The Children Left Behind: The Performance of Young Special Education Students in Mathematics, Reading, Writing, and Science

Abstract

First and foremost I would like to thank Professor Lisa Dierker for sticking with me throughout this entire endeavor. Had I not taken your Research Methods class, I would not have had the skills and knowledge necessary to carry out an independent research project, work in a psychology laboratory, and apply to graduate school. For that I am truly thankful! I would also like to thank Mindy Otis and the Middletown School District for making their student data available and for providing me with a plethora of information concerning the Connecticut Mastery Test and No Child Left Behind. Without them, this study would not have been possible. My extreme gratitude and empathy goes out to the roughly 2,000 students sampled in this study, who endured over seven hours of standardized testing so that I could complete my thesis. A huge thank you also goes out to Professor Anna Shusterman who always made time to brainstorm with me the possible causes of significant interactions. I need to also thank Niki Holtzman, Joanna Seirup, Evan Perkoski, Oriana Korol, and Laura Scholten for their constant revisions and input. I would not have survived without you! Liza Bourchtein, Andrea DePetris, and Loren Cappelson, thank you for your constant support and encouragement. My housemates Gwynne Hunter and Elizabeth Lerner deserve many thanks for answering my constant grammatical and APA questions, and for keeping me motivated during these past eight months. Lastly, I need to thank my family for supporting me throughout this entire process as well as my college career. Thank you, Mom, for serving as my personal expert on everything concerning learning disabilities and special education. I would not have made it this far without you as my relentless advocate. You are truly wonderful and I love you! The Children Left Behind 4