This study is focused on seven states, Colorado, Delaware, Kansas, Minnesota, Washington, Washington D.C., and Wisconsin and the written special education complaints filed from July 1, 2014-June 30th, 2019. The problem addressed by this quantitative, correlational design study was the lack of information on the effects of multiple predictor…

This study examined the shared understanding between principals and special education teachers (SETs) regarding the instructional practices and components essential for special education teacher evaluations. Shared mental models and Cultural Consensus Theory (CCT) guided the methodology. Cultural Domain Analysis (CDA), Cultural Consensus Analysis…

Under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), schools and families collaborate to determine educational decisions for children with special needs. However, successful collaboration occurs when special education practitioners and families build strong partnerships. This study employed a mixed-methods action research design to…

Federal special education law stipulates that all children in the United States are entitled to receive a free, appropriate, and public education, regardless of their disability. Yet, research consistently documents injustices in the law's implementation, including racial disproportionalities. In my dissertation, I interrogate how the law itself…

Existing literature about special education professionals outlines an inherent challenge, especially in professional leadership and development. The problem was that school leadership and administrators might lack the necessary preparation and training to support special education teachers. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore…

School administrators play a critical role in special education and it is their responsibility to ensure policies, procedures, and practices are carried out in accordance with the law. This requires that school administrators know the requirements of the law and research-based practices in special education. Researchers have shown that school…

This dissertation of practice delves into the critical examination of special education provision in adult correctional facilities, focusing on the systemic and compliance-related challenges that predominantly impact incarcerated Black males ages 18 to 21. Through the lenses of Critical Race Theory (CRT) and Disability Critical Race Theory…

Significant disproportionality in special education is a persistent problem that has plagued the American public education system for over 50 years. Despite federal, state, and local efforts; this problem has yet to be solved. The persistence of this problem, despite intervention, suggests that significant disproportionality in special education…

Historically Wales has been regarded as a country with relatively low levels of school exclusion, particularly in comparison with England. This has been used as an indicator of Wales' commitment to the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, which foregrounds a rights-based agenda that would argue school exclusion is a consequence of broader…

Professional standards for principals include numerous provisions addressing the need to have the knowledge, skills, and dispositions necessary to promote effective special education programs. The administration of special education programs requires complex responsibilities including assurances that policies and practices are in compliance with…

Military-connected students currently make up 1.3 million of K-12 students enrolled in public schools across the United States (US Department of Defense, 2020). There are also more than seven million students with an identified exceptionality qualifying them to receive special education services (National Center for Education Statistics, 2022).…

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA, 2004) addresses educational access in a brick-and-mortar setting but does not specifically address how to meet the parameters of free appropriate public education (FAPE) and least restrictive environment (LRE) in an online or virtual setting. An increased desire by students with disabilities…

Although special education legal knowledge is central to educating students with disabilities, how two critical school professionals--special educators and school principals--garner such knowledge is unclear. This study identified gaps in the professional training for special educators and school principals by examining professional standards and…

Over the last twenty years, governments and a range of disability rights organizations have advocated for increased accessibility to educational materials and school documents for people with disabilities. Recently, several studies have shown that accessibility is still lacking among educational organizations and other government agencies. This…

This study aimed to determine prior teacher and educational diagnostician knowledge of Indicator 13 and how to use Indicator 13 to improve post-school outcomes for students with moderate to severe disabilities. This study examined students with moderate to severe disabilities' indicator 13 results at the Learning Independency for Everyday…