with parents and other teachers to reinforce the executive functioning skills in various settings.

References

Blood, E., Johnson, J. W., Ridenour, L., Simmons, K., & Crouch, S. (2011). Using an iPod Touch to teach social and self-management skills to an elementary student with emotional/behavioral disorders. Education & Treatment of Children, 34(3), 299–321.

Carnett, A., Raulston, T., Lang, R., Tostanoski, A., Lee, A., Sigafoos, J., & Machalicek, W. (2014). Effects of a Perseverative Interest-Based Token Economy on Challenging and On-Task Behavior in a Child with Autism. Journal of Behavioral Education, 23(3), 368–377. doi-org.ezproxy.fiu.edu/10.1007/s10864-014-9195-7

Cho, H.-J., Wehmeyer, M. L., & Kingston, N. M. (2012). The Effect of Social and Classroom Ecological Factors on Promoting Self-Determination in Elementary School. Preventing School Failure, 56(1), 19–28. doi:https://doi-.org.ezproxy.fiu.edu/10.1080/1045988X.2010.548419

Finn, L., Ramasamy, R., Dukes, C., & Scott, J. (2015). Using WatchMinder to Increase the On Task Behavior of Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Journal of Autism & Developmental Disorders, 45(5), 1408–1418.  doiorg.ezproxy.fiu.edu/10.1007/s10803-014-2300-x

Homer, R., Khe Foon Hew, & Cheng Yong Tan. (2018). Comparing Digital Badges-and-Points with Classroom Token Systems: Effects on Elementary School ESL Students’ Classroom Behavior and English Learning. Journal of Educational Technology & Society, 21(1), 137–151.

Luma da Rocha Seixas, L., Gomes, A. S., & de Melo Filho, I. J. (2016). Effectiveness of  gamification in the engagement of students. Computers in Human Behavior, 58, 48–63. doi-org.ezproxy.fiu.edu/10.1016/j.chb.2015.11.021

Parker, D., & Kamps, D. (2010). Effects of Task Analysis and Self-Monitoring for Children With Autism in Multiple Social Settings. Focus on Autism and Other Developmental Disabilities,26(3), 131-142. doi:10.1177/1088357610376945

Pritchard D, Penney H, Mace FC. The ACHIEVE! program: A point and level system for reducing severe problem behavior. Behavioral Interventions. 2018;33:41–55. https://doi-org.ezproxy.fiu.edu/10.1002/bin.1506

Roebers, C. M., Cimeli, P., Röthlisberger, M., & Neuenschwander, R. (2012). Executive functioning, metacognition, and self-perceived competence in elementary school children: An explorative study on their interrelations and their role for school achievement. Metacognition and Learning, 7(3), 151-173. doi:http://dx.doi.org.ezproxy.fiu.edu/10.1007/s11409-012-9089-9

Schuck, S., Emmerson, N., Ziv, H., Collins, P., Arastoo, S., Warschauer, M., … Lakes, K. (2016). Designing an iPad App to Monitor and Improve Classroom Behavior for Children with ADHD: iSelfControl Feasibility and Pilot Studies. PLoS ONE, 11(10), 1–13. doi-org.ezproxy.fiu.edu/10.1371/journal.pone.0164229

Sheng Xu, Jie Wang, Lee, G. T., & Luke, N. (2017). Using Self-Monitoring with Guided Goal Setting to Increase Academic Engagement for a Student with Autism in an Inclusive Classroom in China. Journal of Special Education, 51(2), 106–114. doi org.ezproxy.fiu.edu/10.1177/0022466916679980

Vogelgesang, K., Bruhn, A., Coghill-Behrends, W., Kern, A., & Troughton, L. (2016). A Single Subject Study of a Technology-Based Self-Monitoring Intervention. Journal of Behavioral Education, 25(4), 478–497. doi-org.ezproxy.fiu.edu/10.1007/s10864-016-9253-4

To top

Latest Employment Opportunities Posted on NASET 

* Head of School – The Westview School seeks a dynamic, enthusiastic and engaging leader who is excited by the school’s distinctive mission, history, culture, and values. The appointee will have strong leadership skills and a genuine knowledge and love for children on the autistic spectrum. To learn more – Click here

* Long Term Sub Special Education 4th Grade STEM Teacher – The Quad Preparatory School is an alternative, non-profit, K-12 college preparatory school dedicated to the education of Twice Exceptional Students — bright, neurodiverse, and creative children who learn differently. The Quad Preparatory School is a young, fast-growing school founded five years ago, and also a vibrant professional learning community for employees. To learn more – Click here

* Principal – Julie Billiart Schools – (“JB Schools”) is a network of Catholic, non-public schools serving children in grades K-8 with special learning challenges. Currently operating on two campuses in Lyndhurst and Akron with plans to expand to a third campus in Greater Cleveland in August 2021, JB Schools creates unique learning environments for students with autism, ADD/ADHD, dyslexia and social learning challenges. To learn more – Click here

* Classroom Special Educators Needed – Fulltime NYS Certified Special Education Teacher needed in Manhattan, Brooklyn or Bronx private schools for children with developmental and behavioral delays. The position offers a competitive salary and benefits. The ideal candidate is a school-based professional with a friendly and team player demeanor. To learn more – Click here

* Teacher Assistant – The Teacher Assistant assists the classroom teacher in carrying out the academic and behavioral objectives set forth in the child’s Individualized Education Plan (IEP) by providing direct instructional services to students and performing non-teaching support duties under the supervision of the classroom teacher. To learn more – Click here

* Resource Specialist – The Resource Specialist is a certificated, exempt position with Element Education, Inc. (EEI) which operates Dimensions Collaborative and Community Montessori Charter Schools. The Resource Specialist directly reports to the Director of Special Education. The Resource Specialist will work directly with the Director of Special Education to implement the EEI’s Special Education programs and provide support and guidance to Educational Facilitators and parents of students with special needs. To learn more – Click here

* Special Education Teacher – Eastern Illinois Area of Special Education (Charleston, IL). Spec. Ed. Teacher. Develop materials for indiv. programs, goals/objectives for students, and evaluate acad/therapeutic/social growth for Spec. Ed students (K – age 21). Keep records and progress reports. Give standardized tests, other evaluative materials, maintain IEPs. To learn more – Click here

To top

Acknowledgements

Portions of this or previous month’s NASET’s Special Educator e-Journal were excerpted from:

• Center for Parent Information and Resources
• Committee on Education and the Workforce
• FirstGov.gov-The Official U.S. Government Web Portal
• Journal of the American Academy of Special Education Professionals (JAASEP)
• National Collaborative on Workforce and Disability for Youth
• National Institute of Health
• National Organization on Disability
• Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
• U.S. Department of Education
• U.S. Department of Education-The Achiever
• U.S. Department of Education-The Education Innovator
• U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
• U.S. Department of Labor
• U.S. Food and Drug Administration
• U.S. Office of Special Education

The National Association of Special Education Teachers (NASET) thanks all of the above for the information provided for this or prior editions of the Special Educator e-Journal

To top

To View or Download a PDF file for this issue of the Special Educator e-Journal  –  CLICK HERE

To top