Date of Conferral

2023

Degree

Ph.D.

School

Education

Advisor

Stephanie A. Gaddy

Abstract

AbstractAnnual goals are an essential component of Individual Educational Programs (IEP), which are developed for students with disabilities, and which are informed by data. However, the methods and practices that special educators use to make sense of data to inform the annual IEP goals represent a gap in research literature. This qualitative study was conducted to explore how sixth-through-eighth-grade special educators in urban public middle schools make sense of data that informs annual IEP goals. The research question asked how sixth-through-eighth-grade special educators in urban public middle schools make sense of data to inform annual IEP goals to target students’ specific learning needs. Using purposeful sampling, 11 certified special educators who were permanently employed by the school district, and instructed students with IEPs voluntarily participated in this study. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews via Zoom conferencing. Interviews were recorded, transcribed, and coded using an in vivo approach. Seven themes emerged from the data analysis (a) changes in data use, (b) using data for goal alignment, (c) types of data collected, (d) data analysis, (e) understanding the data, (f) adding meaning to data, and (g) challenges encountered when making sense of data. District leaders, policy makers, and school administrators may use the findings of the study to influence decision-making, empower special educators, and enhance special education practices. This study has the potential to contribute to positive social change by providing scholarly information, to precisely target specific learning needs of students with disabilities in urban public middle schools.

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