Reading Instruction in Secondary Day Treatment and Residential Schools for Youth With Emotional or Behavioral Disorders

Abstract

This study was designed to obtain the first national picture of the characteristics of special educators who provide reading or English instruction in secondary day treatment and residential schools for youth with emotional or behavioral disorders (EBD) as well as their approach to reading instruction.Also, information was collected concerning the characteristics of the students in their classes.A national random sample of 123 (35%) reading or English teachers responded to a mail and online survey. No statistically significant differences existed between respondent and nonrespondent schools. Results indicated that teachers commonly hold master's degrees and have an average of 9 years of teaching experience.Teachers reported using research-based instructional approaches but rarely integrate technology or peer tutoring into instruction. In many cases, teachers reported that students could not read well enough to gain basic information from text.Additional results and implications are discussed.