Date of Award

Spring 2021

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Education (EdD)

Committee Chair

Bruce Boyles

Abstract

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) has undergone numerous revisions since 1965 when the first federal statute dealing with the education of students with disabilities was implemented. A revision completed in 1975 instituted the concept of least restrictive environment (LRE), which demands that all students with disabilities be exposed to the maximum amount possible with their regular education peers, regardless of disability. Full inclusion is the primary mode schools use to meet this requirement. Research has illustrated the positive effects of inclusion-style classrooms and LRE, both for regular and special education peers. However, contemporary research has begun to show that in the case of students with severe behavioral disabilities, negative results in the area of student performance begin to show. The purpose of this dissertation was to analyze a North Carolina district’s schools, particularly staff member efficacy in dealing and working with students with severe behavioral disabilities, in order to determine the fidelity of its existing programs. Such programs include but are not limited to Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS), Crisis Prevention Intervention (CPI), and Positive Behavior Intervention Support (PBIS). Data were collected in the form of interviews and focus groups. The fidelity of these programs, based on teacher perceptions, was important in recommending changes, of which there were six, with the hope that potential negative side effects on regular education peers can be minimized.

Creative Commons License

Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 4.0 License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 4.0 License

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