Michael Faggella-Luby | Texas Christian University (original) (raw)

Papers by Michael Faggella-Luby

Research paper thumbnail of 1A Schoolwide Model for Service Delivery Redefining Special Educators as Interventionists

General and special education are confronting tremendous change resulting from legal mandates rel... more General and special education are confronting tremendous change resulting from legal mandates related to closing the achievement gap under No Child Left Behind and a focus on early intervention and prevention in the Individuals With Disabilities Education Act, 2004. As a result, schoolwide intervention approaches are under rapid development, evaluation, and implementation across the country. Based on these approaches, the authors present a conceptual model for redefining special educators as interventionists who focus on the adoption and use of evidence-based, schoolwide academic and behavioral interventions. Examples of the roles and responsibilities for interventionists within the schoolwide model are provided.

Research paper thumbnail of Inclusion in Catholic Schools: An Introduction to the Special Issue

Journal of Catholic Education, 2020

Research paper thumbnail of Pedagogy, Practice, and Pride in Secondary Education: Introduction of the Critical Five

TEACHING Exceptional Children, 2021

The Division for Learning Disabilities (DLD) of the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) is ded... more The Division for Learning Disabilities (DLD) of the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) is dedicated to improving outcomes for individuals with specific learning disabilities (LD) through research, professional development, and resource dissemination for members. Individuals with LD are typically identified during early schooling and are supported by a host of evidence-based practices in reading, writing, and numeracy. For a searchable set of resources, including these and others, please go to https://www.TeachingLD. org. However, DLD also recognizes that LD is a lifelong issue, affecting individuals in secondary and postsecondary settings as well as later life.

Research paper thumbnail of A University–Lab School Writing Partnership Project: Benefits of Curriculum‐Based Measures and Intervention for Students With Learning Differences

The Reading Teacher, 2020

Research paper thumbnail of Direct Training to Increase Agreement Between Teachers’ and Observers’ Treatment Integrity Ratings

Assessment for Effective Intervention, 2017

To evaluate students’ responsiveness to an intervention, both student outcome and implementer tre... more To evaluate students’ responsiveness to an intervention, both student outcome and implementer treatment integrity data are needed. Teachers are often asked to self-report treatment integrity data. However, when self-report responses are compared with those from a direct observer, it is apparent that teachers commonly overestimate the extent to which an intervention was implemented as planned. As such, more research related to teacher self-report to assess treatment integrity is needed. The objective of this preliminary single-case multiple-baseline design study was to improve interrater agreement between observers’ and teachers’ self-report ratings of treatment integrity by providing teachers with comprehensive, direct training (including an intervention description, modeling, practice, and feedback). Results indicate that after this training, agreement between observers’ and teachers’ ratings of treatment integrity improved.

Research paper thumbnail of Cooperating Initiatives

TEACHING Exceptional Children, 2008

Research paper thumbnail of Embedded Learning Strategy Instruction: Story-Structure Pedagogy in Heterogeneous Secondary Literature Classes

Learning Disability Quarterly, 2007

The effects of using the Embedded Story-Structure (ESS) Routine in a literature course were inves... more The effects of using the Embedded Story-Structure (ESS) Routine in a literature course were investigated. A heterogeneous group of 79 ninth graders, including 14 students with LD, were randomly assigned to one of two conditions, with instruction occurring in groups of 12 to 14 students in general education literature classes over a nine-day period. ESS instruction focused on three reading strategies: (a) student self-questioning, (b) story-structure analysis, and (c) summarizing. Instruction for the alternative condition, called comprehension skills instruction (CSI), was comprised of a package of research-based reading interventions. Statistically significant differences were found between groups in favor of the ESS Routine on measures of strategy use, story-structure knowledge, and unit reading comprehension. Moreover, results indicated equivalent gains for ESS students regardless of disability versus nondisability category.

Research paper thumbnail of What Happened Next? The Experiences of Postsecondary Students With Disabilities as Colleges and Universities Reconvened During the Pandemic

Frontiers in Psychology

COVID-19 caused nearly every college and university in the United States to rapidly shift to remo... more COVID-19 caused nearly every college and university in the United States to rapidly shift to remote learning during the spring 2020 semester. While this impacted all students to different degrees, students with disabilities (SWD) faced new challenges related to their mental health, the accessibility of their instruction, the receipt of accommodations, and their interactions with faculty and student support personnel. Literature is emerging that describes the experiences of SWD during the spring 2020 semester and the swift change to remote learning. However, little is currently known about what followed for these students. The present study builds from a prior investigation of SWD during the spring 2020 semester and examines student experiences and perceptions during the 2020–2021 academic year. Eighty-eight SWD from colleges across the United States completed an instrument that contained a mix of demographic, yes/no, Likert scale and open-ended items. Responses revealed most items r...

Research paper thumbnail of Why Inclusion Isn't Coming, It Is Already Here: Catholic Schools and Inclusive Special Education

Journal of Catholic Education, Dec 22, 2020

This article shares the perspectives of Catholic educational practitioners in the United States a... more This article shares the perspectives of Catholic educational practitioners in the United States as they responded to the challenges of COVID-19. The article then turns to the challenges for practitioners ahead and suggests a prophetic response utilizing the adaptive leadership framework. It outlines some of the issues and questions that must be addressed for the Fall semester. It concludes with references to scripture, Pope Francis, and others regarding a prophetic response to COVID-19 as a tempestuous sea.

Research paper thumbnail of Experiences of Students with Disabilities During the COVID-19 Interruption of In-Person Instruction

The Journal of Postsecondary Education and Disability, 2021

The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in nearly every postsecondary institution in the United States rap... more The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in nearly every postsecondary institution in the United States rapidly shifting to remote learning during the spring 2020 semester. This study presents the results of a survey of a national sample of college students with disabilities, the first such study specific to students with disabilities beyond a single institution. Students reported feeling supported by their institutions, faculty, and disability services offices, while also noting shifts in accommodation needs, as well as personal, health, and financial concerns. Implications and future research needs are presented.

Research paper thumbnail of Using the APP Tool to Promote Student Self-Determination Skills in Higher Education (Practice Brief)

The Journal of Postsecondary Education and Disability, 2020

Greater levels of self-determination (SD) can positively impact the retention and college complet... more Greater levels of self-determination (SD) can positively impact the retention and college completion of students with disabilities (SWD). However, many SWD do not disclose and instead are likely accessing traditional campus supports. Disability/accessibility services professionals play an important role in helping all professionals working with college SWD to be knowledgeable of SD and its related components. This manuscript presents an overview of SD, and summarizes key research that highlights its importance for SWD. Next, an easily implementable tool called APP is provided that guides practitioners through a review of Activities, Programs, and Policies (APP) on their campus. Reflections regarding how institutional APP can be designed to reflect and promote SD skills in all students, including SWD, are presented.

Research paper thumbnail of The Spectrum of Disability Documentation Requirements at 12 Institutions A Thematic Analysis

Learning Disabilities: A Multidisciplinary Journal, 2021

The two laws primarily governing disability services in postsecondary education, the Americans wi... more The two laws primarily governing disability services in postsecondary education, the Americans with Disabilities Act Amendments Act (ADAAA) and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, permit institutions of higher education to determine disability documentation requirements on an individual basis. Many institutions have utilized documentation guidelines delineating a range of domains to be addressed, and often, suggestions for specific tests to be included, as well as strict recency requirements. Following passage of the ADAAA in 2008, the Association on Higher Education and Disability (AHEAD) published documentation guidance practices that reflected the updated ADAAA. The current qualitative study examined the perspectives of 12 directors of disability services (DDS) at postsecondary institutions in the United States regarding the disability documentation requirements at their respective schools and their perspectives on why the standards were adopted. Findings revealed a wi...

Research paper thumbnail of What we really know about students with disabilities succeeding in postsecondary education

Research paper thumbnail of A Framework for All: Building Capacity for Service Delivery in Catholic Schools

Journal of Catholic Education, 2020

The challenge to include students with disabilities in Catholic schools requires a comprehensive ... more The challenge to include students with disabilities in Catholic schools requires a comprehensive system of service delivery to meet student need and avoid pathologizing individuals as problems. The purpose of this article is to provide an overview of Multi-tiered Systems of Support (MTSS), a framework for organizing resources, delivering services, and measuring success that directly addresses the mission of Catholic Schools to truly serve all students. MTSS is a researchbased and systematic service delivery model that provides tiered supports based on individual learner need. MTSS is defined and contextualized to address both academic and behavioral supports for all students. A brief review of evidence to support the framework is provided. Finally, specific features of the framework are presented with examples to illustrate how Catholic educators might implement across the entire school.

Research paper thumbnail of Assessing ELLs’ Reading Comprehension and Science Understandings Using Retellings

The Electronic Journal of Science Education, 2016

This article explores the use of alternative assessments as a way to determine the impact of scie... more This article explores the use of alternative assessments as a way to determine the impact of science instruction on English Language Learners’ (ELLs) abilities to comprehend an informational trade book text, both at the level of reading comprehension and at the level of science understanding. This multi-cohort comparison study of 47 fifth grade ELLs in a large urban district in the southwest compared students’ retellings of an informational text on the science topics of wind energy and wind turbines. All students received 14 days of intensive, hands-on instruction on science concepts with the experimental group studying wind energy and wind turbines and the control group studying genetics and DNA. Findings from data analysis reveal that students who received instruction on the science concept of wind energy and wind turbines (experimental group) had more accurate retellings of the related text at the reading comprehension level. Students in the experimental group also demonstrated s...

Research paper thumbnail of Learning Strategy Instruction for College Students with Disabilities: A Systematic Review of the Literature

The Journal of Postsecondary Education and Disability, 2019

The growing number of individuals with disabilities in higher education is a sign of significant ... more The growing number of individuals with disabilities in higher education is a sign of significant progress toward improving outcomes and equity as intended by federal legislation. However, to successfully meet the demands of the postsecondary environment, students must act as self-regulated, independent learners. Thus, instruction for students with disabilities in learning strategies may be necessary to actualize improved outcomes. The current systematic review analyzes a subset of 21 empirical articles on learning strategy instruction in higher education for students with disabilities spanning 1955-2015 as organized by the PASS Taxonomy (Dukes, Madaus, Faggella-Luby, Lombardi, & Gelbar, 2017). Results confirm there is a paucity of research, as we identified only 21 intervention studies examining learning strategies (11 single case and 10 group-design studies) in higher education during the period studied. Findings are presented related to characteristics of the study corpus, types o...

Research paper thumbnail of PASSing College: A Taxonomy for Students with Disabilities in Postsecondary Education

The Journal of Postsecondary Education and Disability, 2017

The study of postsecondary students with disabilities has a relatively short history that largely... more The study of postsecondary students with disabilities has a relatively short history that largely began with descriptions of programs designed for returning World War II veterans with disabilities and expanded in the 1970s with the advent of Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. Currently, the literature about postsecondary-level students with disabilities is principally descriptive, is published in professional journals reflecting a range of disciplines, and lacks a guiding organizational taxonomy. A taxonomy is particularly useful when organizing, discussing, and conducting research and practice efforts. This article presents a four-domain taxonomy that was developed based upon a comprehensive analysis of the body of literature about postsecondary education and students with disability.

Research paper thumbnail of Are There Predictors of Success for Students With Disabilities Pursuing Postsecondary Education?

Career Development and Transition for Exceptional Individuals, 2020

Students with disabilities are entering college in increasing numbers. Despite the increase, coll... more Students with disabilities are entering college in increasing numbers. Despite the increase, college persistence and completion remains a troublesome hurdle. Evidence-based practices and predictors have been identified for secondary-level students with disabilities; however, a parallel classification does not exist for postsecondary education. The purpose of this systematic review was to determine whether there are evidence-based predictors of college success with regard to retention, academic achievement, and graduation. Results indicated that although there are an insufficient number of studies to validate a core set of evidence-based practices at this time, there are a series of student-related practices that positively predict grade point average, retention, and graduation that warrant future investigation.

Research paper thumbnail of Reconceptualizing Instruction for Writing in Science Using the WiS Co-Planning Tool

TEACHING Exceptional Children, 2020

Research paper thumbnail of Self-Determination and College Students with Disabilities: Research Trends and Construct Measurement

Journal of Student Affairs Research and Practice, 2019

The literature on postsecondary students with disabilities stresses the importance of self-determ... more The literature on postsecondary students with disabilities stresses the importance of self-determination skills on the college experiences and outcomes of these students. However, the theoretical framework undergirding much of this research emerged largely from the K-12 special education literature, and differs from the Self-Determination Theory used more commonly with respect to college students in general. Thus, this article systematically reviews the literature regarding trends and instruments developed for measuring self-determination for these students. One hundred articles met the study's inclusion criteria and most publications were descriptive in nature, with only nine testing the efficacy of interventions. A variety of definitions of self-determination with varying components and assessment measures were employed in the studies examined. Notably, all of these definitions were developed for secondary students and are now being applied in postsecondary settings. Implications of the findings for student affairs research and practice are discussed. Research on college students has frequently used Self-Determination Theory (SDT) to examine how interpersonal and contextual factors influence how students develop skills such as autonomy and competence. Developed by Deci and Ryan (1985) to describe how various forms of motivation influence human behavior (Ryan & Deci, 2000), SDT has been applied across an array of student types and educational levels. SDT utilizes a person-in-context approach in considering both an individual's degree of motivation (level of motivation) within a particular setting as well as the reasons as to why an individual may or may not be motivated (orientations).

Research paper thumbnail of 1A Schoolwide Model for Service Delivery Redefining Special Educators as Interventionists

General and special education are confronting tremendous change resulting from legal mandates rel... more General and special education are confronting tremendous change resulting from legal mandates related to closing the achievement gap under No Child Left Behind and a focus on early intervention and prevention in the Individuals With Disabilities Education Act, 2004. As a result, schoolwide intervention approaches are under rapid development, evaluation, and implementation across the country. Based on these approaches, the authors present a conceptual model for redefining special educators as interventionists who focus on the adoption and use of evidence-based, schoolwide academic and behavioral interventions. Examples of the roles and responsibilities for interventionists within the schoolwide model are provided.

Research paper thumbnail of Inclusion in Catholic Schools: An Introduction to the Special Issue

Journal of Catholic Education, 2020

Research paper thumbnail of Pedagogy, Practice, and Pride in Secondary Education: Introduction of the Critical Five

TEACHING Exceptional Children, 2021

The Division for Learning Disabilities (DLD) of the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) is ded... more The Division for Learning Disabilities (DLD) of the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) is dedicated to improving outcomes for individuals with specific learning disabilities (LD) through research, professional development, and resource dissemination for members. Individuals with LD are typically identified during early schooling and are supported by a host of evidence-based practices in reading, writing, and numeracy. For a searchable set of resources, including these and others, please go to https://www.TeachingLD. org. However, DLD also recognizes that LD is a lifelong issue, affecting individuals in secondary and postsecondary settings as well as later life.

Research paper thumbnail of A University–Lab School Writing Partnership Project: Benefits of Curriculum‐Based Measures and Intervention for Students With Learning Differences

The Reading Teacher, 2020

Research paper thumbnail of Direct Training to Increase Agreement Between Teachers’ and Observers’ Treatment Integrity Ratings

Assessment for Effective Intervention, 2017

To evaluate students’ responsiveness to an intervention, both student outcome and implementer tre... more To evaluate students’ responsiveness to an intervention, both student outcome and implementer treatment integrity data are needed. Teachers are often asked to self-report treatment integrity data. However, when self-report responses are compared with those from a direct observer, it is apparent that teachers commonly overestimate the extent to which an intervention was implemented as planned. As such, more research related to teacher self-report to assess treatment integrity is needed. The objective of this preliminary single-case multiple-baseline design study was to improve interrater agreement between observers’ and teachers’ self-report ratings of treatment integrity by providing teachers with comprehensive, direct training (including an intervention description, modeling, practice, and feedback). Results indicate that after this training, agreement between observers’ and teachers’ ratings of treatment integrity improved.

Research paper thumbnail of Cooperating Initiatives

TEACHING Exceptional Children, 2008

Research paper thumbnail of Embedded Learning Strategy Instruction: Story-Structure Pedagogy in Heterogeneous Secondary Literature Classes

Learning Disability Quarterly, 2007

The effects of using the Embedded Story-Structure (ESS) Routine in a literature course were inves... more The effects of using the Embedded Story-Structure (ESS) Routine in a literature course were investigated. A heterogeneous group of 79 ninth graders, including 14 students with LD, were randomly assigned to one of two conditions, with instruction occurring in groups of 12 to 14 students in general education literature classes over a nine-day period. ESS instruction focused on three reading strategies: (a) student self-questioning, (b) story-structure analysis, and (c) summarizing. Instruction for the alternative condition, called comprehension skills instruction (CSI), was comprised of a package of research-based reading interventions. Statistically significant differences were found between groups in favor of the ESS Routine on measures of strategy use, story-structure knowledge, and unit reading comprehension. Moreover, results indicated equivalent gains for ESS students regardless of disability versus nondisability category.

Research paper thumbnail of What Happened Next? The Experiences of Postsecondary Students With Disabilities as Colleges and Universities Reconvened During the Pandemic

Frontiers in Psychology

COVID-19 caused nearly every college and university in the United States to rapidly shift to remo... more COVID-19 caused nearly every college and university in the United States to rapidly shift to remote learning during the spring 2020 semester. While this impacted all students to different degrees, students with disabilities (SWD) faced new challenges related to their mental health, the accessibility of their instruction, the receipt of accommodations, and their interactions with faculty and student support personnel. Literature is emerging that describes the experiences of SWD during the spring 2020 semester and the swift change to remote learning. However, little is currently known about what followed for these students. The present study builds from a prior investigation of SWD during the spring 2020 semester and examines student experiences and perceptions during the 2020–2021 academic year. Eighty-eight SWD from colleges across the United States completed an instrument that contained a mix of demographic, yes/no, Likert scale and open-ended items. Responses revealed most items r...

Research paper thumbnail of Why Inclusion Isn't Coming, It Is Already Here: Catholic Schools and Inclusive Special Education

Journal of Catholic Education, Dec 22, 2020

This article shares the perspectives of Catholic educational practitioners in the United States a... more This article shares the perspectives of Catholic educational practitioners in the United States as they responded to the challenges of COVID-19. The article then turns to the challenges for practitioners ahead and suggests a prophetic response utilizing the adaptive leadership framework. It outlines some of the issues and questions that must be addressed for the Fall semester. It concludes with references to scripture, Pope Francis, and others regarding a prophetic response to COVID-19 as a tempestuous sea.

Research paper thumbnail of Experiences of Students with Disabilities During the COVID-19 Interruption of In-Person Instruction

The Journal of Postsecondary Education and Disability, 2021

The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in nearly every postsecondary institution in the United States rap... more The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in nearly every postsecondary institution in the United States rapidly shifting to remote learning during the spring 2020 semester. This study presents the results of a survey of a national sample of college students with disabilities, the first such study specific to students with disabilities beyond a single institution. Students reported feeling supported by their institutions, faculty, and disability services offices, while also noting shifts in accommodation needs, as well as personal, health, and financial concerns. Implications and future research needs are presented.

Research paper thumbnail of Using the APP Tool to Promote Student Self-Determination Skills in Higher Education (Practice Brief)

The Journal of Postsecondary Education and Disability, 2020

Greater levels of self-determination (SD) can positively impact the retention and college complet... more Greater levels of self-determination (SD) can positively impact the retention and college completion of students with disabilities (SWD). However, many SWD do not disclose and instead are likely accessing traditional campus supports. Disability/accessibility services professionals play an important role in helping all professionals working with college SWD to be knowledgeable of SD and its related components. This manuscript presents an overview of SD, and summarizes key research that highlights its importance for SWD. Next, an easily implementable tool called APP is provided that guides practitioners through a review of Activities, Programs, and Policies (APP) on their campus. Reflections regarding how institutional APP can be designed to reflect and promote SD skills in all students, including SWD, are presented.

Research paper thumbnail of The Spectrum of Disability Documentation Requirements at 12 Institutions A Thematic Analysis

Learning Disabilities: A Multidisciplinary Journal, 2021

The two laws primarily governing disability services in postsecondary education, the Americans wi... more The two laws primarily governing disability services in postsecondary education, the Americans with Disabilities Act Amendments Act (ADAAA) and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, permit institutions of higher education to determine disability documentation requirements on an individual basis. Many institutions have utilized documentation guidelines delineating a range of domains to be addressed, and often, suggestions for specific tests to be included, as well as strict recency requirements. Following passage of the ADAAA in 2008, the Association on Higher Education and Disability (AHEAD) published documentation guidance practices that reflected the updated ADAAA. The current qualitative study examined the perspectives of 12 directors of disability services (DDS) at postsecondary institutions in the United States regarding the disability documentation requirements at their respective schools and their perspectives on why the standards were adopted. Findings revealed a wi...

Research paper thumbnail of What we really know about students with disabilities succeeding in postsecondary education

Research paper thumbnail of A Framework for All: Building Capacity for Service Delivery in Catholic Schools

Journal of Catholic Education, 2020

The challenge to include students with disabilities in Catholic schools requires a comprehensive ... more The challenge to include students with disabilities in Catholic schools requires a comprehensive system of service delivery to meet student need and avoid pathologizing individuals as problems. The purpose of this article is to provide an overview of Multi-tiered Systems of Support (MTSS), a framework for organizing resources, delivering services, and measuring success that directly addresses the mission of Catholic Schools to truly serve all students. MTSS is a researchbased and systematic service delivery model that provides tiered supports based on individual learner need. MTSS is defined and contextualized to address both academic and behavioral supports for all students. A brief review of evidence to support the framework is provided. Finally, specific features of the framework are presented with examples to illustrate how Catholic educators might implement across the entire school.

Research paper thumbnail of Assessing ELLs’ Reading Comprehension and Science Understandings Using Retellings

The Electronic Journal of Science Education, 2016

This article explores the use of alternative assessments as a way to determine the impact of scie... more This article explores the use of alternative assessments as a way to determine the impact of science instruction on English Language Learners’ (ELLs) abilities to comprehend an informational trade book text, both at the level of reading comprehension and at the level of science understanding. This multi-cohort comparison study of 47 fifth grade ELLs in a large urban district in the southwest compared students’ retellings of an informational text on the science topics of wind energy and wind turbines. All students received 14 days of intensive, hands-on instruction on science concepts with the experimental group studying wind energy and wind turbines and the control group studying genetics and DNA. Findings from data analysis reveal that students who received instruction on the science concept of wind energy and wind turbines (experimental group) had more accurate retellings of the related text at the reading comprehension level. Students in the experimental group also demonstrated s...

Research paper thumbnail of Learning Strategy Instruction for College Students with Disabilities: A Systematic Review of the Literature

The Journal of Postsecondary Education and Disability, 2019

The growing number of individuals with disabilities in higher education is a sign of significant ... more The growing number of individuals with disabilities in higher education is a sign of significant progress toward improving outcomes and equity as intended by federal legislation. However, to successfully meet the demands of the postsecondary environment, students must act as self-regulated, independent learners. Thus, instruction for students with disabilities in learning strategies may be necessary to actualize improved outcomes. The current systematic review analyzes a subset of 21 empirical articles on learning strategy instruction in higher education for students with disabilities spanning 1955-2015 as organized by the PASS Taxonomy (Dukes, Madaus, Faggella-Luby, Lombardi, & Gelbar, 2017). Results confirm there is a paucity of research, as we identified only 21 intervention studies examining learning strategies (11 single case and 10 group-design studies) in higher education during the period studied. Findings are presented related to characteristics of the study corpus, types o...

Research paper thumbnail of PASSing College: A Taxonomy for Students with Disabilities in Postsecondary Education

The Journal of Postsecondary Education and Disability, 2017

The study of postsecondary students with disabilities has a relatively short history that largely... more The study of postsecondary students with disabilities has a relatively short history that largely began with descriptions of programs designed for returning World War II veterans with disabilities and expanded in the 1970s with the advent of Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. Currently, the literature about postsecondary-level students with disabilities is principally descriptive, is published in professional journals reflecting a range of disciplines, and lacks a guiding organizational taxonomy. A taxonomy is particularly useful when organizing, discussing, and conducting research and practice efforts. This article presents a four-domain taxonomy that was developed based upon a comprehensive analysis of the body of literature about postsecondary education and students with disability.

Research paper thumbnail of Are There Predictors of Success for Students With Disabilities Pursuing Postsecondary Education?

Career Development and Transition for Exceptional Individuals, 2020

Students with disabilities are entering college in increasing numbers. Despite the increase, coll... more Students with disabilities are entering college in increasing numbers. Despite the increase, college persistence and completion remains a troublesome hurdle. Evidence-based practices and predictors have been identified for secondary-level students with disabilities; however, a parallel classification does not exist for postsecondary education. The purpose of this systematic review was to determine whether there are evidence-based predictors of college success with regard to retention, academic achievement, and graduation. Results indicated that although there are an insufficient number of studies to validate a core set of evidence-based practices at this time, there are a series of student-related practices that positively predict grade point average, retention, and graduation that warrant future investigation.

Research paper thumbnail of Reconceptualizing Instruction for Writing in Science Using the WiS Co-Planning Tool

TEACHING Exceptional Children, 2020

Research paper thumbnail of Self-Determination and College Students with Disabilities: Research Trends and Construct Measurement

Journal of Student Affairs Research and Practice, 2019

The literature on postsecondary students with disabilities stresses the importance of self-determ... more The literature on postsecondary students with disabilities stresses the importance of self-determination skills on the college experiences and outcomes of these students. However, the theoretical framework undergirding much of this research emerged largely from the K-12 special education literature, and differs from the Self-Determination Theory used more commonly with respect to college students in general. Thus, this article systematically reviews the literature regarding trends and instruments developed for measuring self-determination for these students. One hundred articles met the study's inclusion criteria and most publications were descriptive in nature, with only nine testing the efficacy of interventions. A variety of definitions of self-determination with varying components and assessment measures were employed in the studies examined. Notably, all of these definitions were developed for secondary students and are now being applied in postsecondary settings. Implications of the findings for student affairs research and practice are discussed. Research on college students has frequently used Self-Determination Theory (SDT) to examine how interpersonal and contextual factors influence how students develop skills such as autonomy and competence. Developed by Deci and Ryan (1985) to describe how various forms of motivation influence human behavior (Ryan & Deci, 2000), SDT has been applied across an array of student types and educational levels. SDT utilizes a person-in-context approach in considering both an individual's degree of motivation (level of motivation) within a particular setting as well as the reasons as to why an individual may or may not be motivated (orientations).