The Impact of Leadership Roles on Academic and Social-Emotional Growth in Students with Disabilities

Students with disabilities have limited opportunities to take on leadership roles in schools and extracurricular activities despite the empirical evidence that suggests how student leadership improves self-efficacy, self-esteem, and communication (Black et,al. 2014; Hine, 2013; Hodkinson, 2017). During my student-teaching in an extended resource classroom, I observed how the confidence and academic engagement of my students increased as they were given more opportunities for independence and leadership. This motivated me to research the effects of leadership for students with disabilities on their academic achievement and social-emotional growth. My presentation will discuss my findings from a meta-analysis of multiple studies that highlight the benefits of leadership roles for students with Autism, specific learning disabilities, and other health impairments such as ADHD as well as the barriers they face in stepping into these roles. Because literature is scarce on this specific topic, I utilized both the EBSCO database for peer-reviewed articles and the CORE database for academic research papers. In addition, I will discuss specific strategies and practical ways educators and administrators can support students with disabilities in leadership development.

Fe Eugenie Batoon is a graduating senior special education major. Fe is a member of the Lander Women’s Tennis Team, is currently serving as President for the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, and served as the secretary for the Council of Exceptional Children while making the President’s List every semester. This year, she presented at the South Carolina Association of Teacher Education at Claflin University and at the National Association of Teacher Education conference in New Orleans, Louisiana, on her experiences as a peer mentor for the teacher education department at Lander. 

Exploring the Effectiveness of Heggerty and Open Court in the Early Childhood Classroom

Across South Carolina, multiple school districts are teaching early literacy through two curriculum programs: Heggerty and Open Court. Both of these are heavily used in classrooms of Greenwood District 50. Heggerty is a phonological awareness and phonemics curriculum that provides early literacy instruction through auditory and kinesthetic activities. Students are often found pronouncing sounds with hand movements. It was founded over twenty years ago by an educator and has been in SC schools well before the Science of Reading movement.  Much like Heggerty, Open Court teaches phonics and phonemic awareness, but the curriculum expands from this with a focus on fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension. Open Court, from McGraw Hill, also provides curriculum for grades K-5, while Heggerty provides curriculum for grades K-3. Although Open Court has been producing curriculum for over sixty years, it was just recently added to the SC ELA adoption list. This project will assess the value of these programs based on field observations in a Greenwood 50 kindergarten classroom along with independent research from multiple peer reviewed journals and the curriculum websites of Open Court and Heggerty. While both curriculums show evidence of effectiveness, there are some recent observations from the classroom that raise concern about opportunity cost. Moreover, the websites are slickly designed to convey a greater certainty of the research’s support for these methods than is affirmed in the independent research found. Ultimately, I argue that schools should carefully consider these programs before implementing them, especially Open Court. 

Hope Crosby is from Walterboro, SC and is a senior early childhood education major. Her achievements include being an on campus ITS worker, an Honors College member, the Kappa Delta Pi president, a chair in CERRA Teaching Fellows, a leader at BCM, and remaining on the Dean's and President's list throughout her Lander career. 

Diversity and Value of Accommodations for Individuals with ASD in Southeastern US Aquariums

This presentation will explore the accommodations for individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) available in aquariums across the Southeastern United States. ASD is a developmental and learning disorder that affects a significant number of people globally. This condition can result in heightened anxiety when individuals are exposed to overstimulating environments or attractions. Many aquariums, along with other facilities, have implemented various accommodations and formed strategic partnerships to enhance inclusivity and accessibility. Throughout this presentation, I will highlight specific examples of these accommodations, offering a deeper understanding of the needs of individuals with Autism and the importance of fostering an inclusive experience for all.

Madison Reid is a senior biology major with a minor in Spanish, having graduated from Camden High School. She has demonstrated strong leadership and commitment through active involvement in several campus organizations, including serving as president of both TriBeta and the Animal Advocates Club. Additionally, Madison has contributed to her community by working at Paws Animal Wildlife Sanctuary in Laurens, South Carolina, during one summer. 

Code Meshing and Code Switching in the Writing Classroom

It is common knowledge that we do not speak the same way we write. However, the classical models of rhetoric which are based on speech performance are still utilized in the writing classroom. How does this pedagogy further stigmatize dialects in The United States’ education system? Through this project, we will discuss ways to incorporate code switching and code meshing into the writing classroom. This approach focuses on students utilizing their “home language” as a deliberate tool used in writing rather than something to be changed completely. 

Josey Rhynes is a senior secondary English education major. She is originally from Chesterfield, South Carolina. She is a member of the South Carolina Army National Guard. Her achievements include presenting at the Medieval Matters conference at Spartanburg Methodist College in March of 2024 and Lander University's Academic Symposium 2024.