The Every Student Succeeds Act was passed in 2015, requiring schools to choose an accountability measure to accompany standardized achievement assessments. This act charges schools to educate students on academic standards and address the whole student socially and emotionally. One climate variable not widely studied in America is students' sense…

Recent legislation through the Every Student Succeeds Act (2015) has implications for school systems across the nation in creating and implementing a multi-tiered system of support. Pennsylvania has its own state legislation that also provides the language for schools to implement an MTSS framework that includes tiered support in academics through…

The purpose of this article is to provide Catholic educators, administrators, families, and broader parish communities an understanding of critical elements required to effectively include all students, particularly those with disabilities, in Catholic schools. With an understanding that Catholic schools enroll and will continue to add not only…

As classrooms become more diverse and inclusive, classroom management is a consistent issue that new teachers, in particular, special education teachers report being ill-prepared for. The enactment of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA, 2015) and continued punishment referral patterns have given rise to concerns regarding the overuse of…

The Every Student Succeeds Act of 2015 requires the examination of schools to determine which factors of school quality relate to improved student outcomes. Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS) is one such framework that proposes to create a positive school climate through school-wide principles of applied behavior analysis. These…

A substantial achievement gap, with culturally and linguistically diverse (CLD) students falling behind native-English-speaking White peers, has been widely documented in research as well as government reports. However, a corresponding discipline gap has not been evident due to the various labels and methods used for identifying specifically…

Our most underserved student groups have been marginalized for centuries in school systems that impose upon them traditional American culture, thereby perpetuating the cycle of marginalization. Many educational organizations use evidence-based approaches that aim to create equity for all and are often introduced in silos, duets, trios, or even…

This study investigated school principals' opinions of their knowledge, skills, and leadership roles in providing services and support to students with special needs. A total of 134 respondents were included. Responses were analyzed into 4 factors; leadership in special education, leadership knowledge, leadership support, and leadership decision.…

The purpose of this "Equity by Design" brief is to provide educators and parents with information about universal supports, describe how these supports may prevent discrimination, and provide resources to address discrimination or disparate treatment in universal supports.

In 2013, national education groups representing principals, school-employed mental health professionals, and school resource officers developed "A Framework for Safe and Successful Schools" (ED612657) to provide a common set of recommendations for policies and practices that create and sustain safe, supportive learning environments. The…

Efforts to improve school climate, safety, and learning are not separate endeavors. They must be designed, funded, and implemented as a comprehensive school-wide approach that facilitates interdisciplinary collaboration and builds on a multitiered system of supports. The author organizations and cosigners of this joint statement believe that,…