Curriculum
The curricula that were used to teach the students in the two groups were closely
matched to the instructional goals and objectives established by the West Virginia
Department of Education. The primary focus was on mathematical operations involving
simple and mixed fractions. This area of mathematics was chosen for three primary
reasons: (a) it was identified by the special education teachers at the school as a general
weakness among the students; (b) it had low student performance on the latest state
achievement tests (WESTEST); and (c) the skills covered would be utilized in other
courses such as algebra, geometry, and various types of vocational training in which the
students would enroll in the future.