In this preregistered study, we confirmed a transition-planning construct and determined its relationship with an established economic-hardship construct using parent- and youth-reported data from the National Longitudinal Transition Study 2012 and following established quality indicators of preregistered secondary data analyses studies.…

Adolescents who have been diagnosed with disabilities constitute a significant portion of the school population in the United States. For example, the National Survey of Children's Health identified one in four children ages 12 to 17 as having special healthcare needs in 2019 (Data Resource Center for Child and Adolescent Health, n.d.). In the…

As educators and policymakers increasingly use parental involvement as a mechanism to increase student achievement, scholars know surprisingly little about the disparities in frequencies of parental involvement for first-generation immigrant compared to native-born parents as well as how involvement may differ for parents of students with…

The purpose of this qualitative, phenomenological study was to discover the possible barriers to the implementation of counseling as a related service through the experiences and perceptions of special education directors, guidance counselors, and school psychologists. Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs is the guiding theory, as it has a direct…

Background/Context: As of Fall 2021, approximately 7.3 million students between the ages 6 to 21 were served under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, which accounts for approximately 15%of students in that age range (U.S. Department of Education, 2022). Students with disabilities receiving special education services are guaranteed a…

Students with disabilities (SWDs) continue to experience rates of high school dropout greater than students not receiving special education services. Furthermore, there is a persistent gap in the rates of high school completion among students with and without disabilities. While criticized for lowering standards and learning, online learning…

Self-determination is considered critical in motivation and the development of student learning. However, students with disabilities often struggle to develop self-determination skills, particularly those from culturally and linguistically diverse (CLD) backgrounds. Understanding the relationships between cultural values and self-determination in…

The purpose of this study was to explore parents' perspectives about the special education process during the COVID-19 pandemic. The sample consisted of Spanish-speaking and English-speaking parents (N = 102) of children receiving special education services. Results indicated that language (English or Spanish), but not household income or parental…

Although teachers reporting high teaching self-efficacy demonstrate positive teaching behaviors, minimal stress, and superior classroom management techniques, surprisingly few studies have demonstrated a relationship between teacher self-efficacy and student outcomes. This study explored self-efficacy specific to teaching students with autism…

We used time-varying effect modelling of two very large samples of fourth-grade students (N[subscript reading] = 148,240, N[subscript mathematics] = 152,220) to investigate associations between adoption and over-time implementation of a de facto cap on special education service receipt and over-time likelihoods of disability identification from…

The present study examined the transition component of the Individualized Education Program for 62 secondary students with autism. Plans were coded using a rubric adapted from Indicator 13 of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act. Findings indicated a mean plan score of 10.5 out of 20.0, with a range of 3.0 to 20.0. Strengths…

Using data from the 2015 "Dane County Youth Assessment" (n = 12,886 students, 22 high schools), we identified disparities between students with Individualized Education Programs (IEP) and without IEPs across multiple post-high school aspirations. We identified significant IEP status × grades earned interactions in predicting students'…

As transition services foster better post-school outcomes, all students with disabilities should be receiving these services as they traverse their final high school years. Using a national, web-based parent survey, we examined the frequency and correlates of the receipt of transition services for 189 students with disabilities. Parents reported…

Abundant empirical research points to a significant number of students not going to school across the United States. Further yet, there exists strong research consensus that absenteeism predicts negative and persistent academic outcomes for students. LEAs and related stakeholders have rightly adopted measurement and intervention on student…

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.…