Although the multitiered system of supports for behavior (MTSS-B) framework has emerged as a proactive, systemic framework to promote students' social, emotional, and academic outcomes, its implementation may not benefit all youth equitably without explicit considerations related to culturally and racially equitable practice. In this article, we…

Limited emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD)-focused intervention mixed methods research (MMR) has been published, particularly in top-tier EBD journals (i.e., "Behavior Disorders" and "Journal of Emotional and Behavioral Disorders"). The lack of published MMR creates what could be perceived as a Catch-22 situation wherein…

Teacher-Student Relationships (TSRs) contribute to a wide range of positive outcomes for K-12 students. However, many practitioners struggle to build positive relationships with students with challenging behaviors. In this article, we describe how TSR interventions can be structured using an established and common framework: Multi-Tiered Systems…

The Multi-Tiered System of Support (MTSS) and its effects are described in this article. The effects of MTSS are associated with improved academic outcomes across various domains, reduced behavioral issues, and enhanced social and emotional development. MTSS also promotes equity by addressing the diverse needs of all students from various…

There are many integrated Multi-tiered Systems of Support (iMTSS), which we refer to as integrated-tiered systems. These systems hold benefits for students with disabilities, as such systems have the potential to facilitate inclusion and focus the collective expertise of educators committed to meeting students' multiple needs. The Comprehensive,…

Children on the spectrum often require both formal services and natural unpaid support from caregivers. Recent autism surveillance study in the US has reported an increase in racially/ethnically diverse autistic children (Maenner et al. in MMWR Surveillance Summaries 72(2):1, 2023). Standing at the intersection of race, disability and sometimes…

A small rural district in the eastern United States is experiencing challenges related to meeting the diverse behavioral needs of its special education students. After out-of-district placement options were limited due to the aftereffects of COVID-19, school leaders worked together to create a specialized program within their own district to meet…

This document provides information to contextualize Positive Behavioral Interventions & Support (PBIS) in the classroom for deaf students to better address unique needs and create more effective learning environments. Guided by PBIS core features, "top ten" practices are identified to support and respond to students' social,…

This commentary outlines the potential benefits of applying advances in the science of learning and development to special education service delivery and research. Building from a dynamic ecological systems perspective of development, it is argued that special education should focus on the whole child in context to leverage the correlated…

The purpose of this paper is to define and describe the 'Telos' or purpose of special education. We argue that special education has three main (tripartite) functions: (a) research, (b) a distinct system, and (c) special instruction. The overall Telos of special education is to provide an educational service to better serve students whose…

This case highlights the moral and ethical dilemmas that principals and educators confront when making decisions about special education classification and placement, particularly in the context of racial disproportionality. These decisions are complex, influenced by the requirements of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and…

Currently many schools engage in a systematic process, called a Multi-Tiered System of Support (MTSS), that simultaneously accounts for every student's academic progress and instructional needs. A central tenet of an MTSS framework is providing remedial, increasingly intensive, small group instruction to students who are not demonstrating…

This brief highlights how CEEDAR's model for cross-state learning groups (CSLGs) provides ongoing opportunities for virtual collaboration between states. CSLGs provide a structure to leverage the collective knowledge and resources of the CEEDAR network while building relationships between state-level leadership teams, partner organizations, and…

Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) is a useful framework designed to address diverse needs of students and has great potential for twice-exceptional (2e) students, or gifted students with disabilities. By integrating academic, behavioral, social-emotional, and collaborative components, MTSS provides targeted interventions through its tiered…

There are a range of policies and systems to support learners who benefit from specialized or supplemental services and supports to promote their educational access and participation. Federal laws provide for programming and resources to support disabled and homeless students, respectively, but efforts can be siloed. This can be especially…