No Child Left Behind

No Child Left Behind Purpose Students with severe disabilities need special education to ensure that â€Å"No Child Left Behind† policy provisions are fulfilled. As a result, educators should use evidence-based instructional strategies to ensure that students with disabilities demonstrate educational progress during yearly assessment as provided in the NCLB educational provisions.Advertising We will write a custom book review sample on No Child Left Behind specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The US educational policy requires schools to demonstrate that students in grade 3 through 8 make adequate yearly progress (AYP) towards proficiency in mathematics and literacy. However, demonstrating AYP and evaluating progress on academic content standards for students with disabilities is challenging. Browder and Cooper-Duffy (2003) argue that â€Å"although research is now emerging on states’ alternate assessment practices, many questions remain about how best to measure the progress of students with severe disabilities on state academic standards (p. 157). The purpose of this research is to determine evidence-based practices that educators can use to teach students with severe disabilities to enable them show adequate yearly progress (AYP) as well as progress in academic content standards. In addressing the research topic, the authors reviewed numerous literatures with information about the educational needs of students with disabilities. They conducted the study with the intention to identify evidence-based instructional support that students with disabilities need to demonstrate annual progress. Design Throughout the study, the researchers used secondary research strategy to address the research objectives. They evaluated the previous literatures that address various empirical research studies on evidence-based practices for students with severe disabilities in relation to NCLB provisions. To begin with, the authors evaluated and compared research on skills acquisition for students with disabilities. Second, the researchers evaluated the literature on instructional strategies that promote the students’ adequate annual progress. They discovered that numerous studies exist that demonstrate that students with disabilities can acquire skill through mastering technique (Horner, Carr, Halle, McGee, Odom, Wolery, 2005). Team planning was identified as another core aspect that promotes annual progress for students with disabilities. Finally, the researchers assessed the literature on evidence-based practices that would ensure that students with disabilities achieve learning objectives successfully (Browder Cooper-Duffy, 2003). The findings on evidence-based strategies for teaching students with disabilities were compiled, compared, and the conclusions were derived based on the empirical results.Advertising Looking for book review on education? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper w ith 15% OFF Learn More Findings and Conclusions The data from the studies indicated that educators can use evidence-based practices to promote skill acquisition and learning for students with disabilities. The use of instructional support for which scientific evidence has been obtained was found to play an important role in enhancing learning for students with disabilities (Odom, 2005). This study concentrated on two aspects of instructional support namely: how skills are defined and how skills are taught (Browder Cooper-Duffy, 2003). The researchers discovered that defining skills aligned with academic content standards required educators to employ the research foundation available for functional skills. This approach mainly targets skills mastery whereby the targeted skill can include a chained response, a pivotal response, or a single, discrete response. Furthermore, the authors discovered that the yearly process assessment for students with severe disabilities c an be attained by focusing on specific responses that are taught to mastery. In addition, it was found that students with disabilities need individualized instruction besides cooperative learning activities to cement their academic understanding, and enable them to meet expectations for yearly progress. The research provides that the use of assistive technology can enable students with disabilities expand their use of symbolic communication that is related to mathematics, science, and reading. The authors also found that the students’ yearly progress can be enhanced through augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) (Browder Cooper-Duffy, 2003). Lastly, the study discovered that the instructors can use time delays to teach students with severe disabilities how to arrange objects and match them to the pictures on a communication board for request generation. This was identified as an example of self-instructional strategy that students with disabilities could use to per form family routines without assistance (Odom, 2005). The article provides a snapshot of the evidence-based practices for students with severe disabilities in relation to NCLB requirements. The study did not show clearly how the states would define progress for students with severe cognitive disabilities relating to the state standards in academics. Therefore, the research leaves gaps that will need to be studied in the future. Critique This article provides evidence-based strategies for teaching students with disabilities from previous empirical studies. Although the strategies are discussed in depth, it would be better if the researchers conducted primary research to determine the teachers’ experiences and collect raw data for evaluation and analysis.Advertising We will write a custom book review sample on No Child Left Behind specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More However, the evidence-based practices provided in the article coul d be beneficial and provide a solid foundation for future research on evidence-based practices for students with severe disabilities in relation to NCLB provisions. The article provides that students with severe disabilities can acquire skills in a general educational class through cooperation, but it does not provide insight on evidence-based practices that could apply to students with multiple cognitive disabilities (Browder Cooper-Duffy, 2003). Through this article, educators can identify the evidence based practices they may employ in teaching students with severe disabilities and enhance their learning. I concur with the suggestions that the use of augmentative alternative communication, time delays activities, and assistive technologies are among the evidence-based educational strategies that can promote the instruction of students with severe disabilities. References Browder, M.D., Cooper-Duffy, K. (2003). Evidence-based practices for students with severe disabilities and t he requirement for accountability in â€Å"No Child Left Behind†. The Journal of Special Education, 7(3): 157-163. Horner, R. H., Carr, E.G., Halle, J., McGee, G., Odom, S., Wolery, M. (2005). The use of single-subject research to identify evidence-based practice in special education. Exceptional Children, 71(2), 165-179. Odom, S.L. (2005). Research in special education: Scientific methods and evidence-based practices. Exceptional Children, 71(2), 137-148.