Congratulations to Yvon Jules who on Friday, April 11, 2025, successfully defended his dissertation. The title of Yvon’s dissertation is: "SPECIAL EDUCATION TEACHERS USING EVIDENCE-BASED PRACTICES TO SUPPORT THE NEEDS OF STUDENTS WITH EMOTIONAL AND BEHAVIORAL DISABILITIES."
Special education teachers have been challenged to seek out new and different approaches to suit the needs of their students and ensure academic opportunity and success. Included in this challenge is a focus on implementing evidence-based practices (EBPs) for students with emotional and behavioral disabilities (EBD); many of whom continue to experience academic and social obstacles in school. The purpose of this quantitative study was to explore if and how EBPs are used in classrooms to meet the needs of students with EBD. The conceptual framework for this study is based on Vygotsky’s Learning Theory as it examines how special education teachers (SETs) use EBPs in their classrooms. Participants were recruited from Special-Act school districts in New York State. A sample of 90 SETs completed the survey instrument. The findings of this study indicate that there are statistical relationships between frequency of use and ability to provide concrete examples of said use of EBPs. Pearson Product Correlation for both frequency and examples of EBP use was found to be moderate. For example, the correlation between peer tutoring and EBPs and the use of EBPs to teach EBD students was found to be moderate but very significant. School Administrators may use findings from this study to inform their practice when supporting students with EBDs as well as planning for the EBP professional development of special education teachers.
Dissertation Committee Chair(s):
Dr. Nora Broege
Dissertation Committee Member(s):
Dr. Vance Austin
Dr. Katherine Cunningham
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