Stuttering is a common disorder addressed by speech-language pathologists in elementary schools. Although students who stutter likely receive specialized services from speech-language pathologists, other school personnel, including special and general educators, play a key role in creating supportive and positive learning environments for these…

Designing effective literacy interventions is a primary topic of importance in educational law, research, and practice (IDEA, 2004; International Dyslexia Association, 2020). The purpose of this article is to examine inclusive approaches to literacy instruction and reading comprehension for students with autism that in turn supports instructional…

There is a strong connection between word reading and spelling development. Students' spelling can provide insights into their word-level reading skills and inform intensive reading interventions delivered within a data-based individualization framework. The purpose of this article is to describe the linguistic knowledge bases that connect word…

Is there a shortage of special education teachers in America's public schools? If so, why? And how can policymakers fix it? The first question sounds like an easy one. Yes, there is a shortage of special education teachers. In 2023-24, more than half of districts and 80 percent of states reported such a shortage. If you doubt the self-reported…

Journalists have reported large-scale lead poisoning affecting children in cities such as Flint, Michigan. Unfortunately, children's exposure to lead is not isolated and occurs throughout the country in both urban and rural settings. The effects of lead exposure can cause children to develop disabilities, potentially requiring special education…

This article illustrates how two teachers, a general educator and a special educator, used an interactive process in planning an interdisciplinary science unit for an inclusive Kindergarten classroom and how they addressed Universal Design for Learning (UDL) components. This planning process included capitalizing on each teacher's knowledge and…

Stress management programs have been developed to improve teacher coping and prevent burnout. While many of these programs have promise, few have included special educators in intervention studies. Intervention programs may be beneficial for teachers in special education to increase their awareness of stress and use of coping skills, which in turn…

U.S. national data indicate that approximately 90% of rural students with a reading disability read at or below basic levels of reading proficiency. A growing body of research demonstrates that the ability to make inferences is essential for reading comprehension but particularly difficult for students with reading disabilities. Compounding…

Across the United States, school leaders and administrators are confronted with widespread shortages of special educators--a challenge that may feel insurmountable at times. Shortages of special educators mean open teaching positions go unfilled or are filled by personnel who may lack the preparation and certification known to lead to positive…

Behavior skills training (BST) with ongoing coaching is an effective form of professional development that creates sustained educator practice change and improves student outcomes. We provide a model for how BST can be used to improve the implementation of evidence-based practices with both teachers and paraprofessionals, the latter of whom often…

Self-determination consists of essential skills for students with disabilities because it gives individuals the power to make decisions based on their own needs and desires. Self-determination includes areas such as choice-making, goal setting, and self-directed learning. Music therapy is a service that can be used to enhance self-determination…

In this program description, the authors explain how a doctoral-level embedded service-learning opportunity, part of Project PURPLE (Preparing Urban and Rural Personnel as Leaders in Education), a collaborative personnel preparation training program, taught future faculty to meet the needs of urban and rural schools in high-need settings. The…

Supporting beginning teachers continues to be problematic for education systems across the nation. Issues concerning recruitment and retention have long plagued the profession. The onset of the global pandemic exacerbated these issues, particularly across rural communities. Researchers continue to advocate for the need to provide beginning…

Special educators are increasingly drawing from intersectionality and Black feminist theory to make sense of the disproportionate deleterious outcomes experienced by racialized students labeled with disabilities. While intersectionality gains a stronger hold in special education discourse, agencies like the Florida Department of Education are…

The EdResearch for Action Overview Series summarizes the research on key topics to provide K-12 education decision makers and advocates with an evidence base to ground discussions about how to best serve students. Authors - leading experts from across the field of education research - are charged with highlighting key findings from research that…