Reading Instruction for Students With High-Incidence Disabilities in Juvenile Corrections

Abstract

This study was designed to obtain (a) a national picture of the characteristics of special educators who provide reading or English instruction in juvenile corrections facilities and (b) characteristics of the schools in which they work and the students who they serve. In addition, the study was designed to gather information on teacher use of specific reading instructional strategies. A national random sample of 108 (28.6%) reading or English teachers responded to a mail and online survey. No statistically significant differences existed between responsive and nonresponsive schools. Results indicated that teachers commonly hold bachelor's degrees and have an average of 10.9 years teaching experience. Teachers reported using some research-based instructional approaches to comprehension instruction, but they rarely integrate technology or peer-mediated instructional strategies into their instruction. A majority of teachers reported that at least 50% of their students with high-incidence disabilities could not read well enough to gain basic information from text. Additional results and implications are provided.

Keywords:

• juvenile corrections
• reading
• special education
• teacher characteristics