This study explored the ways that STEM faculty learn about, design, and implement inclusive STEM teaching practices to improve student belonging. An interpretive phenomenological approach was employed to understand the personal experiences and thought processes of faculty as they worked to further develop their understanding of issues of equity…

Utilizing a phenomenological approach, this dissertation explores how principals perceive and use their roles in developing and maintaining inclusive special education programs. Specifically, this study has examined principals' beliefs and ideals in decision-making to support inclusion in classrooms. Its goal is to provide insight into principals'…

A qualitative case study approach was employed to explore the perspectives of stakeholders affiliated with an inclusive postsecondary education (IPSE) program for students with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (I/DD) in the pacific northwestern United States. Utilizing Artiles' (2009) cultural-historical paradigm, three research…

This qualitative case study identified key components to the creation and implementation of programming for students with Emotional Impairments. By determining the specific structures that need to be in place in a public school program to support students with Emotional Impairments, districts can develop classrooms that will lead to student…

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act is the administrative law that governs special education services and how students with disabilities should be educated. When students are found eligible for special education and related services, the law states that the general education classroom should be the first placement considered where…

At the University of Pittsburgh at Greensburg, commuter students make up the majority of the currently enrolled student population. The majority population has expressed their dissatisfaction about co-curricular and social activities and a diminished sense of belonging and inclusion. The focus of this dissertation is on the Greensburg Experiences…

The intent of this study was to address a problem of practice in an elementary school setting in order to provide opportunities for students with significant impairments to be educated in the least restrictive environment. Three research questions guided the study: How effectively has Be Your Best Elementary School (BYBES) developed and…

The diagnosis of individuals on the autism spectrum (AS) has received international attention in recent years. This is partly due to the potentially distressing and challenging barriers individuals and their families face as well as a rise in prevalence rates (Weiss & Rohland, 2014). Research has indicated an increase in individuals on the AS,…

Many educators are not adequately prepared for effectively managing the challenging behaviors that arise when including students with emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD) in the general education classroom. This action research study sought to identify educators' perceptions at Charter Academy about including students with EBD in the general…

Hegemonic institutions continue to promote the importance of Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging initiatives (DIB). However, the persons in power creating these initiatives are often White men and women (Bischel and McChesney, 2017), that do not understand the complexity of the lived experience of Black, Brown, and African American people within…

Public organizations have been interested in tapping into the creativity and passion of the public through the use of open innovation, which emphasizes bottom-up ideation and collaboration. A challenge for organizational adoption of open innovation is that the quick-start, bottom-up, iterative nature of open innovation does not integrate easily…

Educational institutions are placing students with disabilities in inclusive programming to meet legislative requirements. School districts have been mandated to develop rigorous programs that can increase the academic achievement of students with disabilities, as well as their participation in general education classrooms. Many school districts,…

Catholic schools in the United States have grappled with how to serve students with disabilities without the funding sources available to public schools. This mixed methods case study examines the driving forces, restraining forces, and social justice issues that influenced the development of an inclusion program at one Catholic elementary school.…

Principals must be instructional leaders in their schools in order to adhere to federal, state, and local mandates as well as being able to discern that the programs for students with disabilities are being developed and implemented with fidelity to meet the needs of those students. The transition a school goes through to include students with…

The last twenty-five years has brought increased recognition of the educational rights of individuals with mental retardation and with it, increased programming in the Jewish community to meet their needs. Through the use of hermeneutics, this paper seeks to contribute to the knowledge and understanding of the "halakhic" status and needs of…