Five experienced special educators were interviewed to learn about their experiences working in a school district with a fully developed MTSS. The interviews revealed these special educators were highly supportive of tiered supports because they provide strategic and intensive interventions for students who are behind. Nonetheless, these educators…

Through the lens of transformative learning theory, this qualitative study examines how pre-service teachers (PSTs) in a teacher education program in rural Appalachia shared their perspectives on their preparation to work with diverse students. It examines how their lived experiences and their teacher education program impacted their approach to…

Servant leadership is a central focus of organizations in and outside of public education. This leadership philosophy is centered on the idea that a leader serves his or her stakeholders. While service in leadership is not a new phenomenon, it has gained acceptance in many areas of research and practice within public schools as a measure of both…

As part of a federally funded grant, we conducted Math for All professional development workshops at elementary schools in the Midwest to support teachers' implementation of high-quality, standards-based mathematics education for a wide range of students, including those with disabilities. Our research included week-long instructional logs…

Family involvement in a child's education is vital to student success. This article presents qualitative findings from a more extensive study that examined family participation within a Response to Intervention (RtI) framework for K-1 grade students receiving Tier 2 reading interventions. RtI is a problem-solving tiered framework designed to…

A recent report points to the potential of the community school movement to concentrate resources in impoverished rural schools and build effective partnerships between the community and school. According to "The Rural Solution: How Community Schools Can Reinvigorate Rural Education," community schools might be the most economically feasible way…

School districts in the U.S. are mandated to identify young children with disabilities. Developmental screeners are typically used to screen for such skill deficits. Academic tests are used in older students. A significant challenge is identifying children with potential learning disabilities early in their school career. This study identifies a…

This study used data drawn from a large, national sample to describe transition practices provided to 1989 children with disabilities as they entered their kindergarten year, obtained through a survey administered to kindergarten teachers. Using path modeling, we examined the child and family, school, and district factors that predict which…

Families in rural communities are often poorly connected to schools due to challenges associated with geographic isolation, poverty, inexperienced staff, inadequate resources, scheduling challenges, and low parental education. This creates problems with the access, availability, and acceptability of services. Teachers in rural schools often have…