Disability and Equity in Education | Open Access Articles

A Glass Half Full, Jeffrey M. R. Duncan-Andrade

Occasional Paper Series

Presents a vision for remaking ourselves as a society by addressing the basic needs of all children and defining, assessing, and developing high quality teaching.

Go to article

Creating The Schools We Need, Pedro Noguera

Occasional Paper Series

The struggle for education remains vital to the struggle for democracy, equality and justice. The only question is who will align themselves with those who must be integral to making this possibility a reality.

Go to article

Educational Revolution, Peter Taubman

Occasional Paper Series

Invites the reader to reclaim the conversation and turn back the on-going privatization and corporatization of public schools.

Go to article

Inclusion: What Came Before, Judith Lesch

Occasional Paper Series

Judith Lesch’s firsthand account of her teaching experiences from the late 1970s through the mid-1990s takes us on a journey through the evolving approaches to inclusion.

Go to article

Front Matter And Introduction, Valentine Burr

Occasional Paper Series

The writers in this issue of Occasional Papers advocate for models of inclusion that support children’s capabilities and challenge systemic inequities based on ableism and cultural biases. They examine the complex and changing nature of collaboration between general and special educators in inclusion settings. Underlying these essays, though not always explicitly stated, is recognition that the fields of special education and disability studies can deepen and inform each other.

Go to article

University Of Hawaii At Hilo: International Female Student Diversity And Inclusion Workshop, Leslie Lehuanani Mcclung

Capstone Collection

The purpose of the University of Hawaii at Hilo’ Women’s Center is to provide advocacy, access, education, equity and equality to women and minority students on campus. On March 8, 2016, The Women’s Center at the University of Hawaii at Hilo held an International Women’s Day event. During the event, the topic about their experiences here at UH Hilo was brought up. Five of the seven panelists felt like they lacked the knowledge and support of on-campus resources including the Women’s Center. The response to the women’s day event led the Women’s Center staff to investigate further why this was. …

Go to article

Native American College Students: A Group Forgotten, Kristen E. Willmott, Tara Leigh Sands, Melissa Raucci, Stephanie J. Waterman

Journal of Critical Scholarship on Higher Education and Student Affairs

Broadening McClellan’s (2003) study through 2011, the authors utilize qualitative content analysis of over two thousand journal articles, professional association conference programs, and reflective memos, to detail the extent to which Native American college students remain a forgotten group within the literature. The authors’ positionality and Indigenous feminist theory inform the study. The study concludes by exploring the benefits of expanded Native American college student research and the authors propose a research agenda that can guide higher education professionals to better serve the educational needs of this unique group.

Go to article

A View Of Parents Of Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Jennifer Reynolds

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Parents of children with Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) encounter many stressors beyond the typical parenting pressures that parents of children without disabilities face. Along with the additional challenges, parents of children with ASD face complex needs that differ from parents of children with other types of disabilities. The purpose of this qualitative study was to consider the needs of parents (N = 10) with children with ASD served in a public school system in North Georgia through the framework of Maslow’s (1943) Theory of Human Motivation. A transcendental phenomenological design was used to provide a voice to parents of children …

Go to article

Perceptions Of Eighth Grade State Writing Assessment At A Nationally Recognized Middle School, Jillian M. Quandt

Department of Teaching, Learning, and Teacher Education: Theses and Other Student Research

This study seeks to understand how one at-risk middle school in Nebraska is consistently beating eighth grade Nebraska State Writing Assessment (NESA-W) averages. The school has significant populations of Hispanic, special education, and low-income students. The study answers the following two research questions. What strategies does the at-risk school utilize to enable its students to exceed the Nebraska average on the NESA-W? What attitudes do the school’s writing teachers, administrators, students, and their parents hold about the NESA-W? Students and their parents answered a multiple-choice survey; teachers and administrators answered a longer, open-ended survey. The researcher used a combination of …

Go to article

Carrying On With Wayward Sons, Erika Simpson, Henrik Lagerlund

Political Science Publications

With their brains not maturing until their mid-20s, it's time to use a different approach to life and learning with our young men.

Go to article

Beyond Behavior, Craig C. Laupheimer

Scholarship and Engagement in Education

Teaching to engage students with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) can inspire the whole classroom and make teaching and learning engaging and exciting. Although teachers and students alike face a challenging educational landscape, much can be done to empower students with special needs. Teaching with the whole classroom in mind with an emphasis on hands on, explorative and inspirational learning experiences to accommodate for these students strengthens and causes student engagement and agency. This article highlights the challenges and potential breakthroughs possible for classroom instruction specifically where the ADHD student is concerned and looks towards teaching mindfulness and empowerment as …

Go to article

Effective Interventions For Improving Reading Accuracy And Fluency In Children With Dyslexia, Carlea A. Winkler

Scholarship and Engagement in Education

There are a vast number of instructional strategies for teaching students with dyslexia, but successful approaches all share a few key components including, a high degree of structure, intensive and explicit instruction, and a low student to teacher ratio. Additionally, most research-backed strategies fall into one of two categories: programs that target phonological awareness, and programs that target orthographic pattern recognition and morphology. Numerous studies on phonological awareness training and orthographic pattern recognition training have showed positive results. However, more research is needed to understand why some children fail to make significant gains even with intensive intervention, and what factors …

Go to article

Inclusive Settings: Rti In The General Education Classroom, Brittany Graves

Honors Projects

The premise of this study was derived upon seeing a severe need for professional development in my current field work experience. I set out to determine a possible solution to the lack of cohesion among general and special educators evident in my local school district. This small town rural school is looking to expand RTI, and intervention technique, to decrease gaps in education for at risk students. With issues of cohesion and professional development evident, I collected and analyzed data in order to determine a way the school district can still incorporate and expand their Response to Intervention (RTI) practices. …

Go to article

Total Communication Methods For Preschool Children With Autism: A Transcendental Phenomenological Study Of Parent And Professional Perceptions, Leigh Beesley

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this transcendental, phenomenological study was to explore experiences of using a total communication system with preschoolers diagnosed with autism as explained by their parents and teachers. The research focused on the experience specifically relating to functional communication and social interactions. Determining resources that parents and teachers need that may have made the employment of the strategies more successful, was of importance to this study in order to determine implications, or future needed research. The participants in this study, determined by purposive sampling, included parents, teachers, paraprofessionals, and speech therapist located in an elementary school setting. The study …

Go to article

Special Education Teachers’ Lived Experiences In The Implementation Of The Ipad As An Instructional Tool For Students With Intellectual Disabilities, Takisha Epps

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

he purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to describe the lived experience of 11 special education teachers, who implemented iPads as an instructional tool for elementary students with intellectual disabilities. This study was conducted in a North Carolina school district. The theories, which guided this study were Vygotsky’s (1978) sociocultural theory and Piaget’s (1954) cognitive development theory. Within the study, one central question and three sub-questions were used to guide the study. The research questions focused on special education teachers’ experiences, as they implemented the iPad as an instructional tool for students with intellectual disabilities. To address these questions …

Go to article

Teachers’ Experiences Of Georgia’S Early Math Intervention Program: A Phenomenological Study, Rachel Scott

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to investigate the perceptions that K-5 teachers have toward Georgia’s mandated Early Intervention Math Program (EIP) on at risk learners in an elementary school in a rural, North Georgia community. The following questions guided the study: 1. How do K-5 teachers describe their experience with Georgia’s Early Intervention Math Program as an early math intervention for at-risk learners? 2. How do participants describe their experiences with Georgia’s EIP regarding student math preparedness? 3. How do participants perceive the EIP program in comparison to the regular education math program? The setting for this study …

Go to article

High-Stakes Standardized Testing In Schools, Samantha Destremps

Senior Honors Projects

Standardized testing provides an important means to measure students’ performance relative to their peers and grade-level learning objectives. Over the past twenty years or so, the use of results from standardized testing has been expanded as a measure of performance of schools and school districts. Increasingly, these results are also being used for making decisions regarding graduation, grade promotion, teacher’s pay and employment, school funding, and more. The purpose of this paper is to review the literature on highstakes standardized testing, including the impact of this movement towards accountability, what the test scores are used for, implementation of testing and …

Go to article

Program Monitoring Practices For Teachers Of The Deaf And Hard Of Hearing In Early Intervention, Anne E. Thomas, Christine Marvin

Department of Special Education and Communication Disorders: Faculty Publications

Program monitoring is an important and necessary assessment practice within the field of early childhood deaf education. Effective program monitoring requires a focus on both the consistent implementation of intervention strategies (fidelity) and the assessment of children’s ongoing progress in response to interventions (progress monitoring). Teachers of the deaf and hard of hearing (TODs) who provide early intervention services need to conduct regular program monitoring to evaluate the merit of their efforts. However, progress monitoring is a practice often overlooked by practitioners within the field of early intervention. It is recommended that TODs monitor children’s progress “regularly,” but evidence of …

Go to article

Student Achievement In Response To Intervention Groups, Allison L. Gardenhour

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to identify components of Response to Intervention (RTI) groups associated with increased student growth on progress monitoring tests. The relationship between student growth scores and fidelity of implementation scores, types of groups, types of interventionists, group setting, group time, and various demographic groups were examined. Seven hundred fifteen students enrolled in reading and math groups in an RTI program at 8 schools in an Upper East Tennessee school system participated in this study. Ten research questions and null hypotheses were analyzed using Pearson correlations, independent t tests, and one-way Analyses of Variance. Results indicated …

Go to article

Evaluating College Biology Laboratory Accommodations For Students With Blindness And Visual Impairments, Barbara Rae Heard

All Theses And Dissertations

Studies show that active participation in science laboratory activities promotes student learning. However, students with blindness and visual impairments (BVI) often confront obstacles to active participation in the required activities of the college biology laboratory. Legislation requires institutions of higher education to provide accommodations for students with disabilities, yet the institutions must also maintain the academic integrity of their courses and programs. While college biology instructors provide specific accommodations, such as tactile models and audible devices, to enable active participation by students with BVI, they do so without research-supported guidelines for best practices. This mixed methods study sought to evaluate …

Go to article

A Phenomenological Study Of Teachers’ Lived Experiences Providing Interventions For Students Diagnosed With Adhd, Timoth Garner

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to examine the lived experiences in the public school setting of teachers involved in providing interventions for students diagnosed with ADHD. The theories guiding this study were Theory of Reasoned Action (Ajzen & Fishbein, 1980), Human Ecology or Bioecological Systems Theory (Bronfenbrenner, 2005), and theory of self-efficacy (Zimmerman & Bandura, 1994; Zimmerman & Martinez-Pons, 1990; 1992). The study followed the theory, concepts, and methods of the phenomenological research model that allowed participants to provide a personal perspective and reflection on their experiences. The following four research questions guided the study: How do teachers …

Go to article

Exploring The Experiences Of Female Student Veterans With Disabilities Entering Higher Education During Reintegration: A Phenomenological Study, Beverly Williams

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this qualitative transcendental phenomenological study was to explore and describe the lived experiences of female student veterans with disabilities entering higher education during reintegration in order to improve programs, services, and support available to female student veterans with disabilities. A screening questionnaire, interviews, a focus group, and journals were used to collect data. Participants consisted of 11 female student veterans with disabilities who were purposively selected using criterion, snowball, and maximum variation sampling. The central research question was: What are the transition experiences of female student veterans with disabilities entering college during reintegration into society? Four sub-questions …

Go to article

Youth In Arts: Evidence Of Effectiveness Their Music Program Has On Communication And Social Aspects Of Students With Special Needs, Sarah V. Foley

Scholarly and Creative Works Conference (2015 - 2021)

Music education has an important place for students with special needs. Through the Youth in Arts program, student benefits range from social to academic. The problem is that too often music education, among arts programs, is not taught in special education classrooms. The purpose of this study is to measure the impact that music education has on students with special needs, focusing specifically on socialization and communication aspects. A review of the literature revealed that music is beneficial to students in a variety of ways, when they are provided the opportunity to engage in music education. Through this qualitative study, …

Go to article

University Expectations And Preparations At The Upper-Secondary School Level: A Case Study At The Experimental High School Of Hanoi And Hanoi University, Charlotte Andrews

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The Vietnamese education system has shifted drastically in recent history. From the influence of the French colonial period, to Ho Chi Minh’s literacy campaigns, to recent changes in the higher education system, Vietnam’s development has largely impacted students and educators. Even as the education system begins to modernize, many of the original Confucian values still dominate the field. With this dynamic in mind, this project aims to discover students’ expectations and preparations for university. By conducting a case study at the Experimental High School of Hanoi, I was able to hold class discussions about university plans with nearly 400 students …

Go to article

Experiences Of Students With Specific Learning Disorder (Including Adhd) In Online College Degree Programs: A Phenomenological Study, Seleta Bunch

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Enrollment in online degree programs is rapidly expanding due to the convenience and affordability offered to students and improvements in technology. The purpose of this hermeneutical phenomenological study was to understand the shared experiences of students with documented specific learning disorders (including Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder) enrolled in online degree programs at a large, faith-based university in the Southeast United States. Colleges and universities must follow federal mandates as recommended by the Office of Civil Rights for students with documented disabilities in both traditional and online settings. Research is lacking in the area of understanding the experiences of students with specific learning …

Go to article

Integrating Teaching Literature And Writing, John J. Hobe

National Youth Advocacy & Resilience Conference

Brief Description: Come and learn how we can better understand each other through reading and writing about literature. Participants will see demonstrated and participate in integrated literature and writing lessons for all age students. They will receive references and lessons for integrating literature and writing lessons. Participants will discuss teaching literature and writing in schools.

Go to article

The Self-Reported Relationship Between A Teacher's Perception Of Learner Characteristics For Students With Disabilities And A Teacher’S Use Of Differentiated Instruction In Georgia Public Schools, Shannon Knight

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this quantitative multivariate correlational study was to determine if there is a significant relationship between a general education teacher’s perception of learner characteristics for Students with Disabilities (SWD) and a teacher’s use of Differentiated Instruction (DI) in the general education classroom, grades 6-12. Since previous studies did not clearly support any significant benefits in utilizing segregated instruction for the teaching of students with exceptionalities, it was vital to identify research-based methods to facilitate the education of all students in the general education classroom. Sustained by research on student achievement, the proper and comprehensive implementation of DI has …

Go to article

Dear Officer Bogash: Policing Black Bodies On College Campuses, Jordan S. West

Journal of Critical Scholarship on Higher Education and Student Affairs

Students' Critical Reflections on Racial (in)justice

Go to article

Pre-College Deaf Students’ Understanding Of Fractional Concepts: What We Know And What We Do Not Know, Keith Mousley, Christopher Kurz

Journal of Science Education for Students with Disabilities

Mathematical knowledge and skills are crucial to success in academics and the workplace. The Common Core State Standards emphasizes fraction teaching and learning in elementary school. This mixed-method study explores fraction concept understanding among 14 deaf and hard of hearing participants between the ages of 8 and 16, as quantitatively measured by their ability to describe the properties of fractional numbers, convert between fractional numbers and their visual representations, and determine the order and equivalence of fractional numbers. Furthermore, the qualitative study was supplemented by interviews with the deaf participants and surveys with their parents and teachers to examine use …

Go to article

Reflexively Conducting Research With Ethnically Diverse Children With Disabilities, Amanda Ajodhia-Andrews

The Qualitative Report

This reflexive paper explores the process of engaging ethnically diverse children with disabilities within participatory and narrative research concerning their school life via a multi-method qualitative approach. It contemplates the use of participatory research methods, involving children with disabilities as co-researchers, establishing relaxed research environments, and maintaining qualitative rigour while supporting children’s voice and agency. This paper addresses possibilities of qualitative research to access and amplify voices and differing social experiences of children with disabilities, whilst underscoring their capacity and right to contribute to research regarding their lives. The author advocates re-envisioning ways to conduct ethical research with children with …

Go to article

Full-Text Articles in Disability and Equity in Education

A Glass Half Full, Jeffrey M. R. Duncan-Andrade

Occasional Paper Series

Creating The Schools We Need, Pedro Noguera

Occasional Paper Series

Educational Revolution, Peter Taubman

Occasional Paper Series

Inclusion: What Came Before, Judith Lesch

Occasional Paper Series

Front Matter And Introduction, Valentine Burr

Occasional Paper Series

University Of Hawaii At Hilo: International Female Student Diversity And Inclusion Workshop, Leslie Lehuanani Mcclung

Capstone Collection

Native American College Students: A Group Forgotten, Kristen E. Willmott, Tara Leigh Sands, Melissa Raucci, Stephanie J. Waterman

Journal of Critical Scholarship on Higher Education and Student Affairs

A View Of Parents Of Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Jennifer Reynolds

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Perceptions Of Eighth Grade State Writing Assessment At A Nationally Recognized Middle School, Jillian M. Quandt

Department of Teaching, Learning, and Teacher Education: Theses and Other Student Research

Carrying On With Wayward Sons, Erika Simpson, Henrik Lagerlund

Political Science Publications

Beyond Behavior, Craig C. Laupheimer

Scholarship and Engagement in Education

Effective Interventions For Improving Reading Accuracy And Fluency In Children With Dyslexia, Carlea A. Winkler

Scholarship and Engagement in Education

Inclusive Settings: Rti In The General Education Classroom, Brittany Graves

Honors Projects

Total Communication Methods For Preschool Children With Autism: A Transcendental Phenomenological Study Of Parent And Professional Perceptions, Leigh Beesley

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Special Education Teachers’ Lived Experiences In The Implementation Of The Ipad As An Instructional Tool For Students With Intellectual Disabilities, Takisha Epps

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Teachers’ Experiences Of Georgia’S Early Math Intervention Program: A Phenomenological Study, Rachel Scott

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

High-Stakes Standardized Testing In Schools, Samantha Destremps

Senior Honors Projects

Program Monitoring Practices For Teachers Of The Deaf And Hard Of Hearing In Early Intervention, Anne E. Thomas, Christine Marvin

Department of Special Education and Communication Disorders: Faculty Publications

Student Achievement In Response To Intervention Groups, Allison L. Gardenhour

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Evaluating College Biology Laboratory Accommodations For Students With Blindness And Visual Impairments, Barbara Rae Heard

All Theses And Dissertations

A Phenomenological Study Of Teachers’ Lived Experiences Providing Interventions For Students Diagnosed With Adhd, Timoth Garner

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Exploring The Experiences Of Female Student Veterans With Disabilities Entering Higher Education During Reintegration: A Phenomenological Study, Beverly Williams

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Youth In Arts: Evidence Of Effectiveness Their Music Program Has On Communication And Social Aspects Of Students With Special Needs, Sarah V. Foley

Scholarly and Creative Works Conference (2015 - 2021)

University Expectations And Preparations At The Upper-Secondary School Level: A Case Study At The Experimental High School Of Hanoi And Hanoi University, Charlotte Andrews

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Experiences Of Students With Specific Learning Disorder (Including Adhd) In Online College Degree Programs: A Phenomenological Study, Seleta Bunch

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Integrating Teaching Literature And Writing, John J. Hobe

National Youth Advocacy & Resilience Conference

The Self-Reported Relationship Between A Teacher's Perception Of Learner Characteristics For Students With Disabilities And A Teacher’S Use Of Differentiated Instruction In Georgia Public Schools, Shannon Knight

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Dear Officer Bogash: Policing Black Bodies On College Campuses, Jordan S. West

Journal of Critical Scholarship on Higher Education and Student Affairs

Pre-College Deaf Students’ Understanding Of Fractional Concepts: What We Know And What We Do Not Know, Keith Mousley, Christopher Kurz

Journal of Science Education for Students with Disabilities

Reflexively Conducting Research With Ethnically Diverse Children With Disabilities, Amanda Ajodhia-Andrews

The Qualitative Report