There has been a recent initiative for students to be involved in their Individualized Education Plan [IEP]. The goal is for students to become self-advocates and learn to develop goals that pertain to their interests. The study examined this process of including students by addressing three questions. First, does student involvement in their IEP…

This case is designed to help school leaders develop skills needed to work with interdisciplinary groups while demonstrating the complex issues faced while considering the special education needs of students. The case further examines a child study team meeting from the lens of different participants, including the principal, teacher, school…

The Center on Reinventing Public Education has long focused on making school choice work. Parents of children with disabilities face greater barriers to choosing schools for their children. This brief is the first installment in a series of reports examining how parents of children with disabilities experience the process of choosing schools. The…

The purpose of this study was to determine if self-advocacy and social skills were targeted areas of instruction on a collected sample of Individualized Education Programs (IEPs). We also measured student attendance at IEP meetings as a potential step towards self-avocation. Utilizing secondary analysis with data collected from 170 IEPs, we…

This article focuses on analysing the effect of educational differentiation policies of OECD educational systems on socioeconomically disadvantaged students, based on data from PISA 2009. The analysis is conducted on the basis of a definition of two subgroups of disadvantaged students: those that achieve high scores, and those obtaining scores…

Individualized programmes for gifted students are one of the ways in which curricula can be adapted to take account of the identified educational needs of gifted students. Planning is a key phase in ensuring that these programmes are carried out in a high-quality manner. This article explores the challenges faced in the planning of individualized…

A lack of information, research, and teacher training exists on the effective implementation of Common Core State Standards (CCSS) or other state standards for struggling learners. The pace and standardization of the curriculum are often at odds with the unique learning needs of students from diverse backgrounds. Researchers in one large urban…

This article presents the results of a parent engagement project called "Mentoring Circles." The project focused on the needs of low-income Black parents who have children enrolled in the Toronto District School Board. Two focus groups, with seven to eight Black parents in each group, were conducted during the summer of 2018. The study…

Transition planning is an important element of special education. This study is a secondary data analysis of the National Longitudinal Transition Study 2012 (NLTS 2012) that examined parent, student, and adult service agency involvement in the transition process for secondary students with intellectual disability (ID). The NLTS 2012 is the third…

Occupational therapy practitioners working in school settings must articulate their distinct value in supporting student participation and educational performance. Using a systems-level practice, they weave their knowledge and skills as leaders at the district-, building-, classroom-, and student-levels to achieve "health, well-being, and…

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore the perceptions of high school seniors diagnosed with mental or physical impairments regarding the effectiveness of their 504 academic accommodations. The approach of this qualitative study was transcendental phenomenology. Phenomenology is defined as the qualitative approach to research…

Awareness of how to ensure that a family and consumer sciences (FCS) classroom meets the criteria of universal design is essential. Yet, meeting the requirements for students with diverse abilities may be perceived as a daunting task when educators think about planning, delivering instruction, and assessing learner outcomes. Differentiated…

The number of students identified as having a disability and requiring special education services in the United States has more than doubled since the authorization of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) in 1975. Simultaneously, public schools are experiencing a significant shortage in qualified special education teachers.…

Given the wide range of academic content and 21st-century college and career readiness (CCR) skills that need to be targeted in secondary classrooms, teachers must be prepared to plan and implement a variety of strategies to ensure the progress and participation of each student, including those with extensive support needs. The purpose of this…

This article describes the results of a qualitative investigation of social changes and challenges for rural adolescents who have a traumatic brain injury (TBI). We interviewed adolescents with mild to moderate TBI and their mothers using an iterative approach based in grounded theory. Interviews focused on social adjustment and interaction as…