Although there are several well used self-efficacy instruments designed to measure PE teachers' self-efficacy to teach students with disabilities, limitations to these scales exits, such as a narrow focus on integrated instructional placements and an absence of theoretically relevant sources of self-efficacy information built within the scales.…

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act is the administrative law that governs special education services and how students with disabilities should be educated. When students are found eligible for special education and related services, the law states that the general education classroom should be the first placement considered where…

The purpose of this research study is to comprehend the perception and practices of New Jersey public school educators serving students in kindergarten through 12th-grade settings, regarding factors impacting placement in the least restrictive environment for special education students. This study explored how educators rate the implementation of…

In a school district in the southwestern United States, the problem that this study explored was that too many students with intellectual disabilities (ID) are placed into separate classrooms at the middle school level rather than being mainstreamed into general education classrooms. The purpose of this basic qualitative project study was to…

Although the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) intends parents to be equal members of the team that makes their child's Individual Education Plan (IEP), parents face barriers to participation, particularly exclusionary procedures, school structures, professional behaviors, and racial and cultural biases. Little wonder that some…

Despite extensive research documenting the negative outcomes of teaching students in segregated settings, research and national statistics have continued to demonstrate the persistent segregated placement rates for students with disabilities who require extensive support needs (ESN). However, some research has begun to explore the influence of…

The least restrictive environment (LRE) is the educational placement determined necessary for obtaining maximum educational benefits. The individualized education program (IEP) team determines the LRE after analyzing the student's academic and behavioral data and assessing the student's unique needs. Specific special educational labels may produce…

In this study, I explore how the senior leadership team at an Academy Trust in England understands and operationalizes inclusion, particularly for pupils whose learning profile includes autism. England's policies regarding inclusion appear to focus on the placement of pupils with disabilities in the mainstream provision; however, the Academy…

The Individuals with Disability Act of 2004 states students must be serviced in their least restrictive environment. However, educators see more and more students being provided their instruction in resource rooms, with little evidence that the students are making more progress in a more restrictive environment. This study examined the…

The purpose of the current investigation is to examine the attitudes and knowledge of principals toward least restrictive environment (LRE) as it relates to students with disabilities in four counties in Northeast Ohio. The research was conducted using a web-based modified survey that included questions from "The Principals' and Inclusion…

African American students receive placements in special education in numbers disproportionate to their representation in the population at large. They are also placed in most restrictive settings in large numbers. The current quantitative study was designed to examine the influence of participation in ARD/IEP meetings by African American parents…

For centuries past, children with a hearing loss were educated separately from their hearing peers. With the advent and passing of several legislative and Congressional mandates such as "The Rehabilitation Act," "The Education for all Handicapped Children Act" and "No Child Left Behind," children with a hearing loss…

The enrollment of children with ASD in public school settings has escalated in conjunction with the increased incidence of the diagnosis (Yeargin-Allsopp et al., 2003). Characteristics associated with ASD can present unique challenges for both children and teachers in the classroom. According to many researchers, positive teacher attitudes are one…

Alternative schools serve a population of students who have come in conflict with the codes of conduct of their home school district. Students with disabilities are subject to the same codes of conduct and occasionally are referred to alternative schools. These referrals constitute a change in placement mandating alternative schools to provide…

This qualitative study sought to identify the attitudes of elementary principals toward the inclusion of students with autism in regular education classrooms and the relationship between their attitudes and their placement recommendations for children with autism. The perspectives of elementary principals (administrators with a minimum of three…