This mixed methods sequential explanatory study aimed to examine the role professional development played on stakeholders' self-efficacy to implement an exceptional education program. To fulfill the quantitative portion of the study, the researcher conducted a one-group pre-posttest design to measure teacher self-efficacy before and after…

The article describes a promising new, fully virtual, multicomponent professional development intervention to support special education teachers in rural U.S. schools who enter the profession without full state licensure. The intervention seeks to strengthen special educators' self-efficacy in relation to classroom and behavior management, and…

Students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have complex and unique needs that can impact their success. Evidence-based practices (EBPs) have been identified that are effective with this population, yet educators may not be adequately prepared to implement such EBPs. Special education administrators are frequently responsible for developing and…

Video self-monitoring, a form of self-coaching, is a method of professional development for teachers. Reinforcement is an evidence-based practice for students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), and it is applicable in a variety of educational settings. Using a multiple baseline across participants design, we evaluated the effects of video…

Naturalistic developmental behavioral intervention (NDBI) strategies appear to be well-suited for implementation by preschool teachers of young children ages 3 through 5, yet research exploring NDBI implementation within this specific context is extremely limited. We applied an implementation science framework to examine reported knowledge,…

This is a response to Bonfiglio and Kroh's "Inclusion in Catholic Schools: From Inception to Implementation." Bonfiglio and Kroh identify three primary barriers to inclusion: (1) Lack of culture; (2) lack of resources; and (3) lack of knowledge and skills. In Karen Hopson's experience, lack of culture can be one of the most challenging…

Although evidence-based practices for improving academic engagement for students with emotional and/or behavioral disorders (EBD) have been identified, many teachers do not implement these practices with optimal fidelity. Thus, effective strategies are needed to improve teacher fidelity. Performance feedback is an effective professional…

The response to intervention (RtI) framework assists schools in identifying students who struggle to close achievement gaps. The problem examined for this study was lack of fidelity in the application of RtI, possibly leading to an increase in special education referrals. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to gain a better…

This article reports findings that describe the role that school- and district-based facilitators play in scaling up a published mathematics professional learning program. The study included 12 local facilitators (three teacher leaders and nine staff developers with specialization in mathematics, special education, or English learner education)…

Studies have shown that children with Special Educational Needs (SEN) are less engaged in social interactions with peers. The study attempted to investigate how Swedish preschool teachers in inclusive preschool settings implemented an evidence-based program called Play Time/Social Time; how they interpreted children's interaction; and how their…

Children with special education needs possess unique learning characteristics which may inhibit their effective learning in mainstream, general education classes. Special education practices are therefore designed to address the educational needs of students with disabilities through various strategies including thorough assessments of students'…

Teachers in today's society are having increasing difficulties with Individualized Education Program (IEP) implementation because teachers struggle with assessing data, designing instruction to fit individual needs, providing accommodations, and working as a team with a general education teacher in a co-teaching environment (Cawthon, 2009; Kosko…

This study was designed to identify professional development needs of classroom teachers and exceptional education assistants who teach regular and exceptional education students within the same classroom. The researcher assessed the needs of classroom teachers and exceptional education assistants using a Likert scale survey to identify areas of…

Students with special needs deserve a free and appropriate education. The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological research study was to explore factors responsible for creating a sustainable literacy initiative in special education schools and in addition, to analyze the effectiveness of instructional leadership in 10 special education…

The purpose of this study was to test the efficacy of a comprehensive program model originally developed by the National Professional Development Center on Autism Spectrum Disorder (NPDC). Sixty elementary schools with 486 participants were randomly assigned to an NPDC and services as usual condition (SAU). Significantly greater changes in program…