Education & Special Populations

Academic Ableism: Disability and Higher Education Academic Ableism brings together disability studies and institutional critique to recognize the ways that disability is composed in and by higher education, and rewrites the spaces, times, and economies of disability in higher education to place disability front and center. For too long, argues Jay Timothy Dolmage, disability has been constructed as the antithesis of higher education, often positioned as a distraction, a drain, a problem to be solved. The ethic of higher education encourages students and teachers alike to accentuate ability, valorize perfection, and stigmatize anything that hints at intellectual, mental, or physical weakness, even as we gesture toward the value of diversity and innovation. Examining everything from campus accommodation processes, to architecture, to popular films about college life, Dolmage argues that disability is central to higher education, and that building more inclusive schools allows better education for all.

The Achievement Gap : A Poverty Crisis, Not an Education Crisis The achievement gap is one of the most talked about issues in U.S. education. It shows up in grades, standardized test scores, course selection, dropout rates, and college completion. This book argues that the focus on the gap is misplaced. Today, we need to look at the societal factors that have accumulated over time and have resulted in poverty level pay for teachers, lack of resources in out poorest schools and an abundance of children entering our schools unprepared. Dr. Wages has written a detailed, well documented book that can serve as an informative resource to create an awareness of the multidimensional and complex issues of poverty.

Achieving Equity and Excellence: Immediate Results from the Lessons of High-Poverty, High-Success Schools Achieve high performance for all in your school. In Achieving Equity and Excellence, author Douglas Reeves outlines how to make dramatic improvements to student learning, behavior, and attendance in a single semester. Study the mindset of high-poverty, high-success schools and follow their example to implement the equitable and just practices necessary to make student success a sustainable reality. Use this resource to empower students, teachers, and administrators: Study the landmark research on the practices of high-performing, high-poverty schools, and discover updated research showing how these results can be applied. Discover what high-poverty schools do differently to achieve high performance, and learn how to implement these strategies in your classroom. Transform any school into an effective and productive school through learner-centered teaching. Learn the importance of action during the change process and why action must come before belief to implement equitable teaching practices. Explore effective accountability systems, the different levels of accountability, and how these systems should be implemented to meet the needs of diverse learners.

Careers in Human Services

Climbing a Broken Ladder: Contributors of College Success for Youth in Foster Care Although foster youth have college aspirations similar to their peers, fewer than one in ten ultimately complete a two-year or four-year college degree. What are the major factors that influence their chances of succeeding? Climbing a Broken Ladder advances our knowledge of what can be done to improve college outcomes for a student group that has largely remained invisible in higher education. Drawing on data from one of the most extensive studies of young people in foster care, Nathanael J. Okpych examines a wide range of factors that contribute to the chances that foster youth enroll in college, persist in college, and ultimately complete a degree. Okpych also investigates how early trauma affects later college outcomes, as well as the impact of a significant child welfare policy that extends the age limit of foster care. The book concludes with data-driven and concrete recommendations for policy and practice to get more foster youth into and through college.

Collaboration, Coteaching, and Coaching in Gifted Education his must-have resource: Provides gifted educators with methods and strategies for successful co-planning, coteaching, coaching, and collaboration. Enables effective management of differentiation. Increases educators' understanding of gifted students' needs. Features the tools and how to steps for facilitating and maintaining collaborative work in order to challenge and support gifted students all day, every day. Encourages professional learning and a focus on shared responsibility and reflection. The book also includes considerations for working with special populations, including twice-exceptional students, underachievers, and culturally, linguistically, and economically diverse learners, as well as meeting students' social-emotional needs, collaborating with families and communities, and advocating for gifted education.

College Success for Students with Disabilities The demanding workload and fast pace of college often overwhelm students. Without access to the right resources, many of the three million U.S. college students with disabilities fail or drop out--at a much higher rate than their peers. This guide helps students, parents, counselors and psychologists find the appropriate resources and accommodations to help students with disabilities successfully transition to college. The author explains Americans with Disabilities Act laws and outlines steps for requesting and implementing college staff, classroom and testing accommodations. Student testimonies are included, advising on which assistive technologies and resources have worked to achieve academic success.

College Success for Students with Learning Disabilities College Success for Students With Learning Disabilities offers students the knowledge, guidance, and strategies they need to effectively choose a college, prepare for university life, and make the most of their collegiate experience. This revised edition: Outlines the rights and responsibilities of students with learning disabilities. Gives advice on talking to professors and peers, getting involved, and asking for and receiving accommodations. Helps students utilize their strengths to meet and exceed academic standards. Provides additional information on autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and ADHD. Includes a handy guide to universities with special programs and advice from current college students with disabilities. Planning for college can be one of the biggest moments in any student's life, but for students with disabilities, the experience can be challenging on many different levels. This book will empower future students and provide them with hope for success.

Creating Inclusion and Well-Being for Marginalized Students It is increasingly challenging for teachers to educate without a deeper understanding of the experience of their students. This is particularly the case in marginalised groups of young people who are subject to loss, grief, trauma and shame. Through a snapshot of the diverse student populous, this book explores the impact of these experiences on a student's learning and success. Topics covered include poverty, obesity, incarceration, immigration, death, sexual exploitation, LGBT issues, psychodrama, the expressive arts, resilience, and military students. The authors share the children's perspective, and through case studies they offer solutions and viable objectives.

Disability and World Language Learning The release of a report by the Modern Language Association, "Foreign Languages and Higher Education: New Structures for a Changed World," focused renewed attention on college foreign language instruction at the introductory level. Frequently, the report finds, these beginning courses are taught by part-time and untenured instructors, many of whom remain on the fringes of the department, with little access to ongoing support, pedagogical training, or faculty development. When students with sensory, cognitive or physical disabilities are introduced to this environment, the results can be frustrating for both the student (who may benefit from specific instructional strategies or accommodations) and the instructor (who may be ill-equipped to provide inclusive instruction). Soon after the MLA report was published, the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages issued "Diversity and Inclusion in Language Programs," a position statement highlighting the value of inclusive classrooms that support diverse perspectives and learning needs. That statement specifies that all students, regardless of background, should have ample access to language instruction. Meanwhile, in the wake of these two publications, the number of college students with disabilities continues to increase, as has the number of world language courses taught by graduate teaching assistants and contingent faculty. Disability and World Language Learning begins at the intersection of these two growing concerns: for the diverse learner and for the world language instructor. Devoted to practical classroom strategies based on Universal Design for Instruction, it serves as a timely and valuable resource for all college instructors--adjunct faculty, long-time instructors, and graduate assistants alike--confronting a changing and diversifying world language classroom.

General and Special Education Inclusion in an Age of Change: Impact on Students with Disabilities This volume addresses general and special education inclusion and how the education field has changed over time. The topic of inclusion has transformed over the years from when it was first introduced and as a result of legislation, new trends, and current research investigations. In addition, this topic can be somewhat controversial depending on the disability the child might have or those professionals involved in the process of instructing individuals with disabilities. Currently, there is no comprehensive resource that effectively covers these advances with the breath of topics as this volume.  This volume will address the most current perspectives and issues related to general and special education inclusion and will be written by leaders in the field with particular expertise in this area. This volume will be an excellent resource for special educators, administrators, mental health clinicians, school counsellors, and psychologists.   The layout of the volume will allow readers to follow general and special education inclusion in a very logical and thoughtful process from students with high incidence disabilities to those with low incidence disabilities.

Helping Foster Children in School Helping Foster Children In School explores the challenges that foster children face in schools and offers positive and practical guidance tailored to help the parents, teachers and social workers supporting them. Children in care often perform poorly at school both in terms of their behavior and their academic performance, with many failing to complete their education. They will have often experienced trauma or neglect which can result in a number of developmental delays. By looking at why children in foster care do not perform as well as their counterparts, John DeGarmo, who has fostered more than 40 children, provides easy-to-use strategies to target the problems commonly faced. He emphasizes the importance of an open dialogue between teacher, parent and social worker, to ensure that everyone is working jointly to achieve the best outcome for the child. An invaluable resource for foster parents, social workers and educators alike, this book encourages a unified response to ensure foster children are given the best chance to succeed at school.

Simplified Signs: A Manual Sign-Communication System for Special Populations, Volume 1 Simplified Signs presents a system of manual sign communication intended for special populations who have had limited success mastering spoken or full sign languages. It is the culmination of over twenty years of research and development by the authors. The Simplified Sign System has been developed and tested for ease of sign comprehension, memorization, and formation by limiting the complexity of the motor skills required to form each sign, and by ensuring that each sign visually resembles the meaning it conveys. Volume 1 outlines the research underpinning and informing the project, and places the Simplified Sign System in a wider context of sign usage, historically and by different populations. Volume 2 presents the lexicon of signs, totaling approximately 1000 signs, each with a clear illustration and a written description of how the sign is formed, as well as a memory aid that connects the sign visually to the meaning that it conveys. While the Simplified Sign System originally was developed to meet the needs of persons with intellectual disabilities, cerebral palsy, autism, or aphasia, it may also assist the communication needs of a wider audience - such as healthcare professionals, aid workers, military personnel, travelers or parents, and children who have not yet mastered spoken language. The system also has been shown to enhance learning for individuals studying a foreign language. Lucid and comprehensive, this work constitutes a valuable resource that will enhance the communicative interactions of many different people, and will be of great interest to researchers and educators alike.

Simplified Signs: A Manual Sign-Communication System for Special Populations, Volume 2 Simplified Signs presents a system of manual sign communication intended for special populations who have had limited success mastering spoken or full sign languages. It is the culmination of over twenty years of research and development by the authors. The Simplified Sign System has been developed and tested for ease of sign comprehension, memorization, and formation by limiting the complexity of the motor skills required to form each sign, and by ensuring that each sign visually resembles the meaning it conveys. Volume 1 outlines the research underpinning and informing the project, and places the Simplified Sign System in a wider context of sign usage, historically and by different populations. Volume 2 presents the lexicon of signs, totaling approximately 1000 signs, each with a clear illustration and a written description of how the sign is formed, as well as a memory aid that connects the sign visually to the meaning that it conveys. While the Simplified Sign System originally was developed to meet the needs of persons with intellectual disabilities, cerebral palsy, autism, or aphasia, it may also assist the communication needs of a wider audience - such as healthcare professionals, aid workers, military personnel, travelers or parents, and children who have not yet mastered spoken language. The system also has been shown to enhance learning for individuals studying a foreign language. Lucid and comprehensive, this work constitutes a valuable resource that will enhance the communicative interactions of many different people, and will be of great interest to researchers and educators alike.

Taking Flight: College for Students with Disabilities, Diverse Learners, and their Families Taking Flight provides the essential information students with disabilities will need to be successful in college. Rather than just focusing on the academic skills needed in college, Taking Flight addresses college as a system that needs to be mastered and the strategies and self-awareness needed to be successful. Thus, it explores topics including: The concept of disability Self-expression The college bureaucracy Roommate relationships And having fun! Perry T. LaRoque explores these topics by using personal stories, humor, frank advice, and years of expertise. Taking Flight addresses the truly relevant topics and issues needed for happiness and success in college and provides readers with not only how to do well in the system, but how to overcome a system not designed for today's diverse learners.

What's Missing: Best Practices for Teaching Students with Disabilities What's Missing describes the ten research-based practices that have proven effective in working with students with disabilities. The practices for instruction and for inclusion are detailed in individual chapters in order for the reader to select a specific practice, read information about it, review a possible scenario, and then be given specific strategies on how to implement it. The book begins with an introduction and a brief history of special education legislation to the present.

Addressing Homelessness and Housing Insecurity in Higher Education This book helps educational leaders provide support for students who face significant barriers to college access, success, and retention. The authors offer research-based, practical guidance to allow readers to evaluate these issues within their local context, create and implement a plan of action, and sustain those efforts over time. Vignettes based on interviews with students experiencing homelessness and housing insecurity and contributions from practitioners are woven throughout the text to illustrate promising-practice recommendations. Topics include trauma-informed frameworks, policies affecting homelessness and housing insecurity, transitioning students to college, supporting college retention, collaborations and partnerships, and life after college. This practical resource can be used as a professional development tool for student affairs, academic affairs, health and wellness centers, and other campus-based support services. Book Features: Guidance for evaluating food and housing insecurity in a local context. Practical ideas for designing and implementing solutions. Useful strategies for building a team and securing resources. Case studies that include voices of students and higher education practitioners.

Building Bridges: Engaging Students at Risk Through the Power of Relationships Research shows that discipline problems are prevalent in public schools and continue to be one of the greatest challenges in education. In Building Bridges, author Dr. Don Parker shows educators how to address this issue head-on. He shares an array of evidence-based strategies to build teacher-student relationships and create a welcoming learning environment that fosters student engagement, motivation, and achievement. Support students at risk by creating a positive school culture and building trust: Consider the student behaviors, characteristics, and experiences that are typically barriers to success in school. Learn how and why punitive punishments and zero-tolerance policies have failed to curb poor behavior in schools or provide adequate interventions for struggling students. Understand the importance of teacher-student relationships in teaching students at risk and the ways in which trust and positive relationships improve student behavior. Develop your ability to build positive teacher-student relationships through educational techniques, classroom management strategies, and teaching methods. Study the research that supports the many academic and social benefits of positive teacher-student relationships when teaching students at risk. Examine the ways in which school culture and climate affect the behavior of students and classroom engagement. Contents: Foreword Introduction Chapter 1: Develop the Mindset Chapter 2: Show That You Care Chapter 3: Establish a Culture for Learning Chapter 4: Don't Take Bad Behavior Personally Chapter 5: Create an Effective Classroom Management Plan Chapter 6: Connect Through Content Chapter 7: Use the Back Door Chapter 8: Take an Ecological Approach Chapter 9: Develop Empathy Chapter 10: Teach Life Skills and Give Students Hope Chapter 11: Build Students' Self-Esteem Chapter 12: Get to the Root of the Problem Chapter 13: Communicate With Your Heart Chapter 14: Open Up Chapter 15: Seal the Bond and Provide Effective Feedback Epilogue References and Resources Index

College for Students with Disabilities: We Do Belong Sharing the personal stories of individuals with disabilities who describe both the challenges and successes of their time in higher education, and with a major section on the findings of broad ranging research into the experiences of such students, the book explores the current situation, what works, and how things can be improved. "You are not college material" or "you don't belong in college" are comments frequently heard by students with disabilities. Despite this, college education is now an expected part of the transition to adulthood for many individuals with disabilities. The book includes practical advice to encourage self-advocacy in students with disabilities, and to support the professionals who are facing the challenges alongside them. Covering cerebral palsy, autism spectrum disorders, intellectual disabilities, and much more, this is vital reading for parents, individuals with disabilities, school teachers, college professors, and professionals working with adults with disabilities.

Colleging with ADHD: Everything You Need to Know About College But Were Too Distracted to Ask Every year, countless ADHD students make the mistake of trying to do college like everyone else, only to find themselves overwhelmed and frustrated with their academic performance. The ADHD brain is different - not broken, not deficient, just different, so to be successful, you need tools and strategies that work with, and not against, the ADHD brain. For the past 15 years, Ben Boeving, ADHD College Coach, has helped hundreds of college students learn how to successfully college with ADHD using strategies explicitly designed with the ADHD brain in mind. In his book, How to College with ADHD, he shares those strategies along with everything else you need to know when it comes to ADHD and college success. Some of the topics include: How to improve attention both in and out of the classroom ADHD-friendly strategies for time management and organization Overcoming procrastination and increasing productivity An easy solution for remembering test dates, appointments, deadlines, etc. How to stop losing keys, wallets, student IDs, books, fobs, and everything else important Stress management, brain hygiene, and self-advocating Whether you are heading to college in the fall or just finished your junior year, How to College with ADHD is the perfect gift for anyone who wants to get the most out of their college experience.

Complete Learning Disabilities Resource Guide Published for over a decade, this directory continues to be a successful, sought-after resource, providing valuable information to professionals, families, and individuals in the learning disabilities community.

Creative Learners: Stories of Inspiration and Success from People with Dyslexia, ADD, or Other Learning Differences STORIES OF INSPIRATION AND SUCCESS from people with dyslexia, ADD, or other learning differences. Winner of the ADVANTAGE IMPACT Award. Profits from the sale of this book and all revenue from contributions will go to the Creative Learners Project of the Dyslexia Resource for the purpose of training site coordinators in Communities In Schools (CIS) to recognize and address learning differences. Founded by Bill Milliken, CIS serves 1.57 million students and their families in more than 2,300 schools in twenty-five states and the District of Columbia. CIS builds relationships that empower students to stay in school and succeed in life.

Dyslexia: A Very Short Introduction Since dyslexia was first described in the British Medical Journal in 1896, there has been debate about the definitions and diagnostic procedures used, with some casting doubt on its very existence. However, there is now a considerable body of research regarding the nature and characteristics of this relatively common learning disorder. The contemporary view of dyslexia has emerged from a century of research in medicine, psychology, and more recently neuroscience, and we now understand enough about this learning disorder to guide policy and practice. This Very Short Introduction provides an accessible overview of this exciting field of research, beginning with its history, and drawing on testimony from people living with dyslexia. Considering the potential causes of dyslexia, and looking at both genetic and environment factors, Margaret Snowling shows how cross-linguistic studies have documented the prevalence of dyslexia in different languages. Discussing the various brain scanning techniques that have been used to find out if the brains of people with dyslexia differ in structure or function from those of typical readers, Snowling moves on to weigh up various strategies and interventions which can help people living with dyslexia today.

Failing Our Brightest Kids In this provocative volume, Chester E. Finn, Jr., and Brandon L. Wright argue that, for decades, the United States has done too little to focus on educating students to achieve at high levels. The authors identify two core problems: First, compared to other countries, the United States does not produce enough high achievers. Second, students from disadvantaged backgrounds are severely underrepresented among those high achievers. The authors describe educating students to high levels of achievement as an issue of both equity and human capital: talented students deserve appropriate resources and attention, and the nation needs to develop these students' abilities to remain competitive in the international arena. The authors embark on a study of twelve countries and regions to address these issues, exploring the structures and practices that enable some countries to produce a higher proportion of high-achieving students than the United States and to more equitably represent disadvantaged students among their top scorers. Based on this research, the authors present a series of ambitious but pragmatic points that they believe should inform US policy in this area. This candid and engaging book takes a topic that is largely discussed behind closed doors and puts it squarely on the table for public debate.

Handbook for Poor Students, Rich Teaching Research shows that the majority of public school students in the United States qualify as poor, but you have the power to change their futures for the better. A companion to the revised edition of Eric Jensen's Poor Students, Rich Teaching, this handbook provides a plethora of tools, organizers, worksheets, and surveys designed to help you fully embrace the mindsets in the classroom that lead to richer teaching. Implement strategies for overcoming adversity and poverty in schools with this practical guide: Explore seven essential mindsets as well as accompanying strategies for each. Discover specific actions and practices that will help you counteract the detrimental effects of poverty on education and student success. Learn how to build meaningful teacher-student relationships specifically with students from poverty. Understand how to engage students and change attitudes, cognitive capacity, effort, and classroom behaviors.

Immigrant Experiences: Expanding the School-Home-Community Dialogue Using the lens of Culturally Responsive Teaching (CRT) a pedagogy that recognizes the importance of including students' cultural references in all aspects of learning (Ladson-Billings, 1994), this book presents empirical studies and personal stories, examples across immigrant and refugee experiences including African, Asian and Latin immigrants. The chapters focus on the educational wellbeing of immigrant children and their families, and on bringing the home, school and community together as a united force to meet their needs.

To Be Gifted and Learning Disabled: Strength-Based Strategies for Helping Twice-Exceptional Students with LD, ADHD, ASD, and More To Be Gifted and Learning Disabled is one of the most popular resources available on identifying and meeting the needs of twice-exceptional students. This updated third edition provides a comprehensive look at the complex world of students with remarkable gifts, talents, and interests, who simultaneously face learning, attention, or social challenges from LD, ADHD, and other disorders. Through case studies and years of research, the authors present a rationale for using a strength-based, talent-focused approach to meeting the needs of this special population. From a thorough description of twice-exceptionality and the unique learning patterns of these students, to strategies for identification, comprehensive programming, talent development, and instructional strategies, this book is for anyone who works or lives with a child who has both startling talents and disabling weaknesses.