Success in School: A Research Agenda on Student Attrition and Retention in the SEEK Program

Cultural and Linguistic Diversity and the Special Education Workforce

“…Support for setting and attaining goals during academic preparation is key (Sileo, 2000). Pro-gram components used to promote success in special education teaching programs include study skills seminars, student advising and tutorial programs, student monitoring, special labs, and study and test-taking workshops (Armstrong, James, & Stallings, 1995;Dandy, 1998;Francis, Kelly, & Bell, 1993;Good, Halpin, & Halpin, 2000;Trent & Artiles, 1998;Villegas & Clewell, 1998;Wright-Harp & Muñoz, 2000). Other instructional activities, such as learning journals (Dillard, 1994), videotapes of peer-assisted reflections, service learning activities, role plays, opinion maps, story-boarding, conceptmapping, and cooperative learning activities (Sileo, 2000), have proven effectiveness as well.…”

“…Outcomes are increased when the programs incorporate low student-to-teacher ratios and group counseling (Francis et al, 1993). Because of the differences in test-taking processes among diverse learners, explicit instruction in test-taking skills and the use of alternative methods of instruction have been used to increase student recruitment and retention in the educational pipeline.…”

“…Campus climate and classroom environment affect subject-matter mastery and goal attainment. Programs should not only include information on culturally and linguistically sensitive instructional strategies and assessments for children with disabilities (Dillard, 1994;Francis et al, 1993;Sileo, 2000) but also incorporate culturally sensitive instruction to enhance the learning outcomes of the CLD students in the teacher training program (Dillard, 1994). College texts should include politically correct lan-guage, portray positive images of diverse cultural groups, and acknowledge these groups' contributions to society (Sileo, 2000).…”