This article presents engaging and practical methods of helping educators to "remix" the evidence-based and high-leverage practices they are already familiar with to include the new capabilities of artificial intelligence (AI). Transformational modern technologies can be powerful and disruptive, possessing the potential to impact…

Early childhood special education (ECSE) professionals were forced to drastically change their methods of providing services as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. In this qualitative study, we conducted interviews to understand how the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted ECSE professionals both personally and professionally. ECSE professionals…

This dissertation presents a qualitative study investigating the challenges encountered by Early Childhood Special Education (ECSE) teachers during the dynamic landscape of the COVID-19 pandemic. The participants, comprising ECSE teachers, shared their experiences, highlighting key themes such as transparent decision-making, a yearning for…

The Conservative Dual Criteria (CDC) method is known to improve decision-making accuracy in users when interpreting graphed data. The effectiveness of this method with in-service special education teachers, however, has not been investigated. The present study examined the effects of a virtual training package designed to improve the data-based…

Drawing on eight waves of the Schools and Staffing Survey and the National Teacher and Principal Survey, we used a difference-in-differences research design to examine special education teachers' (SETs) responses to No Child Left Behind (NCLB) and the subsequent reauthorization of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). IDEA was…

Considering the significance of integrating students with disabilities into general education classes in Mississippi, it is critical to identify the methods by which co-teachers report working together, whether they have obtained the needed professional development, and which teaching model they employ in the inclusion classroom. This data can…

As more students consistently access the general education classroom as their least restrictive environment (LRE), the responsibility of Individual Education Plan implementation (IEP) is up to the general and special education teachers. Previous studies indicated that communication characteristics between general and special education teachers…

The aim of this quantitative survey study (N = 287) was to investigate the assessment conceptions of three different pre-service teacher groups (classroom teachers, subject teachers and special needs teachers). Assessment conceptions were best described by the following three main factors: 1) assessment of learning, 2) assessment for teaching and…

Considering the salience of emotions in their work, special educators should think of them as an important source of data to inform and improve their practice. Special educators' emotions and emotional labor are a rich and accessible form of data that can directly inform their delivery of high-quality instruction. Although special educators…

Migration to Europe in recent years has made the issue of educational support for recently arrived immigrant pupils critically important, and, especially for pupils who are in need of special educational support. Schools in Sweden have special needs educators (SNEs) supporting pupils in need of special education, but little is known about the work…

Special education teachers' (SETs) working conditions play a crucial role in shaping the size, quality, and effectiveness of the U.S. SET workforce and thereby shape the quality of instruction provided to students with disabilities. Valid measures of SETs' working conditions are essential for conducting robust research on how to improve working…

Several types of professionals support families of young children with disabilities as they navigate the early intervention and early childhood special education systems (EI/ECSE). Medical professionals are often the first to discuss service provision with families, while EI/ECSE providers are responsible for evaluating, determining eligibility,…

Although the importance of assistive technology (AT) has been supported in the literature, preservice special education teachers (PSETs) are still graduating with inadequate AT knowledge and skills. In this study, an educational technology course was modified and the PSETs' perceptions about their AT knowledge and skills and the course were…

Introduction: The use of tactile graphics promotes the full inclusion of students with visual impairments in primary and secondary school classrooms. However, without real-life experiences and specialized training, students may not have the conceptual knowledge needed to successfully participate in academic instruction and standardized…

Designing professional learning that meets the diverse needs of special education professionals is exciting, challenging, and critically important. The staff at the Children's Center for Communication/Beverly School for the Deaf in Massachusetts support deaf, hard of hearing, and hearing children from ages 3 to 22 with a range of communication and…