Discipline decisions regarding students with exceptionalities are complex. The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act of 2004 (IDEA) includes regulations that may safeguard educational access and opportunities through the manifestation determination (MD) process. Professionals knowledge, skill, and advocacy may also play a role in the…

Given federal mandates, public school districts have adopted inclusive practices with the expectation that general education teachers can accommodate students with disabilities. For teacher preparation programs to prepare future teachers for this reality, it is important to understand the composition of a "typical" general education…

Family-centered care and responsiveness to diversity are issues of great import for early childhood special education teachers. Nevertheless, the research for these related areas is divided throughout the field. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of a master's-level course designed to integrate instruction in family-centered…

African American students are overrepresented in the category of Emotional Disturbance under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act across the United States. This study examined how preservice teachers rated African American and European American students on three ratings scales across four culturally mediated behaviors: (a) movement…

The purpose of this study was to explore pre-service physical education teacher perceptions of teaching students with disabilities and professional preparation in a self-contained environment during a student teaching practicum. Data collection included formal interviews, informal interviews, direct observation with field notes, and critical…

The passage of current educational legislation such as the "Individuals with Disabilities Education Act" (IDEA) and the more recent "No Child Left Behind" (NCLB) Act has increased the desire for greater inclusion of students with disabilities in regular classrooms. Serving the need of all students in inclusive classrooms…

The coupling of the Individuals With Disabilities Education Act and the No Child Left Behind Act has placed a large number of students with disabilities into general education settings. The continued trend toward educating students with disabilities in inclusive settings mandates that teachers be prepared to work with all learners. General…

Prior to 1975, children with disabilities had no federally guaranteed right to public education. In 1975, Congress passed public law 94-142, which guaranteed that all students regardless of their handicapped condition be taught in the least restrictive environment. In 1990, it was re-named the Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA). Teachers…