The study examined how a collaborative teacher team developed common understandings of and implemented culturally responsive pedagogy (CRP) to support African American students. Utilizing participatory action research (PAR) as the primary methodology, a group of educators broadened and deepened their understanding of CRP and concentrated their…

Trauma-informed practices have become a buzzword within the field of education. This extended literature review and doctoral work project aim to bridge the gap between general knowledge of trauma-informed practices and an in-depth understanding of the impact of adverse childhood experiences on elementary-aged children through the lens of…

The Summer and Afterschool Needs Assessment helps youth serving programs and organizations learn best practices and identify areas where they might benefit from guidance or support. The Needs Assessment draws from the best available evidence on what constitutes high-quality afterschool and summer learning programs and organizes these Success…

This dissertation presents three studies exploring mathematics interventions for students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) including a review of literature and two intervention studies using manipulative based interventions. Specifically, the researcher conducted a systematic review of literature exploring the current state of the literature on…

Literacy is a gateway to opportunity. In the United States of America, 79% of adults have adequate to proficient literacy skills that provide access to various career and life opportunities in society. However, 21% of Americans are illiterate. Upon further analysis of the literacy statistics in the United States, the data demonstrates there is a…

Students with Disabilities (SWD) are underperforming in reading when compared to their neurotypical peers. Although reading research has made significant progress over the past 30 years, including recent developments regarding the science of reading, the findings from the extensive body of research are not consistently grounding instructional…

Earlier identification, advancements in hearing technology, and more widespread enrollment in early intervention programs have led to improved speech and language outcomes for many young children who are deaf or hard of hearing (DHH) using listening and spoken language (LSL). One cascading effect of these outcomes is that many young children who…

Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) are characterized by pervasive impairments, inhibiting social interaction and learning opportunities, often with ensuing behavior challenges (American Psychiatric Association, 2000). Studies estimate that 25-30% of children with ASD do not develop flexible and consistent language (Hinzen et al., 2020; Schaeffer et…

At the commencement of 2022 there was an opportunity to be engaged in a curriculum development project focused on reimagining mathematics learning in primary schools. Schools were seeking new experiences to support engaging students and teachers in mathematics learning. Laburnum Primary School participated in the project with Monash University,…

The role of educators includes promoting cultural competence and cultural sensitivity in order to create an inclusive school climate, and for this role, they need multicultural knowledge and skills. This article presents theory-based and evidence-based principles, adopted from social psychology, to reduce intergroup biases and to improve…

The Mathematics Teaching Practices identified by the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics are eight research-based practices that promote mathematics teachers' implementation of specific knowledge to support student understanding. We wondered which practices mathematics teachers perceived as most characteristic and least characteristic of…

NSF's Eddie Bernice Johnson INCLUDES Initiative has released the Special Report to the Nation III -- Accelerating Collaborative, Systemic Change to Broaden Participation in STEM. The INCLUDES Initiative is catalyzing collaborative, systemic efforts to increase diversity and inclusion in the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM)…

Since at least 2001, an emphasis has been placed on the use of evidence-based practices in schools to close achievement gaps. Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) emerged during this time as a framework of evidence-based practices adopted by nearly all U.S. states including Georgia. When implemented with fidelity, MTSS has the potential to close…

Education has changed over the past 20 years to accommodate students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in inclusive classrooms. The problem addressed by this study was that elementary school teachers of students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) often struggle to know which evidence-based practices (EBPs) to utilize to effectively educate…

The COVID-19 pandemic increased the use of remote service delivery in early childhood intervention (EI), and this increased use is promising for young children with disabilities living in rural communities. However, the increase in remote service delivery requires a greater understanding of using evidence-based practices (EBP) delivered by EI…