Special education advocacy programs support families to secure services for their children with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Although research demonstrates the efficacy of one such program (the Volunteer Advocacy Project), its effectiveness when replicated by others is unknown. Replication research is critical to ensure that…

In international education policy articulations by organisations such as the UNESCO, inclusive education is defined rather vaguely, usually in terms of human rights. Yet, national reception it is more or less taken for granted. Analyses of "policy lending" show that when national education traditions are not respected, the lack of…

This article is based on research conducted within two years of the 2014 SEND (special educational needs and disability) reforms being in force and reports on the experiences of five SENCOs (special educational needs coordinators) on implementing the reforms in London schools. The research was conducted primarily to inform professional practice…

Literature on racial disproportionality in special education has recently been situated within a polarized debate about the sources of racial inequities: specifically, the benefits and harms of special education. In this article, we consider this debate from a historical perspective by examining special education policies and their implementation.…

Educational agencies with inequities in special education or exclusionary discipline are required to review local policies, practices, and procedures as potential drivers of disproportionality. Indeed, disparities manifest in both locally and through broad, historical narratives; solutions must thus address both local context and histories of…

The ability to adapt positively to change is called resilience (Center for the Developing Child, n.d.). Individual and collective resilience are cultivated in the context of nurturing and supportive relationships (Gittell, 2008; National Scientific Council on the Developing Child, 2004). Ideally, this should occur in the early stages of change and…

This article aims to explore the context of inclusive education policy in Canada, and to highlight the particular case of inclusive education policy reform in the province of Nova Scotia. As with most other provinces and territories, inclusive education policy in Nova Scotia has broadened to include a lens of equity, with a focus on not only…

The Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) reforms have been reported as the most significant reforms of their kind for over 30 years. Through the Children and Families Act 2014 the Government is seeking to effect cultural change regarding SEND. The SENCo is responsible for the operational and strategic aspects related to SEND provision…

Response to intervention (RTI) is used as a prerequisite to referring children for special education eligibility for learning disabilities (LD). RTI provides schools with a framework for helping students with learning challenges. In the United States, while the number of students receiving services through RTI has remained consistent, the overall…

With a focus on exemplary practices, this article described and analyzed a principal's understanding of the conceptual framework of the US-based response-to-intervention and his strategies to mobilize school staff to understand and practice the model to achieve effective inclusive education with the principles of whole schooling. This principal…

In 2014 a new policy for special educational needs and disability (SEND) provision was introduced in England. As it has been the case in countries where SEND reforms were introduced, these changes raised challenges and opportunities for the professionals supporting children with SEND. However, to date, little systematic and large-scale evidence…

This paper explores the process of policy formulation and implementation in relation to children commonly described as having "special educational needs" and disability (SEND), in Cyprus and in England. Drawing on qualitative research evidence from key primary documentary sources including legislation, statutory and non-statutory…

Two distinct forces recently converged in Utah that led to the Board of Education office creating a training and mentoring program for new special education administrators and teachers: simultaneous steady growth of charter schools and nagging concerns about the quality of special education programs in these new schools and Results Driven…

A new special education strategy was launched in Finland by the Ministry of Education in 2007. The new Basic Act was enacted in 2010 and the new national core curriculum concerning three-tiered support for pupils in 2011. Since the 1990s, teachers across Finland have participated in developing Finnish basic education towards greater inclusion. The…

This study explores the similarities and differences of relatively newly established tiered intervention models for the support of students with special needs in the United States (response to intervention) and in Finland (learning and schooling support). The current models in both countries consist of several tiers with fairly similar…