The purpose of this study was to investigate the challenges teachers of students with disabilities and extensive support needs experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic. Nine educators who taught in a public school district during the 2020 pandemic engaged in interviews at three points of time, when: (a) schools closed in March, (b) during summer…

Previous research has identified "UPGRADE Your Performance" as a method for teaching employment soft skills to students with disabilities. "UPGRADE Your Performance" instruction is a multicomponent intervention including self-evaluation, self-graphing, goal setting, and technology-aided instruction. This pilot study…

An educational debt exists for Black and Latinx students with and without IEPs. This debt extends to underrepresentation in curricula and overrepresentation in special education. Identity representation in English Language Arts curricula offers promise to counter this existing educational debt as well as overrepresentation. This qualitative study…

The Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) is committed to the cognitive, linguistic, and socio-emotional development of all children in Illinois. ISBE's Multilingual/Language Development Department is focused on ensuring that students with diverse linguistic repertoires and those who may benefit from additional support have equitable access to…

Students placed in special education programs for emotional and behavioral disorders with emotional disturbance (ED) identification have academic outcomes that lag both students in regular and special education. This issue is especially important for youth attending urban schools. Although prior research has examined students identified as ED,…

With emphasis placed on the least restrictive learning environments under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), students with disabilities are often placed in general education classrooms. As a result, the discussion of inclusion strategies has increased in special education. The rise in 1:1 device initiatives offers the…

Unless otherwise noted, data and charts are based on surveys conducted between July 14 and October 16, 2021 among a sample of 1,007 special education parents and 3,648 non-special needs parents. The interviews were administered online and the data were weighted to approximate a target sample of parents based on gender, educational attainment, age,…

Transitioning from high school to the real world is a difficult issue for students with disabilities. Special education students may get lost not knowing what their future holds. Special education teachers are most times challenged in the process of linking transition plans to academic Individual education plan(IEP) goals. The problem addressed by…

Postsecondary transition planning is a legally-mandated service provided to special education students within the United States. Previous research has identified this process as one of many factors that can contribute to a successful postsecondary transition in various life areas for these individuals. An interdisciplinary transition team, formed…

This study documented the experiences, challenges, and perspectives of special education teachers in New York State during the COVID-19 period of remote instruction in the spring of 2020 and during the 2020-21 school year. An invitation to complete an online survey about their experiences was sent to a random sample of special education teachers.…

This book's aim is to improve the integration of Cognitive Information Processing (CIP) theory, research, and practice, leading to more cost-effective career interventions that help persons to make informed and careful career decisions over a lifetime. The starting point for the book's content was the 2004 Sampson, Reardon, Peterson, and Lenz…

New York State public school students in grades 3-8 are required to take the Common Core assessments, now based on Next Generation Learning Standards, in English language arts and mathematics. Students are also required to take English and Algebra Regents exams in high school. Elementary students who often perform on-grade level in the classroom…

The least restrictive environment (LRE) is the educational placement determined necessary for obtaining maximum educational benefits. The individualized education program (IEP) team determines the LRE after analyzing the student's academic and behavioral data and assessing the student's unique needs. Specific special educational labels may produce…

Purpose: Administrative support and accurate perceptions are believed to facilitate the use of speech-language services that are integrated into the classroom (i.e., integrated classroom-based services [ICBS]). The purpose of this study was to compare elementary principals' and speech-language pathologists' (SLPs') perceptions of ICBS in three…

This critical narrative study examined the disconnect between special education law and practice in the rural Desert/Mountain region of Southern California. The Desert/Mountain region encompasses over 18,000 square miles, creating a geographic isolation that impacts special education service delivery and implementation of Individualized Education…