Access to general education is a federal mandate for all students but a major challenge in middle schools. The problem addressed in this study is a lack of access to the general education curriculum in the middle grades 6th-8th. To solve this problem, the Universal Design for Learning (UDL) framework was created to provide instructional design…

The general education classroom is filled with academic vocabulary, and individuals with developmental disabilities benefit from explicit vocabulary instruction (Browder et al., 2008; Marzano, 2020; Smith et al., 2013). Picture-based alternative and augmentative communication (AAC) can encourage academic skills development (Ahlgrim-Dehzel et al.,…

As instructional leaders, principals must apply leadership to ensure achievement of all students. There is a gap in practice involving challenges principals face while supporting the ELA achievement of their inclusive special education students. The purpose of this qualitative study was to understand instructional leadership challenges elementary…

COVID-19 affected many aspects of life, especially in education. The quick shift to emergency remote teaching (ERT) caused stress among teachers and students as teachers moved to emergency remote teaching instead of the traditional setting. Teachers faced challenges with changing roles, readiness, and support while students, particularly those…

In this article, we present a case study of a sixth grade English Language Arts (ELA) teacher and her students at an American Islamic school. The perception in the literature is that schools are an important bridge for immigrants to engage with their adopted culture. We examined the curriculum and instructional practice of sixth grade ELA teacher…

Studies show that despite many programs with intentions to create a positive and inclusive learning environment, bullying and exclusion is still a challenge. This article investigates the following: (a) What challenges are there in the psychosocial learning environment in primary school, from a student perspective, and (b) what strategies can…

Educators are one of the stakeholders in the education system working to ensure learner success. According to the "Minimum Requirements For Teacher Education Qualifications," educators must fulfil 7 roles in their quest to impart education. In the study reported on her, we investigated Grade 6 educators' knowledge and use of mediation as…

This article briefly responds to the following question: Why aren't more students with severe disabilities being placed in general education classrooms? I offer five reasons why more students with severe disabilities are not included, because: (a) ableism persists, (b) schools continue to misapply the least restrictive environment provisions of…

Empirical studies investigating twice-exceptional students' learning experiences and intricate needs remain scarce to date. Even though highly able learners with autism spectrum disorder (ASDs) demonstrate potential for high achievement and/or creative productivity, they also face potential psychosocial distresses such as anxiety disorders and…

For high-ability students to develop their full potential, they require evidence-based interventions tailored to their exceptional needs. Educational acceleration has proven effective with many high-ability students, but educators sometimes express concerns about social issues, and such concerns may block access to accelerative interventions.…

Classroom engagement can be problematic for students who are deaf or hard-of-hearing (DHH), but is essential to ensure that they can reach their best educational and postschool outcomes. This study used semi-structured interviews to explore the self-perceived barriers and facilitators to classroom engagement for 16 DHH students educated in…

This case study of two fourth-grade teachers explored teachers' literacy instructional practices and perceptions of their professional agency during the hybrid synchronous teaching of the COVID-19 pandemic. In anticipation of the challenges of hybrid synchronous instruction, these teachers combined their classes to co-teach 39 students. Analysis…