Essay-Writing Strategy for Students Enrolled in a Postsecondary Program for Individuals With Developmental Disabilities

Abstract

This study investigated the efficacy of a writing (ANSWER) strategy to improve the essay test responses of students who were enrolled in a campus-based, postsecondary education program for individuals with developmental disabilities. Random assignment to treatment or control groups and a pre- and posttest design were employed. Students used the six-step ANSWER strategy to analyze essay test prompts, construct outlines, generate essay responses, and revise as needed. The results were evaluated using a strategy scoring rubric. The treatment group received higher scores than the control group in the areas of strategy use and quality of essay responses. The results support the ANSWER strategy as an effective writing intervention for improving students’ essay responses.

Keywords

writing strategy postsecondary developmental disabilities

Get full access to this article

View all access options for this article.

References

Bouck

E. C.

Flanagan

S. M.

(2010). Functional curriculum evidence-based education? Considering secondary students with mild intellectual disabilities. Education and Training in Autism and Developmental Disabilities, 45, 487-499.

Cobb

R. B.

Alwell

(2009). Transition planning/coordinating interventions for youth with disabilities: A systematic review. Career Development for Exceptional Individuals, 32, 70-81. doi:10.1177/0885728809336655

Cohen

(1988). Statistical power analysis for the behavioral sciences (2nd ed.). Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.

Deshler

D. D.

Schumaker

J. B.

(1986). Learning strategies: An instructional alternative for low-achieving adolescents. Exceptional Children, 52, 583-590.

Developmental Disabilities Assistance and Bill of Rights Act of 2000, Pub. L. No. 106–142, § 102, Stat. 1684 (114) (2000).

Englert

C. S.

(1992). Writing instruction from a sociocultural perspective: The holistic, dialogic, and social enterprise of writing. Journal of Learning Disabilities, 25, 153-172. doi:10.1177/002221949202500303

Englert

C. S.

Mariage

T. V.

Okolo

C. M.

Shankland

R. K.

Moxley

K. D.

Courtad

C. A.

. . . Chen

H. Y.

(2009). The learning-to-learn strategies of adolescent students with disabilities: Highlighting, note taking, planning, and writing expository texts. Assessment for Effective Intervention, 34, 147-161. doi:10.1177/1534508408318804

Englert

C. S.

Raphael

T. E.

Anderson

L. M.

(1992). Socially mediated instruction: Improving students’ knowledge and talk about writing. Elementary School Journal, 92, 411-449. doi:10.1086/461700

Englert

C. S.

Raphael

T. E.

Fear

K. L.

Anderson

L. M.

(1988). Student’s metacognitive knowledge about how to write informational texts. Learning Disability Quarterly, 11, 18-46.

10.

Gersten

Baker

(2001). Teaching expressive writing to students with learning disabilities: A meta-analysis. Elementary School Journal, 101, 252-274. doi:10.1086/499668

11.

Graham

Harris

K. R.

(2003). Students with learning disabilities and the process of writing: A meta-analysis of SRSD studies. In Swanson

Harris

K. R.

Graham

(Eds.), Handbook of research on learning disabilities (pp. 323-344). New York, NY: Guilford.

12.

Graham

Harris

K. R.

(2009). Almost 30 years of writing research: Making sense of it all with The Wrath of Khan. Learning Disabilities Research, 24, 58-68. doi:10.1111/j.1540-5826.2009.01277

13.

Halpern

A. S.

(1993). Quality of life as a conceptual framework for evaluating transition outcomes. Exceptional Children, 59, 486-498.

14.

Harris

K. R.

Graham

Mason

L. H.

(2003). Self-regulated strategy development in the classroom: Part of a balanced approach to writing instruction for students with disabilities. Focus on Exceptional Children, 35(7), 1-16.

15.

Hayes

J. R.

Flower

L. S.

(1987). On the structure of the writing process. Topics in Language Disorders, 7(4), 19-30.

16.

Hughes

C. A.

Schumaker

J. B.

Deshler

D. D.

(2005). The essay test-taking strategy (1st ed.). Lawrence, KS: Edge Enterprises.

17.

Macarthur

C. A.

Philippakos

(2010). Instruction in a strategy for compare-contrast writing. Exceptional Children, 76, 438-456.

18.

Mastropieri

M. A.

Scruggs

T. E.

Norland

J. J.

Berkeley

McDuffie

Tornquist

E. H.

Connors

(2007). Differentiated curriculum enhancement in inclusive middle school science: Effects on classroom and high-stakes tests. Journal of Special Education, 40, 130-137. doi:10.1177/00224669060400030101

19.

Mercer

C. D.

Mercer

A. R.

Pullen

P. C.

(2011). Teaching students with learning problems (8th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson.

20.

Newman

Wagner

Cameto

Knokey

A. M.

Shaver

(2010). Comparisons across time of the outcomes of youth with disabilities up to 4 years after high school: A report of findings from the National Longitudinal Transition Study (NLTS) and the National Longitudinal Transition Study-2 (NLTS2) (NCSER 2010-3008). Menlo Park, CA: SRI International.

21.

Papay

C. K.

Bambara

L. M.

(2011). Postsecondary education for transition-age students with intellectual and other developmental disabilities: A national survey. Education and Training in Autism and Developmental Disabilities, 46, 78-93.

22.

Penner-Williams

Smith

T. E. C.

Gartin

B. C.

(2009). Written language expression: Assessment instruments and teacher tools. Assessment for Effective Intervention, 34, 162-169. doi:10.1177/153408408318805

23.

Rubin

S. E.

Chan

Thomas

D. L.

(2003). Assessing changes in life skills and quality of life resulting from rehabilitation services. Journal of Rehabilitation, 69, 4-9.

24.

Salahu-Din

Persky

Miller

(2008). The nation’s report card: Writing 2007 (NCES 2008–468). Washington, DC: National Center for Education Statistics, Institute of Education Sciences, U.S. Department of Education.

25.

Schumaker

J. B.

Deshler

D. D.

(2009). Adolescents with learning disabilities as writers: Are we selling them short? Learning Disabilities Research & Practice, 24, 81-92. doi:10.1111/j.1540-5826.2009.00282.x

26.

Songlee

Miller

S. P.

Tincani

Sileo

N. M.

Perkins

P. G.

(2008). Effects of test-taking strategy instruction on high-functioning adolescents with autism spectrum disorders. Focus on Autism and Other Developmental Disabilities, 23, 217-228. doi:10.1177/1088357608324714

27.

SPSS Version 11.0 for Windows. (2002). Chicago, IL: Prentice Hall.

28.

Stodden

R. A.

Whelley

(2004). Postsecondary education and persons with intellectual disabilities: An introduction. Education and Training in Developmental Disabilities, 39, 6-15.

29.

Stuart

C. H.

Smith

S. W.

(2002). Transition planning for students with severe disabilities: Policy implications for the classroom. Intervention in School & Clinic, 37, 234-236. doi:10.1177/105345120203700407

30.

Therrien

W. J.

Hughes

Kapelski

Mokhtari

(2009). Effectiveness of a test-taking strategy on achievement in essay tests for students with learning disabilities. Journal of Learning Disabilities, 42, 14-23. doi:10.1177/0022219408326218

31.

Wong

B. Y. L.

Wong

Blenkinsop

(1989). Cognitive and metacognitive aspects of learning disabled adolescents’ composing problems. Learning Disability Quarterly, 12, 300-322.

32.

Woodcock

McGrew

Mather

(2001). Woodcock-Johnson III Tests of Achievement. Itasca, IL: Riverside Publishing.

33.

Woods-Groves

Therrien

W. J.

Hua

Hendrickson

Shaw

Hughes

(in press). Effects of combined repeated reading and question generation intervention on young adults with cognitive disabilities. Education and Training in Autism and Developmental Disabilities.

34.

Zaft

Hart

Zimbrich

(2004). College career connection: A study of youth with intellectual disabilities and the impact of postsecondary education. Education and Training in Developmental Disabilities, 39, 45-53.