Introduction: Professionals working with infants and toddlers with visual impairments (that is, those who are blind or have low vision) were surveyed regarding their preservice training and their awareness and use of 29 resources related to young children who are visually impaired. Methods: Early intervention visual impairment professionals (n =…

Little is known about the feasibility and acceptability of interventions designed to address the needs of high school students with emotional and behavioral challenges and adopted by their teachers. In this study, 336 general and special education teachers rated classwide interventions (e.g., expectations, routines, positive student-teacher…

In this study, the factors that influence special education teachers to remain in their profession for at least five years were identified and analyzed. The study involved a mixed-methods design including a survey and interviews with experienced special educators. The survey items and their categorizations as relational support or organizational…

All educational stakeholders benefit when families and school staff have trusting partnerships as they work together to achieve mutual goals. Eleven focus groups were conducted with parents of children with and without disabilities in six schools, which had been selected as knowledge development sites by the Schoolwide Integrated Framework for…

On May 22, 2011, an EF5 tornado ripped through Joplin, MO, leaving many residents without homes and destroying or damaging several school buildings. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore how special education teachers responded to the needs of their students with disabilities following the Joplin tornado. Purposeful sampling was…

In this study, the authors represent an exploratory investigation of current preparation of preservice teachers related to response to intervention (RTI) in institutions of higher education (IHEs) in the Office of Special Education Program (OSEP) Regional Resource and Federal Centers (RRFCs) North Central Region and Pennsylvania. In this study,…

This survey study was designed to investigate mathematics instruction for middle school students with and at-risk for emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD). It sought to identify who is teaching mathematics to students with and at-risk for EBD, investigate if mathematics and special education teachers are implementing recommended curricula and…

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of an online format of instruction versus a face-to-face format of instruction in order to determine which format of instruction is most effective in educating teachers to work with students with autism spectrum disorders. Given the current rise in students with autism being served in…

There is increasing evidence that a significant number of children in America are not learning important basic reading skills. Response to intervention (RTI) for support in reading is appropriate, but what does a school district do about students who are in Tier 3 and not making progress? Teachers and psychologists at the Special School District…

This study sought to assess teacher candidates' knowledge of special education policies and procedures as mandated by the federal government. It also examines factors associated with accurate knowledge. A sample of 111 teacher candidates, drawn from a Missouri private university, completed a survey. Overall, teacher candidates lacked accurate…

Developments in universal newborn hearing screening programs and assistive hearing technology have had considerable effects on the speech, language, and educational success of children who are deaf or hard of hearing. Several recent research studies of children who are deaf or hard of hearing and who use spoken language as their primary method of…

Children with hearing loss are best served through the collaborative efforts of their parents and a team of professionals. For communication development and educational achievement, speech-language pathologists and teachers of the deaf working together can have a profound impact. A collaborative approach to assessment, direct instruction, and…

The Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, per Section 162.1136 RSMo, conducts an annual study of the educational status of eligible blind/visually impaired students and reports the findings to the Missouri Legislature on December 1st each year. The information contained in this report pertains to the twelve data elements…

In classrooms and schools across the United States, educators struggle to meet the requirements of standards-based reform that was enacted by federal legislation. Secondary schools can use coteaching with mixed-ability groups of students to meet increased curriculum demands and provide mandated strategies and accommodations for students with…

The 2009 "State Teacher Policy Yearbook" provided a comprehensive review of states' policies that impact the teaching profession. As a companion to last year's comprehensive state-by-state analysis, the 2010 edition provides each state with an individualized "Blueprint for Change," building off last year's "Yearbook"…