Abstract
Purpose. The purpose of this study was to identify, using a Delphi Technique, the actions that experts believe Alaska schools/school districts should take to ensure the high school special education mainstreamed/inclusion students with disabilities achieve proficiency in mathematics equivalent to the expectations outlined in the No Child Left Behind Act 2001 by the year 2014. A second purpose was to ask experts to rate the actions in order to determine their importance and likelihood of implementation. Finally, the study determined which actions the experts found with consensus. Methodology. The researcher implemented a Delphi Technique. Twenty-one anonymous experts representing specialized fields within No Child Left Behind, mathematics, special education and standards based assessments participated in three rounds of data collection. The data were tabulated using means, medians, standard deviation, and interquartile range. Findings. The experts reached consensus for both high importance and high likelihood of being addressed on one action. The action, resource, and study skill support for special education students enrolled in general education mathematics classes, reached consensus by the experts for both importance and likelihood of being addressed. The use of technology and response to intervention were not represented in the thirty-eight Round III actions. Two categories, Assessment and Test-Taking Skills as well as Professional Collaboration, had no actions that reached consensus by the experts for both importance and likelihood of being addressed. Conclusions. The study data support the conclusion that resource and study skill classes are more likely to provide support for Alaska high school special education mainstreamed/inclusion students with disabilities to reach mathematics proficiency when enrolled in general education mathematics courses. There must be a commitment for Alaska schools/school districts to provide opportunities for special education teachers to obtain proficiency in high school algebra. Recommendations. Further research is advised: a study to compare the identified mathematics proficiency actions for the high school mainstreamed/inclusion students with disabilities of the Alaska bush and of the Alaska urban geographical locations. It is recommended that the study be replicated with a study in a Lower 48 state.