On March 13, 2020, President Trump declared the COVID-19 outbreak a national emergency, beginning March 1, 2020. On March 27, 2020, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act; P.L. 116-136) was signed into law. Included in the act was the Education Stabilization Fund (ESF), which was created "to prevent, prepare for,…

Due to the impact of COVID-19, current and incoming students will be facing unprecedented struggles when starting the new academic year -- and, likely, for years to come -- and many students will need significant additional support to pay for college. It is critical to protect and strengthen the Pell Grant program to reduce students' need to…

There are approximately 1.5 million K-12 students and an additional 1.4 million children under the age of six experiencing homelessness across the United States. While many of these students attend traditional public schools, a growing number, at least 60,000, are enrolled in charter schools. Charter schools are independently-operated public…

Understanding how key governance roles are structured and relate to each other helps clarify complex systems for policymakers. Every state has the same or similar policymaking roles; however, each of the roles operate differently in the context of each state's governance model. This interactive resource provides a national overview of the key…

Completing a post-secondary degree is crucial to being competitive in the current job market. By 2020, the majority of all jobs in the United States require post-secondary education and training; however, barriers to access and attainment exist among individuals working to obtain post-secondary degrees, and there is an overall slowdown in…

Veterans and service members enter higher education institutions with a unique set of challenges and opportunities. After World War II, institutions struggled to find a way to help these students, and as classrooms swelled, policies and services had to be created to assist in their transition. Over time, best practices immerged to help aid this…

The social, economic, political, historical, and racial context shaping the criminal justice system is complex and extensive. As a result, individuals who have been incarcerated face limited opportunities--particularly for education and training--both during and after incarceration. Historical investments in corrections and policies that…

As the percentage of diverse students continues to increase, the problem of disproportionate representation of students in special education by race/ethnicity persists (Kena et al., 2014; Zhang, Katsiyannis, Ju, & Roberts, 2014). The Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEA, 2004) requires states to monitor…

Two Supreme Court cases have served to frame our legal rights and responsibilities regarding a Free Appropriate Public Education for students in our music classrooms and ensembles. This article serves as record of the two cases and their merits, according to the Supreme Court, as well as the actions recommended based on the court decisions.

Serving families who live in rural communities can be a challenge for early intervention programs. Factors, such as travel, family needs, and limited program and community resources, have been identified as ongoing barriers for this population. Technology, specifically teleconferencing, can be a solution to provide equitable services compliant…

This paper explores post-secondary faculty perceptions of awareness and preparedness relating to Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Institutions of higher education are businesses. The largest threat to sustained viability for many businesses is litigation. Business-related litigation is often the result of non-employment discrimination or…

Federal legislation such as IDEA (1997) and NCLB (2001) have led to an increase in the number of students with significant disabilities receiving instruction in the general education classroom. This inclusionary movement has established a more diverse student population in which general and special education teachers are responsible for providing…

The Tennessee Achievement School District (ASD) is among several state-run districts established to turn around underperforming schools. Like other such districts, the ASD removes schools from local control and is not accountable to local political institutions. Despite its authority, the ASD has encountered opposition within Memphis where its…

Students with ADHD are less likely to graduate from college than their peers; this study examines the currency and readability of ADHD documentation guidelines of 335 randomly selected, four-year, public and non-profit private institutions in the United States. Findings reveal that ADHD documentation is current, yet composed at nearly a 17th-grade…

The introduction of a new Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND) Code of Practice in 2015 marked one of the most significant reforms to the SEND statutory assessment process in England since its introduction over 30 years ago. This article presents the findings of a small-scale study that aimed to identify the extent to which the reforms…