Practical Guide to High-Leverage Practices in Special Education

Dr. Ruby L. Owiny is an Assistant Professor of Special Education at Minnesota State University, Mankato, where she primarily teaches courses in single subject research methods and methods of teaching students with emotional and behavioral disorders, along with classroom and behavior management, with a focus on applied behavior analysis. Prior to her work at Minnesota State, Dr. Owiny was an Associate Professor at Trinity International University and the Director of the Division of Education. While at Trinity, she also designed and directed the Access Program, which supported students with autism as they completed their bachelor's degree. Dr. Owiny believes everyone deserves to be an accepted, contributing member of their community, starting at school. This drives her professional research of inclusive education. She examines how teacher preparation programs prepare teacher candidates to implement Universal Design for Learning, High-Leverage Practices, and evidence-based practices. She has 13 years of public school teaching in Title I elementary schools in both general and special education, providing instruction in multiple teaching roles and service delivery models. She has experience consulting around the United States and in four other countries, training teachers in co-teaching and inclusive practices, such as embedding specially designed instruction into instruction in the general education classroom, Universal Design for Learning, instructional strategies, and behavioral interventions. She enjoys meeting teachers to learn about the impact they have on their students, particularly the ways they seek to meaningfully include students with disabilities and effectively provide instruction to improve post-secondary outcomes.She is a Past President of the Teacher Education Division, and has served on multiple committees and workgroups for the Council for Exceptional Children. Dr. Owiny has been active in the Teacher Education Division caucus, Small Special Education Programs Caucus (SSEPC), for several years and, in 2022, was honored with the Nasim Dil Service Award for Outstanding Service to Teacher Education in Small Special Education Programs. She is currently chairing the workgroup that prepares resources to support student teachers who participate in the Student Teacher Support Network. She is a frequent manuscript reviewer for the Journal of Special Education Preparation, Educator Perspectives Journal, and Teachers Connecting to Advance Retention and Empowerment (TCARE). Dr. Owiny also frequently reviews books for SLACK Incorporated and Rowman & Littlefield Publishing.In her limited free time, Dr. Owiny enjoys scrapbooking to chronicle the life of her family. She loves traveling, especially visiting her in-laws in Tanzania. Her favorite activities are being a basketball, lacrosse, baseball, and band mom for her three children. She cannot get enough of the outdoors. She takes every chance she can to camp, hike, bike, snowshoe, and enjoy a good book on the beach.Dr. Kyena E. Cornelius is a Clinical Associate Professor of Special Education at the University of Florida. She primarily teaches and advises students in the online EdD program. This program aligns with Dr. Cornelius' passion of developing expert practitioners who are truly scholarly professionals. Prior to moving to Florida, Dr. Cornelius was an Associate Professor of Special Education at Minnesota State University, Mankato, where she taught courses for initial licensure programs and served as the College of Education's Accreditation Coordinator. It was through this work that she developed her interest in teaching standards and the need for common language in our field, driving her research and professional goals to elevate the teaching profession.Dr. Cornelius travels the country providing professional development for in-service teachers on the High-Leverage Practices, co-teaching, and formative assessment. She is the President Elect of the Teacher Education Division of Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) and currently co-leads a national workgroup commissioned by CEC for special education teacher recruitment. She is on the editorial boards and frequently reviews manuscripts for two journals: the Journal of Special Education Preparation and Rural Special Education Quarterly. She is also the co-editor for TEACHING Exceptional Children.When Dr. Cornelius is not traveling the country for work, she is traveling to visit her children and grandchildren who live in Virginia. If she is not traveling, you can find her in the kitchen pursuing her other passion—baking. She not only bakes, she bakes with spirits, and often contemplates starting a new career/business of Kyena’s Boozy Bakery.

• Contents Acknowledgments About the Authors Contributing Authors Foreword by Michael J. Kennedy, PhD Introduction Disclaimer Section I Collaboration High-Leverage Practices Chapter 1 Why Collaborate With Other Professionals? Amy I. Gaines, MA/MS and Wendy W. Murawski, PhD Chapter 2 I'm Supposed to Lead Meetings? How Do I Do That Well? Ruby L. Owiny, PhD Chapter 3 How Can Collaborating With Families Ensure Successful Outcomes for Students? Kathleen A. Boothe, PhD and Marla J. Lohmann, PhD Section II Assessment High-Leverage Practices Chapter 4 How Can I Use Multiple Sources of Information to Paint a Comprehensive Portrait of My Students' Strengths and Needs? Kelly Acosta, PhD; Jodie Ray, MA; Amber Benedict, PhD; and Kyena E. Cornelius, EdD Chapter 5 How Do You Become a Steward of Assessment Information to Engage All Stakeholders? Kyena E. Cornelius, EdD Chapter 6 Does Assessment Really Drive Instruction? Kyena E. Cornelius, EdD Section III Social/Emotional/Behavioral High-Leverage Practices Chapter 7 How Do I Design and Maintain a Positive Learning Environment? Kimberly M. Johnson, PhD Chapter 8 What Feedback Guides Improved Behavior? Shantel M. Farnan, EdD Chapter 9 How Do I Teach Social Skills? Jennifer D. Walker, PhD and Ruby L. Owiny, PhD Chapter 10 What Creates and Sustains Behavior Change? Ruby L. Owiny, PhD and Jennifer D. Walker, PhD Section IV Instruction High-Leverage Practices Chapter 11 How Do I Know What Is Appropriate When Prioritizing Goals? Sarah M. Salinas, PhD and Kyena E. Cornelius, EdD Chapter 12 How Can I Ensure My Lessons Are Logically Sequenced? Kyena E. Cornelius, EdD and Ruby L. Owiny, PhD Chapter 13 How Do I Adapt Curricula and Materials? Alice L. Rhodes, PhD and Victoria Slocum, PhD Chapter 14 How Can Students With Disabilities Become Strategic and Independent Learners? Kyena E. Cornelius, EdD and Dana L. Wagner, PhD Chapter 15 Does Scaffolding Support or Stifle Students? Kiersten K. Hensley, PhD and Kyena E. Cornelius, EdD Chapter 16 Can I Truly Ensure Students Learn? Ruby L. Owiny, PhD Chapter 17 How Does Student Grouping Optimize Learning? Lawrence J. Maheady, PhD and Kyena E. Cornelius, EdD Chapter 18 How Do I Keep Students Involved in Learning? Ruby L. Owiny, PhD Chapter 19 How Do I Consider Assistive and Instructional Technologies in My Instruction? Alice L. Rhodes, PhD and Ruby L. Owiny, PhD Chapter 20 When Is Instruction Intensive Enough? Ruby L. Owiny, PhD Chapter 21 What Do I Need to Include so Students Maintain Their Learning, Not Only for Tomorrow, but Next Week, Next Year, and Forever? Jennifer A. Sears, PhD and Kyena E. Cornelius, EdD Chapter 22 What Feedback Should We Give Students to Guide Learning? Kyena E. Cornelius, EdD Conclusion by Ruby L. Owiny, PhD and Kyena E. Cornelius, EdD Financial Disclosures Index