This article extends a previous review of the literature (Maccini & Hughes, 1997) on mathematics interventions for secondary school students with learning disabilities (LD). A systematic review of the literature from 1995 to 2006 yielded 23 articles that met the criteria for inclusion. It was determined that a number of practices demonstrated significant gains for secondary school students with LD in math, including mnemonic strategy instruction, graduated instructional approach, cognitive strategy instruction involving planning, schema-based instruction, and contextualized videodisc instruction. We also discuss the nature and focus of math interventions and implications for both research and practice based on the findings.

Mathematics proficiency among school-aged children and youth is critical for the United States to remain a technological and scientific leader (National Mathematics Advisory Panel, 2008). Furthermore, the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act of 2002 and the Individuals With Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) of 2004 require all students have access to a rigorous general education curriculum, including mathematics. The Common Core State Standards (CCSS) Initiative is the most recent nationwide effort to promote a rigorous mathematics curriculum to all American children, including students with disabilities (National Governors Association Center for Best Practices & Council of Chief State School Officers, 2010). In many states, the adoption of these standards has resulted in increased mathematical knowledge and skills required of secondary students, resulting in greater pressure on secondary special education teachers. Despite nationwide attention and policy initiatives, U.

This article describes a single-subject study of the effects of a contextualized instructional package on the area and perimeter performance of middle school students with emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD). The instructional package included area and perimeter problem-solving activities embedded in contextualized, or real-life, scenarios; use of manipulative techniques to reinforce concepts; and a self-monitoring component, a critical behavior management component to instructional interventions for students with EBD. Results indicated that the instructional package was effective for improving area and perimeter performance among the participants; transfer and maintenance results were mixed.

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Autism was initially conceived as a disability that primarily affected White children from families with middle-and upper-class socioeconomic backgrounds (Bettelheim, 1967;Kanner, 1949). While data from some recent epidemiological studies suggest that autism is not predicted by race, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status (

Skilled reading is a complex process in which many subskills are involved, including an awareness of the morphological structure of language. Morphological awareness is the ability to understand how words are broken into meaningful units (e.g., affixes, root words). Explicit and systematic teaching of morphological concepts are reported to help striving readers, particularly those in upper elementary, middle, and secondary grades, with reading. To teach morphological concepts and their relation to reading, teachers need to have both awareness and knowledge of morphology. In the present study, general and special education teachers’ knowledge of morphological concepts are examined. Results indicate that teachers, regardless of type of certification (general vs. special education) or grade level (elementary vs. secondary), have difficulty identifying morphemes in both simple and complex words. Suggestions for what and how teacher educators can integrate the teaching of morphological concepts into teacher preparation contexts are provided.

In this review, the authors offer a critical analysis of published interventions for improving mathematics performance among middle and high school students with EBD in light of the Common Core State Standards. An exhaustive review of literature from 1975 to December 2012 yielded 20 articles that met criteria for inclusion. The authors analyzed the body of research for the nature of participants, settings, interventionists, interventions, and alignment with Common Core State Standards. Despite limitations with the body of research, the results of the review indicate a number of promising practices exist for secondary students with EBD in mathematics, including: (a) peer-mediated approaches, (b) interventions that address academic performance as well as behavior, (d) use of technology, and (e) use of strategy instruction to support conceptual understanding. Implications for research and practice are provided.

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