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avoid inservice days, exams, <strong>and</strong> o<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>r such<br />
events. In general, <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> researcher observed<br />
every part of <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> school day for <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> students<br />
involved when she was present, including<br />
classroom activities, lunch, community-based<br />
instructi<strong>on</strong>, <strong>and</strong> work experiences.<br />
In additi<strong>on</strong> to classroom observati<strong>on</strong>s, document<br />
reviews were c<strong>on</strong>ducted. Students’<br />
CA-60 files were analyzed. Data was ga<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>red<br />
<strong>on</strong> students’ IQ, achievement test scores<br />
(reading <strong>and</strong> ma<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>matics), disability classificati<strong>on</strong>,<br />
years in special educati<strong>on</strong>, age, <strong>and</strong><br />
o<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>r pertinent informati<strong>on</strong>. Interviews were<br />
also c<strong>on</strong>ducted with <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> teachers, students,<br />
<strong>and</strong> paraprofessi<strong>on</strong>als involved in <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> study.<br />
All were formally interviewed, in additi<strong>on</strong> to<br />
informal c<strong>on</strong>versati<strong>on</strong>s that occurred. Teachers<br />
were informally interviewed several times<br />
across <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> data collecti<strong>on</strong> period.<br />
Instruments<br />
A semi-structured interview protocol was followed<br />
in <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> teachers’ formal interview (protocol<br />
available up<strong>on</strong> request). It focused <strong>on</strong><br />
curriculum choice <strong>and</strong> underst<strong>and</strong>ing how<br />
curriculum became enacted as well as factors<br />
influencing <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> curriculum. Students’ formal<br />
interviews addressed <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> curriculum in <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>ir<br />
classes <strong>and</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>ir ideal curriculum. Students<br />
were asked to resp<strong>on</strong>d to questi<strong>on</strong>s regarding<br />
<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>ir high school experience <strong>and</strong> what <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>y<br />
were learning in <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> program (protocol available<br />
up<strong>on</strong> request). Paraprofessi<strong>on</strong>al formal<br />
interviews focused <strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> program <strong>and</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>ir<br />
perspectives (protocol available up<strong>on</strong> request).<br />
All interviews of participants were audiotaped,<br />
unless an individual requested that<br />
s/he not be recorded (1 student out of 15<br />
requested as such). The interview questi<strong>on</strong>naires<br />
were designed by <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> researcher with<br />
feedback from colleagues <strong>and</strong> adjusted as<br />
needed during <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> research project.<br />
Role of <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> Researcher<br />
The role of <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> researcher was that of a participant-observer.<br />
At <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> beginning <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> researcher<br />
attempted to maintain more of an<br />
observer role. However, as observati<strong>on</strong>s c<strong>on</strong>tinued<br />
<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> role shifted to more of a participant.<br />
At different times <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> researcher had to<br />
assist with instructi<strong>on</strong>al activities <strong>and</strong> inter-<br />
vene for behavioral reas<strong>on</strong>s. The more active<br />
participati<strong>on</strong> was at times sought by <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />
teacher or students. It was also unsolicited as<br />
times, such as when student safety or <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> lack<br />
of instructi<strong>on</strong>al assistance to a struggling student<br />
necessitated involvement.<br />
Data Analysis<br />
298 / Educati<strong>on</strong> <strong>and</strong> Training in Developmental Disabilities-September 2008<br />
Data (interviews, field notes, researcher reflecti<strong>on</strong><br />
notes, <strong>and</strong> archival review notes) were<br />
read <strong>and</strong> re-read, <strong>and</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>n parsed al<strong>on</strong>g <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />
research questi<strong>on</strong>, specifically noting <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> nature<br />
of <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> influence of <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> pre-determined<br />
factors <strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> enactment of functi<strong>on</strong>al curriculum:<br />
policy/ legislati<strong>on</strong>, community, school,<br />
teachers, students, <strong>and</strong> curriculum materials.<br />
Next, data were parsed by patterns that<br />
emerged. Data that supported or challenged<br />
<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> factors was color-coded <strong>and</strong>/or highlighted<br />
in <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> hard-copy of <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> fieldnotes <strong>and</strong><br />
<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>n cut-<strong>and</strong>-pasted from <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> electr<strong>on</strong>ic versi<strong>on</strong><br />
of <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> fieldnotes into a working document<br />
of patterns <strong>and</strong> emerging <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>mes by<br />
factor.<br />
Data analysis began by organizing <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> hard<br />
copy of <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> fieldnotes, researcher reflective<br />
notes, <strong>and</strong> interviews in chr<strong>on</strong>ological order<br />
by school site. The researcher <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>n read each<br />
site’s hard-copy fieldnotes notebook <strong>and</strong><br />
noted patterns <strong>and</strong> any potential additi<strong>on</strong>s or<br />
deleti<strong>on</strong>s from <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> pre-determined factors.<br />
This process was repeated several times, both<br />
c<strong>on</strong>densing <strong>and</strong> exp<strong>and</strong>ing. Key <strong>and</strong>/or typical<br />
analytical vignettes were located within <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />
data to support <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> asserti<strong>on</strong>s being made.<br />
Parsing <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> data by emerging patterns <strong>and</strong><br />
factors occurred for each school site separately<br />
<strong>and</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>n comparis<strong>on</strong>s were made between<br />
<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> two sites. Overarching patterns were<br />
noted to cut across both field sites. The patterns<br />
under each major <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>me were <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>n organized<br />
with <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> analytical vignettes as well as<br />
any negative case analysis. While both cases<br />
had <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> same overarching factors, <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>y differed<br />
across <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> patterns.<br />
Triangulati<strong>on</strong> was sought am<strong>on</strong>g <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> multiple<br />
data sources (i.e., observati<strong>on</strong> fieldnotes,<br />
researcher reflective notes, <strong>and</strong> interviews).<br />
Observati<strong>on</strong>s formed <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> main source of fieldnotes<br />
<strong>and</strong> interviews were used to support or<br />
challenge what was observed in <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> classrooms.<br />
Archival or document reviews were