The Individualized Education Program (IEP) remains a pivotal document for ensuring educational equity for students with disabilities in public education (Bateman, 2017). This qualitative interview study investigated how an IEP team supporting a student with extensive support needs navigated the decision-making process during annual IEP…

Exclusionary discipline is a practice that is used nationwide. Historically, students within Special Education receive exclusionary discipline at a higher rate than their nondisabled peers even though they have the legal protections of a Manifestation Determination meeting. IEP stakeholders, including school psychologists, administrators and…

The purpose of this qualitative descriptive study was to explore how public-school IEP team members describe decision-making influences and thresholds in least restrictive environment (LRE) placement for K-5 students with significant support needs in the Midwest. Decision-Making Ecology served as a framework for two research questions which…

Organizations invest billions annually in the form of Tuition Assistance Programs (TAP) with little knowledge as to the reasons why employees choose to participate. The purpose of this multiple exploratory case study was to explore the perceptions of employees with access to a TAP of at least $5,250 per year. Interviews were conducted with 17…

In this randomized multiple baseline across participants single-case design study, pre-service special education teachers received a modified Talk Aloud Problem Solving (TAPS) intervention to improve their use of problem-solving verbal behavior and reasoning skills when making instructional decisions. Special education teacher candidates may have…

Individuals who work in special education services and the stakeholders in the Individualized Education Program meetings (IEPs) must make educational decisions impacting the child's academic, behavioral, and social development through their academic journey. The mixed-method study sought to investigate administrators' effectiveness at IEP…

The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological research was to better understand the lived experiences of faculty teaching in a community college setting who have addressed behavioral concerns related to students with disabilities (SWDs). Much of the existing research is focused on the experiences of the students, not the faculty. Research is…

The purpose of the study was to report on music educators' perceptions of their involvement in the implementation processes of Individualized Education Programs. This included information about and participation in the IEP meetings and subsequent reception of communication of IEP documentation for the purpose of making appropriate adaptations for…

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) indicates students should participate in their Individualized Education Program (IEP) meetings whenever appropriate (IDEA, 2004), yet many students are uninformed of the purpose of these meetings and are not meaningful or active participants in the development of their IEPs (Martin, Van Dycke,…

This study explored teachers' perceptions of implementing personalized learning in several urban elementary school classrooms. Additionally, this study examined teachers' readiness for change through the lens of Ely's (1990) Eight Conditions of Change Model. The study participants included five elementary school teachers and the school principal.…

Literacy is an essential life skill, and adolescents need strong literacy skills to succeed in secondary schools and beyond. Low literacy achievement in the middle grades puts students, particularly students with disabilities (SWD), at a disadvantage heading into high school and can lead to negative outcomes such as dropping out. The intention of…

Transition beyond high school for students with disabilities was introduced in education over 50 years ago. Today, it has evolved to include data collection of ongoing mandated activities and post-school outcomes. The purpose of this study was to examine student transition planning components and how these related to the post-school outcome data…

IDEA students graduating at a rate far lower than their peers in the United States (Digest of Education Statistics, 2019). Students with disabilities are currently facing are entering post-secondary life with little or no understanding of their disability or how that disability may impact them in the future. The purpose of this study was to…

This critical narrative study examined the disconnect between special education law and practice in the rural Desert/Mountain region of Southern California. The Desert/Mountain region encompasses over 18,000 square miles, creating a geographic isolation that impacts special education service delivery and implementation of Individualized Education…

The least restrictive environment (LRE) is the educational placement determined necessary for obtaining maximum educational benefits. The individualized education program (IEP) team determines the LRE after analyzing the student's academic and behavioral data and assessing the student's unique needs. Specific special educational labels may produce…