Chronic absence is a nationwide problem, even among young students. Those with poor attendance are more likely to face challenges later in school and in life. This study tested four versions of an adaptive text messaging strategy to see which, if any, would reduce chronic absence among 26,000 elementary school students. The study compared two…

In partnership with the Louisiana Department of Education and through a grant from the Walton Family Foundation, Mathematica conducted a study that measured each Louisiana public high school's promotion power, which is a school's effect on the long-term success of its students as indicated by high school graduation, college or career readiness,…

This report uses data from a survey that is a follow-up to the survey of childcare and early years providers for 2019. It provides data on: (1) the special educational needs inclusion fund (SENIF); and (2) early years' providers experiences of different funding mechanisms, particularly the early years pupil premium (EYPP), disability access fund…

California is in the midst of a severe special education teacher shortage that threatens the state's ability to improve outcomes for students with disabilities, who often have the greatest needs but receive the least expert teachers. To help policymakers address the shortage, the Learning Policy Institute conducted an analysis of the special…

This is a policy brief for "California's Special Education Teacher Shortage." California is in the midst of a severe special education teacher shortage that threatens the state's ability to improve outcomes for students with disabilities, who often have the greatest needs but receive the least expert teachers. To help policymakers…

Now in its sixth edition, "Striking a Balance" clearly illustrates how to create a comprehensive early literacy program that places direct skills instruction within the context of rich and varied reading and writing experiences. Text discussions, dynamic activities, and valuable appendices provide a variety of effective instructional…

Parents who are knowledgeable of special education are more likely to engage in their child's education. Parents seek information about special education from a number of sources including State Departments of Education (SDEs). However, little is known about the web-based special education resources SDEs provide to parents. We sought to address…

This brief, produced by WestEd as part of a collection of Crisis Response Resources, provides guidance and resources to help district and school leaders ensure students with disabilities are well supported through distance learning prompted by the coronavirus crisis. The brief begins with key questions to guide adminis­trators as they consider how…

Deaf-Latinx K-12 students are the largest group of racially minoritized students in the US, lagging far behind the complimentary proportion of Deaf-whites in obtaining degrees. Educational institutions have sustained and reproduced privilege and inequality patterns. This article explores how using Deaf-Latinx Critical Theory (Deaf-LatCrit) in…

The purpose of this article is to present an updated comprehensive synthesis of the law, starting with the statutory provisions and culminating in the case law specific to the procedural and substantive requirements for manifestation determinations (MDs) under IDEA, as amended in 2004. Procedural requirements include issues such as who must make…

Even the most commonplace object can be a powerful learning tool for a young child. In the case described in this article, shoes provided an opportunity for children of all abilities to leave their classroom and explore the places, spaces, and faces of their own community. The study of shoes also demonstrated how one teacher reached each and every…

Rural school districts face different challenges than urban and suburban districts. In fact, several Rural Systemic Initiatives (RSIs) have been established around the country to isolate and address rural school district issues (Harmon & Smith, 2012). In order to improve the effectiveness of transition services in rural schools, feedback from…

This qualitative study explores the landscape of inclusive education in India today, specifically asking the question, "What are the competing ideologies and narratives around inclusive education and disability that drive policy and practice in India, as positioned against the United Nations' worldwide goal of inclusion?" An…

Beginning January 18, 2018, Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act required all U.S. postsecondary institutions receiving Title IV funds to publish accessible websites, adherent to Level AA Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0. This case study examines the web accessibility of all postsecondary institutions in Texas immediately after the…

The overall purpose of this study was to examine caregivers' adherence to a storybook-reading intervention using latent class analysis (LCA). This study also examined whether adherence was related to child and family characteristics including children's language ability, caregiver education, and whether the child has a disability. Caregivers of…