Disability and Equity in Education Commons^™

The Importance Of Endrew: Analyzing The Influence Of A New Legal Precedent In Pennsylvania Due Process Hearing Officer Decisions Before And After Covid-19 Closures, David H. Rush

Journal of Human Services: Training, Research, and Practice

In 2017, a new standard for determining substantive violations of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) was established with the ruling for Endrew F. v. Douglas County School District. Recently, the United States Department of Education and State Education Agencies have cited the Endrew decision as being important in defining what constitutes a free and appropriate public education (FAPE) under the IDEA, in light of mandated school closures due to the COVID-19 Pandemic. Despite its noted importance, there has been limited analysis into how this new legal precedent has influenced special education due process hearing officer decisions. …

Exploring Ableism Through Teacher Identity And Empowerment: Teaching About Disability Through A Campus Common Reader, Alma Contreras-Vanegas, Amber Godwin, William H. Blackwell

School Leadership Review

This study was conducted to find how teacher candidates at a southwestern regional university understood ableism and empowerment based on their reading and interaction with the campus common reader. This work was important to help future teachers form healthy instructional practices that are inclusive of all students, regardless of ability in their future classrooms. The findings of this study showed evidence that this reading experience was transformative in helping teacher candidates form a teacher identity that was not only inclusive and welcoming of all, but also empowering.

Policy Brief: Exploring Response To Intervention’S Effectiveness With Students Of Color, Camille S. Talbert

Journal of Multicultural Affairs

This policy analysis explores the effectiveness of Response to Intervention (RTI) at diminishing racial disproportionalities in special education. It includes a brief review of the legislative context of RTI. It also examines one contributing factor to the effectiveness of RTI—educator ideologies. The analysis concludes with implications and future policy directions.

Exploring The Use Of Witness Testimony In Special Education Due Process Hearings, Mary E. Sheppard, Samantha Riggleman, William Blackwell

Journal of Human Services: Training, Research, and Practice

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act 2004 (IDEA) protects the rights of parents and/or guardians of children with disabilities to utilize the due process system to settle disagreements with school districts regarding their children’s Individualized Education Program (IEP). In the event that these disputes move before a due process hearing officer, it is common for each side to enlist experts to provide testimony to support one of the parties involved. In the current study, we examined the use of expert witness testimony in due process hearings in five large states throughout the United States. Findings indicated several concerning trends, such …

Black Mother Scholars Matter: Navigating Anti-Black Educational Spaces For Our Black Boys, Pricella Morris, Monique Matute-Chavarria

Journal of Multicultural Affairs

This article draws from Black Critical Theory to explain how two mother scholars advocated for their Black sons in an anti-black education system. Additionally, the article focuses on antiblackness to describe the social suffering and resistance through ideologies and educational practices our children experienced at the hands of teachers and teaching staff in private and public schools. The first story details the experience of racism and teacher bias of a typically developing Black child. The second story details the inequitable and racist experiences of a Black boy with autism. Each of these experiences highlight the importance of advocating for Black …

Does Teacher Bias Increase Referral Of Blacks To Special Education For A Reading Disability?, Blade Wise Perry

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Research shows that Black students are over-represented in special education for a reading disability based on the inaccuracy of teacher referrals. Teachers' accuracy in referring Black students to special education for a reading disability is not an extensively researched area. This study aims to determine if teachers' biases and attitudes toward Black students impacted their ability to accurately make a special education referral for a reading disability for this population of students. For this study, teachers completed a questionnaire, cultural competence self-assessment checklist, four vignettes, and a post-vignette question to determine if their personal biases and attitudes impacted their willingness …

Differences Between African American And White Males In Grades 6-8: Comparative Evidence From Selected Texas Rural Schools, Sheenah Maria Hopkins-Johnson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The academic achievement gap among Black males in grades 6-8 across Texas is a growing concern. Based on the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness (STAAR), secondary data from the Texas Education Agency (TEA) was used to evaluate scores from a sample of Texas rural schools. In this quantitative, non-experimental methods study, the dependent variable examined was the STAAR reading score at the “meets grade level,” and the independent dichotomous variables examined were: race, whether or not the student was classified in one of the following groups: ECD, at-risk, and special education. Academic trends from the 2017-2019 academic school …

University-Based Principal Preparation Programs In Texas In 2019: Where Is Special Education?, Ann Hoa Lê, Julie Peterson Combs

School Leadership Review

Most principal training programs in the United States focus very little on preparing aspiring instructional leaders to lead programs for students with disabilities. An examination of principal preparation programs and their SPED components is necessary at a time when standards have been revised and new certification exams have been constructed in Texas. To explore the presence of SPED topics in principal certification courses, we used a classical content analysis with a group of university-based principal preparation programs. Almost half of the universities in our study required 18 semester hours or fewer for principal certification, and none of these had course …

K-12 Economically Disadvantaged Students, Poverty, And Education: Ecological Narratives Of Successful Raised-In-Poverty, Texas Educators, Rebecca N. Morris

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This research study aimed to understand how successful Texas educators who grew up in poverty understood and improved the educational experience of economically disadvantaged students. This study utilized a structural ecological theory and three theories of social relationships (Social Identity, Standpoint, and Cultural Capital). This phenomenological and qualitative study used a cross-sectional, descriptive, online case study design rooted in narrative nonfiction. Virtual interviews with six successful Texas educators that grew up in poverty were conducted. A narrative method of analysis was utilized to generate codes then organize them into themes, and to construct and compare the narrative findings. The results …

Building A Strength-Based Support Program For College Students With Autism, Deann Lechtenberger, Wesley H. Dotson, Eriko Fukuda, Rebecca Beights, Jennifer Hamrick, James Williams, Barry Lovelace

Journal of Human Services: Training, Research, and Practice

Abstract

Implementing Strategic Support For Sexual Minority Youth And Exploring The Effects Of Social Connectedness, Dawn Whidden, Kelly Brown, J. Vince Nix

School Leadership Review

ABSTRACT

IMPLEMENTING STRATEGIC SUPPORT FOR SEXUAL MINORITY YOUTH AND EXPLORING THE EFFECTS OF SOCIAL CONNECTEDNESS

Youth spend the majority of their time in schools which is considered one of the most influential environments (Roeser, Eccles, & Samroff, 2000). Students connected to their learning environments are healthier, happier and achieve higher academic success (Juvonen, 2006). Sexual minority youth (SMY), students who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender (LGBT+), encounter daily challenges (Craig & McInroy, 2013). The purpose of this research was to study the impact of social connectedness and its effects on sexual minority youth (SMY) and overall campus culture. …

Educational Leaders Can Lead The Way For Increased Academic Achievement For Students On The Autism Spectrum, Stephanie C. Holmes, Jennifer Butcher

School Leadership Review

The problem that drove this study was the increasing number of students with autism entering the school system, and the barriers often encountered for both academic and social inclusion for students on the autism spectrum. Autism Spectrum Disorder, as defined by diagnostic criteria, includes deficits in social-relational communication; social-communication deficits can lead to educational impacts and limit opportunities upon transitioning from the public-school system. The purpose of this study was to examine the barriers to inclusion, from the perspectives of key stakeholders to include Local Education Agency (LEA) representatives, general and special education teachers, school counselors, school psychologists, speech-language pathologists …

Gender Differences At The Highest Levels Of Mathematics Achievement: A Texas Based Study, Susanna Campbell

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this ex post facto study was to determine if gender differences exist in the top quartile of mathematics achievement in Texas as measured by STAAR. Performance data for 6,358,500 Texas students on the mathematics STAAR in grades 3-6 for the years 2016-2019 were examined in this quantitative study. The percentage of male and female students scoring in three different score bands, the 75^th-89^th percentile, the 90^th-95^th percentile, and the 95^th-100^th percentile, were presented. The Chi-square was utilized to determine if any difference in the percentage of male and …

Special Education Services In Private Faith-Based And Nonsectarian Elementary Schools, Craig W. Bartholio

The Journal of Faith, Education, and Community

The purpose of this study was to investigate the existence of specialized support and services designed for students with disabilities in faith-based and nonsectarian elementary schools (n=57). An questionnaire was used to explore if there is a difference in how different faith tradition (Catholic, Protestant, Jewish) and nonsectarian affiliated elementary schools addressed the needs of enrolled students with identified disabilities. From 2006 to 2015, enrollment of students with a disability in a private school setting has increased from 1.0% to 1.4%. Faith-based schools overwhelmingly indicated a greater presence of special education type services: use of instructional aides, pullout …

Understanding Equitable Assessment: How Preservice Teachers Make Meaning Of Disability, Melissa K. Driver

Journal of Multicultural Affairs

Disproportionality of historically marginalized populations in special education continues to be a critical concern. The identification of students with disabilities is reliant on valid and reliable assessment that is free of bias. The extent to which this is possible given measurement constraints and an increasingly diverse student population is unclear. How teachers are trained to design, select, administer, score, and interpret assessment data related to the identification of students with disabilities is vastly under-researched considering the significant implications of assessment practices. In this study, six special education preservice teachers engaged in an assessment methods course during their second semester of …

Students With Disabilities In Higher Education And Implementation Of Section 504: A Historical-Comparative Analysis, Midge Simmons

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Section 504 is a civil rights law that prohibits discrimination against individuals with disabilities by programs or activities receiving or benefiting from federal assistance (Rehabilitation Act, 1973). Specifically, Subpart E of the rules and regulations for Section 504 addresses postsecondary educational services and prohibits discrimination in the areas of recruitment and admissions, academic and athletic programs and activities, student evaluations, housing, financial aid, counseling, and career planning and placement.

Using a historical-comparative research method, the purpose of this study was to identify, analyze and compare cases of case law and Office of Civil Rights decisions since 1973 that have shaped …

Teacher’S Attitudes And Willingness To Refer Sexual Minority Students To Special Education, Diane' Forney

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Research shows that cultural minority students are over-represented in special education services based on teacher bias and attitudes towards these cultural minority students. A cultural minority that has not been as widely researched is the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Questioning (LGBTQ). The purpose of this study is to determine if teacher’s bias and attitude towards LGBTQ students interferes with their ability to make special education referrals for sexual minority students (Hebl, 2000), who are students identified as LGBTQ. For the purpose of this study, a variety of teachers were asked to complete, two qualifying questions, a detailed demographic questionnaire, …

Determination Differences Between Men And Women In Mathematics, Lacy Cook

Undergraduate Research Conference

We analyzed data collected from 35 Tyler Junior College Students collected over three testing sessions. Students were asked to take a five-question math test. The test included four questions from the American High School Math Examination, where the problems are designed to be solvable for students without any upper level (calculus) mathematics background as well as one randomly generated question. Students were asked to take as much time as they needed, but no longer than one hour to complete the test. We used the amount of time spent on the test to measure the students' level of determination. The goal …

Independent Educational Evaluations As Issues Of Dispute In Special Education Due Process Hearings, William H. Blackwell, Mertie Gomez

Journal of Human Services: Training, Research, and Practice

This study examined the pertinent details and outcomes of special education due process hearings (n = 100) that addressed independent educational evaluations as an issue of dispute in a 14-state sample. Variables related to the frequency of these cases, the characteristics of students involved, the specific types of IEEs requested, and the other related issues and outcomes were coded and analyzed. Psycho-educational evaluations were addressed in the most due process hearings, followed by speech-language evaluations, and neuro-psychological evaluations. Statistically significant associations were identified between states regarding a) the extent to which IEEs are issues of dispute in due process …

Representation Of English Language Learners In Special Education: A Campus-Level Study, Ruby López, Diana Linn

Journal of Multicultural Affairs

This study utilized relative risk ratios to examine the representation of English language learners in special education programs in elementary, middle, and high school campuses in a school district in South Texas. Results indicated that English language learners were both underrepresented and overrepresented in the school district. Furthermore, underrepresentation was greater at the elementary campuses and overrepresentation was greater at the secondary campuses. The use of disaggregated data on the campus level continues to be of importance in understanding the representation of English language learners in special education programs as it provides critical information that cannot be gleaned from data …

Ethical Development And Diversity Training For Educational Leaders, Ilene L. Ingram, Shannon Flumerfelt

School Leadership Review

In the 21st century schools must meet the challenges of current and anticipated increases in racial and ethnic student populations. In turn, school principals must be prepared to lead diverse student populations to high levels of achievement. To facilitate adequate leadership preparation, therefore, the diversity training of educational leaders in given settings must be reworked so that the achievement gap between non-white and white students can be closed. Furthermore, restructuring of principal training is best accomplished through consensus within the profession, based on the tenets of the democratic values of respect, acceptance, and appreciation of diversity.

The purpose of this …

Relationship Between Student Academic Achievement And Gender Of Campus Administrator, Pam Winn, Susan Erwin, Jim Gentry, Mary Cauble

School Leadership Review

Studies of the effectiveness of women’s leadership have been recommended by researchers for over three decades (e.g. Eckman, 2004; Edson, 1988; Schmuck, 1981; Shakeshaft, 1989). Burke & Nelson (2002) and Smulyan (2000) have suggested that a woman’s leadership experience is fundamentally influenced by gender. As greater numbers of women fill educational administration positions previously held by men (Addi-Raccah, 2006; Rusch & Marshall, 2006), opportunities to study leadership differences and effectiveness of men and women in meeting unique demands of their campuses can be measured. Although issues related to women leaders in superintendent positions have been explored (Tallerico, 1999; Brunner, 1999; …

Heteronormativity In Kindergarten Classrooms, Megan Martsolf

Undergraduate Research Conference

Heteronormativity is the belief that people fall into distinct and complementary genders with natural roles in life. The idea is that the culture within elementary schools influences the children’s academic, behavioral, and psychological well-being. During this period of a child’s life, heteronormativity develops. The purpose of this research is to gain a greater understanding of the prevalence of heteronormativity in elementary school classrooms, specifically kindergarten. To understand this process, I will systematically observe classrooms within kindergarten. The methodological approach of this research will include both qualitative and quantitative analysis, specifically interviews with teachers and content analysis of the classroom environment. …

Pursuing A Common Goal: Measuring The Comfort Level Of Educational Diagnosticians To Manage A Caseload Of Students With Visual Impairments, Jerry Mullins M.Ed., Michael P. Munro M.Ed.

Journal of Human Services: Training, Research, and Practice

This study was conducted to measure the level of comfort and knowledge that educational diagnosticians possess regarding the unique learning needs, assistive technology, special accommodations, agencies, required visual impairment related Individual Educational Plan documents, and special evaluation considerations appropriate for students with a vision loss. Teachers of students with visual impairments were surveyed to gauge their perception of educational diagnosticians’ knowledge of the field of visual impairment and diagnosticians were also surveyed to determine their comfort level in the management of a caseload of students with visual impairments. Research question were based on how TVIs rated the comfort level and …

Event Planner Sensitivity To The Needs Of Individuals With Visual Disability At Meetings And Events, Gina Fe G. Causin Ph.D., Tessa Mccarthy Ph.D.

Journal of Human Services: Training, Research, and Practice

Special events, such as fairs, conventions, ballgames, and concerts are typically activities people attend to participate in the festivities and enjoy with friends and family members. For individuals with disabilities, however, these types of events can create more challenges than enjoyment. Despite a thorough review of the literature, no studies were found which evaluated the experiences of individuals who are blind and have visual impairments at events and meetings. The aim of this study was to determine the current level of accessibility at meetings perceived by consumers who are blind and visually impaired. Respondents to the survey indicated many obstacles …

Microaggressions Towards Individuals With Learning Disability Within The College Setting, Cordava Valentina Aranda

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Abstract

Learning disability mircroaggressions refer to the everyday verbal, nonverbal, and environmental slights and mistreatment which convey a derogatory feeling or message to individuals with a learning disability across various settings. Learning disability microaggressions may contribute significantly to the negative aspects of mental health issues often perceived in individuals with learning disabilities. The purpose of this study was to develop a microaggression scale designed to assess microaggressions displayed towards individuals with learning disabilities (LD) within the academic setting. A scale designed to assess LD microaggressions was constructed and modeled after the Racial Microaggression Scale (RMAS). A confirmatory factor analysis was …

How, When, And Why Early Childhood Educators Address Gender With Young Children?, Flora Farago, Brittany Propoggio

Symposium on Arts and Research

Children develop gender stereotypes between ages 2-5 (Martin & Ruble, 2010). Early childhood classrooms are one of the first settings where children receive messages about gender, partly from teachers (Chapman, 2016; Chick, 2002).

Teachers’ use of gender labels and gender to organize classrooms increases children’s gender stereotyping and decreases preference for other-gender peers (Hilliard & Liben, 2010).

However, work is largely missing about early childhood educators’ “gendered” beliefs and classroom practices. These topics are examined using an online survey.

Making All Students "Our" Students: Where To Start?, Frank E. Mullins Ph.D., Janice Murdock Ph.D., Phoebe A. Okungu Ph.D., Deann A. Lechtenberg Ph.D.

Journal of Human Services: Training, Research, and Practice

The collaborative team approach is an approach in which general education and special education teachers work together in a single classroom to provide instruction to all students. Neither teacher has more authority than the other.

Education should not be compartments in which one has a mindset of “my students” and “your students”. The mindset must be changed to “our students”. This change in mindsets must begin in pre-service programs in order to carry on to PreK-12 classrooms. As inclusion becomes more and more accepted in public education, educators must be taught strategies that will enable them to work collaboratively with …

What I Didn't Know About Teaching: Stressors And Burnout Among Deaf Education Teachers, J. Lindsey Kennon Ed.D., Margaret H. Patterson M.A.

Journal of Human Services: Training, Research, and Practice

No abstract provided.

One Child's Story Of School-Experienced Isolation And Rejection, Gloria J. Gresham Dr.

Journal of Multicultural Affairs

Abstract

For twelve years of school, a tiny girl endured isolation and rejection from her peers most likely due to a physical abnormality. As the girl remembers, the educators in a small, rural school district did little to support her as she was ostracized by her classmates and encourage other children to practice compassion. At times, the educators even participated in the rejection of the child. This is the story of a tiny, brown-eyed little girl who experienced isolation and rejection time and time again.

Keywords: isolation, rejection, bullying, abuse