Project Description:
Students with disabilities lag behind their peers in achievement in science. The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP, 2009) reported that 13 percent of students with disabilities in grade 4 were proficient in science, but by grade 12 only 4 percent were proficient. Little research has been conducted to develop and evaluate science interventions for students with disabilities (Cawley, Hayden, Cade, & Baker, 2002; Rappolt-Schlichtmann, 2007).
The purpose of this 2-year project is to examine significant questions related to the development of achievement in science in young teens at-risk or with disabilities, namely (1) to evaluate the effectiveness of TeenACE as applied to science in increasing academic achievement; (2) to develop promising intervention strategies based on multimedia technology. Participants are students in Hawaii, a majority of whom are Pacific Islanders (Native Hawaiians) and Asians (Filipinos), in 6th grade inclusive science classes. Our 2 partner schools, King Kalakaua Middle (urban) and Aka?ula School (rural), are based in communities with key cultural and linguistic characteristics (including poor economic conditions) that challenge the typical approaches to the teaching and learning of science.
Previously, we developed TeenACE Reading and Writing Programs for struggling learners in middle and high schools with promising results. Struggling readers/writers are given the task of writing a report based on a set of pictures and using multimedia software. They generate and write sentences, listen to them, read and record them, and eventually demonstrate and discuss their work with peers, teachers, and other authentic audiences. They write multiple reports with incremental literacy demands. Early outcomes, with both ESL and Special Education populations, indicate that teens are highly engaged by this use of multimedia and make rapid gains in vocabulary, reading fluency, comprehension and writing skills. We will research this approach as applied to teaching science and associated expository writing.
Approximately 60 students of all abilities (20 from each classroom each semester), will participate in the program under the direction of the classroom teacher, who will be trained how to use the TeenACE for Science step-by-step protocols and software. The research team will provide training and ongoing support. Students under the RTI model, recommended by teachers or parents, will receive more intensive intervention and progress monitoring. The researchers will use an iterative design/process, which collects data and feedback from both participants and experts as the intervention is developed and tested. Summative standardized measures (pre/post with WJIII Tests of Academic Achievement) and formative Curriculum Based Measures (CBM) and will be gathered. Data analysis will include: small group descriptive analysis with pre/post measures; visual analysis of graphs from student generated curriculum based measures; fidelity with coaching protocols; qualitative analysis of pre/post surveys, interviews and observations to document efficacy and social validity. Products will include a program manual, training videos, and software protocols for teachers and coaches on how to use TeenACE for Science technology and instructional strategies to support the school?s chosen curriculum.
Conclusions from the study will be used to plan appropriate effectiveness research (Phase 2).
Target Audience:
Students/Trainees (long or intermediate trainees), Community Trainees / Short term trainees, Professionals and Para-Professionals, Family Members/Caregivers, Children/Adolescents with Disabilities/SHCN
Unserved or Under-served Populations:
Racial or Ethnic Minorities, Disadvantaged Circumstances, Limited English, Geographic Areas, Rural/Remote, Urban
