The low income and poverty-stricken areas of Mississippi have historically suffered from low-test scores, low graduation rates, and a high concentration of special education students. Additionally, poor, Black Mississippians have performed lower, have lower graduation rates, and score lower in college readiness than do students in the rest of the…

This hearing of the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions examines the innovative approaches states are taking in their state plans under the Every Student Succeeds Act, a law this Committee recommended and passed to fix No Child Left Behind. Following opening statements by Honorable Lamar Alexander (Chairman, Committee on Health,…

After the U.S Department of Education passed the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act in 1991, school districts quickly noticed that special education students covered under IDEA were receiving disciplinary measures at significantly higher rates than their non-disabled peers. Over 20 years later, special education students still experience…

The very first federal law that affected a student with special needs was the Education for All Handicapped Children Act (EHA: Public Law 94-142) established in 1975 by the United States Congress. PL 94-142 required all schools that received federal funds to accept students with physical and mental disabilities and to educate these children in the…

The reauthorization of the Higher Education Act (HEA) provides a critical opportunity to eliminate race- and income-based disparities in college preparation, enrollment, persistence, and completion. The Alliance for Excellent Education (All4Ed) believes that these disparities are caused, at least in part, by inequities at the high school level…

The United States government has become increasingly focused on school climate, as recently evidenced by its inclusion as an accountability indicator in the "Every Student Succeeds Act". Yet, there remains considerable variability in both conceptualizing and measuring school climate. To better inform the research and practice related to…

Academically gifted learners can both thrive and struggle in our music classrooms. This article offers a detailed approach to defining, recognizing, and meaningfully teaching gifted learners in the music classroom while providing differentiation ideas that can benefit all learners. In-depth discussion and examples of contracts, tiered instruction,…

The single most important way to achieve equity and excellence is by ensuring a knowledgeable and skillful educator workforce. Ensuring the availability of excellent educators for all students requires a culture of learning and a system of support for every school and school district. This means that the goal is not just to improve professional…

Time trends in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and intellectual disability (ID) prevalence from the United States Individuals with Disabilities Education Act data were computed from 2000 to 2011 for each state and each age from 6 to 17. These trends did not support the hypothesis that diagnostic substitution for ID can explain the ASD rise over…

The paper provides a review of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education policy research completed thus far and continues by calling for STEM analysis that understands policy processes as governance rather than government. Instead of a fixed and easily locatable governmental structure by which one can analyze the nature of…

Under the Individuals with Disabilities Act, parents are entitled to due process procedural safeguards. These safeguards are intended to ensure that parents of children with disabilities are offered the educational rights as those without disabilities. Research in due process hearing requests nationwide is limited, and non-existent in the Ninth…

This hearing of the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions examines No Child Left Behind, focusing on testing and accountability. At the center of the debate about how to fix No Child Left Behind is what to do about the Federal requirement that states, each year, administer 17 standardized tests with high stakes consequences.…

Historically, accreditation in higher education developed as a part of the evolution of the American higher education system, at a time when it was becoming problematic that no single point of control or central body existed to set educational standards. In the late 19th century, there was no consensus on the content of the educational programs…

In the spring of 2020, public schools across the United States were forced to close their campuses due to an emerging public health crisis caused by the detection of the first cases of the COVID-19 virus. Although schools closed their buildings, the delivery of educational services did not stop. This included the ongoing provision of services…

The COVID-19 pandemic has illustrated with vivid clarity how important it is for people to have digital literacy skills. From the workplace to the classroom and beyond, being able to use digital tools effectively is fundamental to success. To succeed in this rapidly changing environment, workers need broad-based digital problem-solving skills that…