Disability and Equity in Education Commons^™

Copyright, Michele J. Koomen, Thomastine Sarchet-Maher, Jessica Williams

Journal of Science Education for Students with Disabilities

No abstract provided.

Exploring Education Policy And Resources In Virginia Secondary Education, Gabrielle Lyon

Departmental Honors & Graduate Capstone Projects

The study examines the intersection of federal special education policy within Virginia's secondary schools, specifically focusing on teachers’ compliance with the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). The study explores educators' awareness and usage of the Virginia Department of Education's hearing decisions index, which documents IDEA violations and due process decisions. Through analyzing federal education legislation, state implementation practices, and teacher perspectives, this study reveals critical gaps in educator preparation and resource awareness regarding special education policy compliance. The findings suggest that while the IDEA violations are being tracked and documented, there remains a significant disconnect between available resources and …

K-12 Special Education In The South: Where Are We And Where Should We Be Going?, Jack G. Walker

Honors Theses

Throughout the past century, special education has undergone significant transformation and increasing accessibility to those who need it. However, persistent challenges remain. Some of these challenges include but are not limited to teachers still challenged with job stress and paperwork overload, schools faced with lack of funding for the program, and the lack of importance seen by administration on close relationships with parents of said students. These problems can affect all involved and especially the students who deserve the best education experience they can receive. The purpose of this thesis is to look into what has gotten policymakers to where …

Intimacy Versus Isolation In Adults With Intellectual Or Developmental Disabilities: An Educational Video-Series For Caregivers, Aubrey Lynn Brinkley

Student Capstone Papers

Caregivers of care-recipients with intellectual or developmental disabilities (IDD) do not have sufficient resources to assist their care-recipients with the adult developmental stage of intimacy versus isolation. This capstone considers the occupational and developmental impacts that growing individuals with IDD face, namely the developmental stages including healthy relationships, sexual safety, and intimacy. The literature review covers the scientific, statistical, and historical importance of this developmental milestone. Varied opinions and needs that surround the subject of intimacy and healthy relationships for adults with IDD were considered. Sexual abuse statistics were highlighted. A multitude of feedback from organizations, personal caregivers, scientists, psychologists, …

The Impact Of Educators’ Perceptions Of Neurodivegence On Their Self-Efficacy In Teaching Middle And High School Students With Adhd And Autism In Rural Minnesota, Nicolle D. Bettcher Erickson

Dissertations, Theses, and Projects

ABSTRACT

The purpose of this phenomenological qualitative study was to explore how we can best support our teachers in matching our ever-changing educational landscape, specifically our neurodivergent learners. When educating neurodivergent students (students with autism or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder), we must understand how to teach these creative, sometimes misunderstood individuals and unleash their full potential. To do so, we need educational practitioners who have healthy perceptions of what it means to be neurodivergent and educators who understand both the talents and hurdles that being neurodivergent may entail. This study examined how non-special education teachers' perceptions of neurodivergence correlated with …

Rural Principals’ Perceptions Of Program Quality Indicators For Students With An Intellectual Disability, Jodee A. Prudente, Maryann Demchak

The Rural Educator

The use of program quality indicators (QIs) for teaching students with an intellectual disability (ID) is essential in meeting student needs and accessing curriculum. Principals who oversee and evaluate teachers of students with ID play a critical role in the implementation of QIs. A cross-sectional survey was conducted to investigate rural school district principals’ perceptions of the importance, teacher implementation, and principal ability to provide feedback on QIs for students with ID. Results indicate differences between principal perception of importance of indicators and reported confidence in ability to provide feedback on indicators. More specialized QIs received lower ratings of perception …

Growing Partnerships Into Non-Instructional Spaces For Technology Integration, Innovation, And Organizational Development, Tracy Driehaus, Scott Matz

Education Faculty Research

No abstract provided.

Multi-Tiered School University Partnerships: How Schools And Universities Can Work Together To Make Collective Impact, Tracy Driehaus

Education Faculty Research

No abstract provided.

Leadership For Teacher Education In Challenging Times: A Collaborative Approach, Rebecca West Burns, Thomas Conway, Tracy Driehaus, Tracy Keyes

Education Faculty Research

No abstract provided.

Innovating Art Education: An Art Education School University Partnership, Tracy Driehaus

Education Faculty Research

No abstract provided.

Leading Transition: How Special Education Directors Make Meaning Of Their Leadership In Advancing Pathways To Employment, Deanna Gill

Dissertations of Practice

LEADING TRANSITION: HOW SPECIAL EDUCATION DIRECTORS MAKE MEANING OF THEIR LEADERSHIP IN ADVANCING PATHWAYS TO EMPLOYMENT

Dede Gill, Ed.D.

Department of Leadership, Educational Psychology and Foundations

Northern Illinois University, 2025 Kelly Summers, Co-Director Alexios Rosario-Moore, Co-Director

Despite decades of legislative reform and an expanding body of research on effective transition practices, students with disabilities continue to experience disproportionately poor post-school employment outcomes when compared to their non-disabled peers. Nationally, individuals with disabilities are employed at approximately half the rate of those without disabilities, and their poverty rates remain substantially higher. These outcomes persist even as federal and state mandates such …

Including Conscientiously: How Charter School Educators Experience Inclusion Education Implementation, Joe A. Petty

Dissertations

This narrative inquiry examined how charter school educators experience inclusive education implementation while confronting ableist systems that maintain exclusion through seemingly neutral practices. This research emerged from my lived experience of how educational structures systematically marginalize disabled students while appearing progressive. The study investigated two research questions: how support structures and leadership practices either perpetuate or dismantle ableist assumptions embedded in educational practice, and how educators negotiate tensions between implementing evidence-based inclusive strategies and addressing environmental factors that create the need for those strategies.

Data collection employed semistructured interviews with eight credentialed educators across two Southern California charter school sites, …

A Reset For Virginia: Systemizing Leadership And Resource Support For Alternatively Prepared Special Education Teachers, Nicholas E. Olson Dr., Rebecca W. Harmon Dr., Elizabeth H. Morris Dr., Michael-Jon Rodney Dr., Matthew Seidita Dr.

Doctor of Education Capstones

Virginia continues to face the impacts of the national teacher shortage, particularly in special education. The scarcity of licensed special education teachers has led to an increasing number of educators entering the profession through alternative routes with limited classroom experience. These alternatively prepared special education teachers (ARSETs) require sustained, targeted support to implement high-leverage practices (HLPs) that improve student outcomes. Although numerous professional learning opportunities exist, the current system of support is fragmented, and resources are inconsistently applied. Compounding this challenge, many schools lack enough experienced educators to provide in-field mentors for every new hire.

To assist the Virginia Department …

The Caseload Chronicles: Investigating The Case Manager Role Through The Perspectives Of Current Special Education Teachers, Khalil Milad Abouhamad

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

Teacher attrition and resulting shortages have become severely problematic across the United States. This is especially true within special education. This study employs role theory (Kahn et al., 1964) to isolate the case manager role carried by special education teachers, investigate it through the stories of current practitioners, and establish it within academia. Burnout theory (Maslach, 1993) provides a lens through which to evaluate the strain of working conditions surrounding the case manager role. Elements of narrative inquiry (Clandinin, 2006; Creswell & Guetterman, 2019) in the form of 1-1 interviews with current IEP case managers from across California provided the …

How The Least Restrictive Environment Mandate Is Interpreted By California Special Education Local Plan Agency Directors, Robin Suttle

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative case study examines how Special Education Local Plan Agency (SELPA) directors in California interpret and communicate the Least Restrictive Environment (LRE) mandate under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). The study explores how SELPA directors understand LRE and how this understanding is conveyed to district-level administrators. Data were collected through interviews and document review across selected SELPAs and analyzed thematically using the Boundary Spanning framework. Findings show that SELPA directors view LRE as both a legal obligation and a collaborative, context-dependent process. They act as intermediaries, translating federal and state mandates into locally usable guidance while balancing …

The Virginia Consortium For Teacher Preparation In Blindness And Vision Impairment: Program Overview And Structure, Kimberly Avila, Justin A. Haegele, Annemarie L. Horn, Katelyn Makovec

Human Movement Studies & Special Education Faculty Publications

The Virginia Consortium for Teacher Preparation in Blindness and Vision Impairment (VI Consortium) is a collaborative personnel preparation program consisting of George Mason University (Mason), Old Dominion University (ODU), and Radford University (RU). Funded by a grant from the Virginia Department of Education (VDOE), the VI Consortium trains teachers to work with students who are blind and visually impaired as teachers of students with visual impairments (TSVIs) across the Commonwealth of Virginia. Each of our partner universities recruits, advises, enrolls, and confers degrees for teacher candidates. Mason serves as the primary institution, coordinating grants, awarding sub-contracts, developing and leading courses, …

Supporting Students In Transition To And From High School, David Naff, Jamelle Simmons, Meleah Ellison, Shelby Garofalo, Laura Thoene, Kim Dupre, Sooyeon Moon, Karli Johanson, Paul Harris, Martin Darby, William L. Parker, Tracy Booker, Janel Miley, Mysia Perry, Xun Liu, Maggie Szydlowski, Ahmed Abbas

MERC Publications

This report is part of a two-part series focused on supporting students in transition across PK-12 education. Specifically, it explores transitions into and out of high school school. The report includes a synthesis of recent peer-reviewed literature, analysis of publicly available data (with a specific focus on Virginia and the metropolitan Richmond region), and summary of relevant federal, state, and school division-level policies. It answers the following questions:

1. What are key considerations for supporting students in transition to and from high school in the MERC region?

2. How do federal, state, and division policies guide support for student transitions …

Perceptions Of Communication And Collaboration Between Special Education And Career And Technical Education Teachers, Alexander Novickoff

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation explores the communication and collaboration between Local Education Agency’s (LEA) special education staff and Career and Technical Center (CTC) staff in supporting students with disabilities (SWD). Given the critical role of effective interagency communication in providing comprehensive support to SWD, this study seeks to identify the perceptions, methods, and frequencies of communication between these entities. The research is set within the context of non-comprehensive CTCs in Pennsylvania, where students split their time between their home schools and regional CTCs. Through a quantitative approach, consisting of a detailed survey distributed to both LEA and CTC staff, this study examines …

A Qualitative Study Of Iranian Efl Teachers’ Perceptions Of A Digital Diversified Education, Seyed Mohammad Reza Marvasti Zadeh, Azizollah Dabaghi Varnosfadrani Advarnosfadrani, Mohammad Amiryousefi

The Qualitative Report

Because Iran is a country of learners of diverse languages, socio-economic classes, genders, and ages, digital diversified education seems appropriate to address needs in English language education. However, there is a notable gap in research on teachers’ perceptions about this type of education. To fill this gap, this study aimed to investigate the perspectives of Iranian teachers of English as a foreign language (EFL) regarding a diverse digital education. Data were collected via an open-ended survey with 30 EFL teachers, both male and female, who were selected through convenience sampling. Analysis revealed several key themes, including the utilization of diverse …

Consultation Versus Direct Special Education Services And Postschool Outcomes For Individuals With Disabilities As Assessed By Indicator 14 Data, Callie Welch

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

There is abundant research relating to transition supports and services for students with disabilities as they move out of high school into adulthood; however, relatively little is known about the relationship between the type of special education services they received and their postschool outcomes. Guided by the Social Cognitive Career Theory (SCCT) and Tennessee’s Indicator 14 survey, I sought to better understand the relationship between the type of special education services received in high school and student further schooling or employability after graduation. Data were drawn from Indicator 14 surveys from 2021 and 2024 conducted by a rural school district …

Perceptions Of Teachers And Administrators On Inclusive Practices For Students With Special Needs, Jury Segers

Graduate Theses & Dissertations

This qualitative case study explores the intricate dynamics between regular education teachers, special education teachers, and administrators within the context of inclusive education and was guided by three research questions: (1) What is the existing relationship between regular education and special education teachers? (2) What role do administrators play in fostering collaborative relationships between co-teachers? (3) How does this relationship impact inclusive practices for students with special needs? Data were collected through a survey, one-on-one interviews, and focus group discussions, revealing three primary themes: leadership and direction, training, and challenges.

The findings highlight the critical role of leadership in shaping …

From The Editors, Michele H. Koomen, Thomastine A. Sarchet-Maher, Jessica Williams

Journal of Science Education for Students with Disabilities

JSESD remains a venue for the dissemination of research and practice related to the education of students with disabilities in the science classroom and laboratory since 1998. Volumes #1 through 11 were published in a print format. Starting with Volume #12, the journal has been published online and Open Access. Having JSESD in the Open Access format maximizes access for readers and authors and allows the journal to remain economically sustainable. JSESD is proud to now be publishing articles in both PDF and HTML formats (the HTML versions can be accessed through a link from the main articles’ web-page).

Making Ai Work: Tools For Schools And Classrooms, Scott Matz, Tracy Driehaus

Education Faculty Research

No abstract provided.

A Mixed Methods Study Of An Alternative Educational Program For At-Risk Students In South Carolina, Lucia K. Jacobs

Doctor of Education Dissertations

This research study focused on the theories that support and underpin the Nine Characteristics of High-Performing Schools. Much of the data presented about high-performing schools lack data about schools that are nontraditional; the nontraditional school, otherwise known as an alternative school or alternative learning placement, supports students who fail to thrive in the traditional school setting. The study employed a sequential explanatory mixed methods design. This design utilized an initial quantitative phase of data collection and analysis, followed by a qualitative phase of data collection and analysis. The purpose of the qualitative phase was to gain further insight regarding the …

Exploring Perceptions Of Advanced Coursework Enrollment Practices: A Multiple Case Study, Tomika Ferguson, David B. Naff, Jenna Lenhardt, Amy E. Jefferson, Isaiah Moore, Andrea Herndon, Richard Ashburn, Jessica Harris, Jenna Conlee, Courtney Forstmann

MERC Publications

This report from the Metropolitan Educational Research Consortium highlights findings from a multiple case study exploring enrollment practices related to advanced coursework matriculation in a suburban middle school and rural high school. In connection with the MERC Equitable Access and Support for Advanced Coursework study, this multiple case study included perspectives from students, parents, and educators as they reflected on the factors that support and inhibit access for advanced courses in their schools.

Call For Manuscripts, Todd Pagano

Journal of Science Education for Students with Disabilities

No abstract provided.

Copyright, Todd Pagano

Journal of Science Education for Students with Disabilities

No abstract provided.

Copyright

Journal of Science Education for Students with Disabilities

No abstract provided.

Call For Manuscripts, Todd Pagano

Journal of Science Education for Students with Disabilities

No abstract provided.

Copyright, Todd Pagano

Journal of Science Education for Students with Disabilities

No abstract provided.