Since the enactment of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) in 2004, there has been a notable increase in the enrollment of students receiving special education services (National Center for Education Statistics [NCES], 2022). However, despite advancements in special education programming and service delivery, academic…

The increasing number of students who struggle to read has become a significant challenge for the nation's public schools. This study aimed to investigate the use of an online instructional reading program on the academic achievement of students with disabilities compared to race, gender, socioeconomic status, and family structure. The i-Ready…

Children from all cultural backgrounds and socioeconomic statuses demonstrate speech and language disorders that can have implications on their reading and writing abilities. It is the role of speech language pathologists to help remediate these foundational skills to allow further development of encoding and decoding in the educational setting.…

This study pertained to the experiences of learning-disabled individuals as they transition from high school to college. An exploration was undertaken to determine what an individual who falls into this classification personally experiences when transitioning from a situation where services that aid in creating an equitable learning environment…

Human capital theory suggests that lifetime income and socioeconomic status is a function of investments in human capital (Becker, 1962 & 1994; Becker & Tomes, 1986; Tomes, 1981). More recent developments show that human capital accumulation depends on mental health (Fletcher, 2008), in addition to ability, and access to resources to…

A meta-analysis of single-case design research was conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of mathematics interventions for elementary grade (K-5) students with mathematics difficulties (MD) and mathematics learning disabilities (LD). The study examined whether intervention effectiveness varied as a function of participant characteristics (i.e.,…

The purpose of this study was to examine the factors associated with academic achievement in at-risk high school students attending one of four charter schools in south Florida geared toward dropout prevention. Several factors were identified through a thorough review of the literature to identify the common demographic variables associated with…

Learning disabilities (LD) are a set of complex disorders, also known as "hidden" disabilities, which require comprehensive and tailored supports to meet the specific needs of individuals. As such, because of such complexities and with college attendance on the rise in recent years, it is necessary to understand the needs of students…

This dissertation consists of three empirical studies that explore the educational experiences and trajectories of English learners (ELs) and students with disabilities. The first study uses longitudinal data from four large California school districts to examine the characteristics of long-term ELs (LTELs) and former ELs--those reclassified as…

This study focused on what persistent factors contribute to adults with learning disabilities sustaining enrollment in college. The number of students who enter higher education programs with learning disabilities continues to increase (Eckes & Ochoa, 2005; Madaus & Shaw, 2006; Newman, Wagner, Cameto, & Knokey, 2009). This study…

The purpose of this qualitative, phenomenological study was to better understand the lived experiences of students with learning disabilities who have transitioned to postsecondary education in Alberta, Canada and the meaning students attribute to those experiences. A semi-structured interview format with open-ended questions was used to explore…

Response to Intervention and Instruction (RTI) is now the process for providing and monitoring reading interventions for students. In Tennessee, RTI is also used to identify students who may have a learning disability in the area of reading. For this reason, school districts are continuously evaluating the success of their RTI efforts in order to…

Response to Intervention and Instruction (RTI) is now the process for providing and monitoring reading interventions for students. In Tennessee, RTI is also used to identify students who may have a learning disability in the area of reading. For this reason, school districts are continuously evaluating the success of their RTI efforts in order to…

Response to Intervention and Instruction (RTI) is now the process for providing and monitoring reading interventions for students. In Tennessee, RTI is also used to identify students who may have a learning disability in the area of reading. For this reason, school districts are continuously evaluating the success of their RTI efforts in order to…

This comparative case study analyzes the overrepresentation of African American males in special education. The overrepresentation of African American children and youth in special education programs for students with learning disabilities, severe emotional or behavioral disabilities, and mental disabilities has remained a persistent reality, even…