Biased-based bullying, a common form of aggression that occurs in schools, targets individuals because of stigmatized identities and characteristics. Because biased-based bullying has adverse impacts on the health and well-being of marginalized students, the management and prevention of biased-based incidents is a priority, but little is known…

Many schools use paraprofessionals to implement and monitor interventions. Though paraprofessionals are cost-effective, many questions remain about the training and skills they need to implement a wide array of school-based interventions. In this study, we compare paraprofessionals' (i.e., undergraduates) implementation of the Group-Academic…

This dissertation focuses on teacher and staff perceptions of Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) implementation at the middle school level. MTSS implementation at the secondary level proves to be a daunting task which includes many complex facets. Ensuring that teacher and staff insights are sought out and taken into account when implementing…

High school students with mild to moderate disabilities are being educated in the full inclusion classroom. As inclusive settings increase, the importance of determining a structured way to implement full inclusion programs has risen. Currently, there are no structured plans to follow when implementing a full inclusion program. Narrative methods…

Paraeducators play an important role in assisting teachers and other professionals to support students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), including delivering positive behavioral supports to those students who engage in persistent challenging behavior. The purpose of this multiple baseline design across participants study was to support…

Special education teachers in rural settings face unique challenges related to providing transition services to secondary students with intellectual and other developmental disabilities (IDD). Geographically isolated school districts tend to have limited collaborative partnership opportunities and access to quality professional development to…

The purpose of this research study was to determine how Community Based Instruction (CBI) affects the social skills of middle school students with moderate to severe disabilities. Community Based Instruction is instruction that takes place outside of the school campus and provides students with real life experiences that can help them become more…

Teachers and paraprofessionals need effective training to improve their implementation of interventions for students with disabilities. Reviews of the single-case design literature have identified some features associated with effective training for these educators, but the group-design literature has received little attention. This meta-analysis…

Recent policy and program analyses conducted by our Center make it clear how few support staff are full participants at school and district tables where major school improvement decisions are made. It is not surprising, then, that student support staff are not appropriately accounted for in school improvement planning and implementation. This…

This study sought to compile a set of national data on educational technology in the classroom from the perspectives of teachers and education support professionals. It aims to provide the National Education Association's (NEA's) state and local affiliates with national data against which they can gauge their own progress in using computer-based…