Mary Beth Doyle

• Ph.D.
• Professor (Full) at Saint Michael's College

We describe a pair of fully integrated courses designed to teach biology to non-majors in a manner that connects authentically to the liberal arts. The co-taught courses were organized around the question: What does it mean to be human? Students investigated this question in the context of three topics: dis/ability, race, and sex and gender. In add...

Italy has a long history of including students with disabilities in general education classes. Their efforts offer unique perspectives and practices from which other countries may benefit. The article highlights four notable attributes about the Italian approach and discusses implications for American schools.

Over the past two years, six sets of Italian scholars have responded to questions posed by Giangreco, Doyle and Suter (2012) in a descriptive study about school demographic data pertaining to the inclusion of students with disabilities in Italy. In this reply to those responses, the authors discuss five concerns they share in common with their Ital...

Paraprofessional utilization has steadily risen in an effort to meet the needs of students with disabilities in inclusion-oriented classrooms. To date, no widely accepted processes exist to assist schools in determining when the use of paraprofessional staff is warranted. Many schools have attempted to fill this void by developing local processes d...

Recent research in inclusion-oriented schools in the United States has begun to document how a variety of demographic and service delivery variables (e.g., percent of students identified as disabled, percent of time in regular class, personnel utilization) can hinder or support innovations in curriculum, instruction, and social/behavioral intervent...

Effective collaboration with paraprofessionals is an important and growing aspect of providing special education services in inclusive schools. We reviewed recent research on special education paraprofessional issues and practices in U.S. schools between 2000 and 2007. Major findings of 32 identified studies were summarized in 9 topical categories:...

Confronting Obstacles to Inclusion uniquely and comprehensively addresses interpretations of inclusive education by drawing upon the experiences and expertise of leading writers and academics who have direct experience of teaching and researching this...

As students with moderate and severe intellectual disabilities transition from inclusive middle schools to high schools, they deserve similar opportunities for inclusive educational experiences at this next level. The article begins with a description of a practical way to organize student specific information that is necessary for classroom teache...

The sous-chef and the executive chef work closely together to prepare gour- met cuisine. Although an untrained observer might have difficulty determin- ing where one chef's role ends and the other's begins, their respective roles in the kitchen are differentiated very clear- ly. Ultimately, the executive chef ensures that all of the dishes comple-...

Now for the first time ever, the bestselling, teacher-trusted "Quick-Guides to Inclusion" are available in a single updated and revised volume -- complete with seven all-new Quick-Guides. A resource for busy K-12 teachers who need fast, friendly, and practical guidance on including students with disabilities in general education classrooms, this ph...

A primary responsibility of general and special educators is to teach students how to read. In inclusive classrooms, paraprofessionals are utilized frequently to support literacy instruction. Paraprofessionals can be employed to help improve reading skills of students with disabilities or those considered at-risk. In this article we outline commona...

The number of students entering colleges and universities with Asperger's Syndrome has increased dramatically in the past decade. A large number of these students are selecting Computer Science as a major. The impact on pedagogy and classroom management may be more significant than many of us suspect. In order to meet this challenge, this panel wil...

Though the utilization of special education paraprofessionals has increased, contemporary literature and research highlight a series of concerns about the field's continuing reliance on this approach. This article presents a three-component administrative model for effective utilization of paraprofessionals that includes paraprofessional supports,...

This article discusses the increasing use of paraprofessionals in special education and addresses the following five areas: the role of paraprofessionals, the impact of the proximity of paraprofessionals on students with disabilities, the impact of paraprofessionals on teacher engagement, the importance of professional recognition, and strategies f...

This article summarizes and analyzes a set of 43 pieces of professional literature pertaining to paraprofessional supports for students with disabilities published between 1991 and early 2000. Twenty-six nondatabased sources and 17 research studies were included. The findings identify topical gaps in the literature, review the major databased findi...

This case study chronicles the use of two educational planning tools, COACH (Choosing Outcomes and Accommodations for Children: A Guide to Educational Planning for Students with Disabilities) and VISTA (Vermont Interdependent Services Team Approach: A Guide to Coordinating Educational Support Services) for Andrew, a 4‐year‐old child with Down syndr...

THE PURPOSE OF THIS STUDY WAS TO BETTER UNDERSTAND HOW INCLUSIVE SCHOOLING FOR STUDENTS WITH MODERATE TO SEVERE DISABILITIES WAS INITIATED IN THE ST. CLOUD COMMUNITY SCHOOLS, MINNESOTA, SEVENTEEN INDIVIDUALS WERE INTERVIEWED. FINDINGS ALIGN WITH CURRENT SCHOOL RESTRUCTURING RESEARCH IN THAT (A) INDIVIDUAL PEOPLE WERE CENTRAL TO THE CHANGE PROCESS,...

Discusses what inclusive education is, what it is not, and seven ways it can provide opportunities for improving education Michael, I'm a fourth-grade “Regular Ed” teacher who was very reluctantly drafted to have a child with severe disabilities in my room. It didn't take me long to be genuinely glad to have Sandy in my class. I can support inclusi...

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Minnesota, 1995. Includes bibliographical references.