Given the disproportionate rates of youth with disabilities who experience exclusionary discipline in schools, it is important to consider the involvement of law enforcement officers in the discipline of these students and the students' right to an equitable education. One recent case of concern was Wilson v. City of Southlake, which clarified…

Approximately 19 percent of undergraduate students in the United States identify as having a disability, yet postsecondary institutions often lack the legal infrastructure necessary to support their academic success. National data show that only 49.6 percent of disabled students graduate from four-year institutions, compared to 68.1 percent of…

The separation between young children with disabilities and their peers is not merely physical but represents a deeper gap in opportunity, engagement, and understanding. True equity in inclusive education hinges on viewing disability not as an inherent limitation, but as a gap between personal capacity and the demands of the educational context --…

Decades of research about students of color with dis/abilities has left but one fact clear: these students are not treated equitably within our school systems. The purpose of this qualitative document analysis was to identify how Disability Critical Race Studies is represented within federal inclusion policies. The research question was "How…

Inclusive physical education and physical activity programs in schools provide equal opportunities for all students, including those with disabilities. All students, regardless of ability, should get the recommended 60 minutes or more of daily physical activity. Schools can help them meet this recommendation. This brief is for state education and…

Whether principals are required to allow service animals in the public schools is not entirely clear in law, policy, or practice. The matter is further complicated when the alleged harm caused by denying a request for a service animal is not clearly related to the educational program. The purpose of this article is to inform principals about the…

Despite increasing animal prevalence in public spaces, few districts have proactively developed policies to integrate assistance, therapy, service, and emotional support animals that are both legally sound and support the needs of individual students. Federal legislation defines a variety of animals that could accompany students, but only those…

This qualitative interpretive descriptive study examined the process used by multidisciplinary teams during initial special education evaluations for different disability categories. The problem addressed the fact that there are no aligned norms for initial eligibility processes and procedures in special education from one school, district, or…

Policy generally refers to outlined ways of doing things, which are usually linked to laws. Educational reforms are changes in educational policies, expectations, and implementations. Policy and educational reform includes reforms at the federal, state, and local levels. Examples of federal reform include the passing of the Americans with…

As required by 20 U.S.C. 1407 and 34 C.F.R. § 300.199, the Ohio Department of Education is identifying in writing to local educational agencies and the United States Department of Education the state-imposed special education rules, regulations, and policies adopted by the State Board of Education that are not required by Part B of the Individuals…

The purpose of this study was to explore the experiences of ESA owners, examine how the ESA policy functions in the undergraduate college setting, and analyze how the disability services offices influenced the ESA policy and campus response to ESAs on two residential college campuses. The conceptual framework of the study was systems theory. A…

The COVID-19 pandemic abruptly transformed the landscape of higher education. The urgent nature of procedural changes in academic and administrative higher education services did not exempt leadership, faculty, or staff from their legally mandated responsibility to provide equal access to the educational environment for students with disabilities…

This Policy Discourse Analysis (PDA) explores 19 state legislative documents focused on the teaching of disability history in K-12 schools. Framed through critical perspectives on constructions of disability and race, alongside discourse theory, we iteratively analyzed these legislative documents to understand (1) how disability and disability…

This article discusses equity-based inclusive education and federal policy drivers that can be used to make positive sustainable change in state, district, and local practice to improve the academic, social, and behavioral outcomes for all students including students with extensive support needs and those with labels of intellectual and…

Education is not a one-size-fits-all endeavor. When looking at preschool or K-12 education, having a diversity of options is essential. Yet there continue to be calls for the federal government to pass a universal preschool program like the one in President Biden's Build Back Better Act. The author states that this is clearly unconstitutional: the…