The coteaching classroom has grown with the influx of special needs students in general education classrooms. New state and federal laws mandated the need for collaboration when instructing special education students, and middle school teachers in a Northern New Jersey school district are experiencing challenges with the implementation of…

Educational legislation mandates that all students, including those with disabilities, be provided a free and appropriate public education (IDEA, 2004). Students with low-incidence disabilities, such as autism spectrum disorders and cognitive disabilities, may have challenging needs that often warrant additional support (i.e. a paraprofessional)…

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act requires local education agencies to include parents as equal team members in the cultivation of their child's individual education plan (IEP). Despite law, studies have shown that parents experience barriers to being included in the process. Barriers such as a lack of information, lack of…

This exploratory sequential mixed methods study examined the use of Restorative Justice practices from a sample of three public urban high school settings in the west coast of the United States to gather data on the impact of such practices on disciplinary outcomes for African American and Latino males with disabilities. The three school sites…

During the 2013-2014 school year, the New Jersey Department of Education established legislation which ensured a revision to the teacher evaluation system by attempting to accurately assess the effectiveness of teachers. The Teacher Effectiveness and Accountability for the Children of New Jersey Act (TEACHNJ) stimulated the implementation of the…

This study examined the academic impact in reading and mathematics when Collaborative, Co-Teaching Team Model of high incidence special education student service delivery implemented in a suburban school district. This study hypothesized that the implementation of an inclusive collaborative co-teaching model of service delivery could possibly…

This dissertation examines factors affecting the service outcomes of immigrant women with disabilities who received vocational rehabilitation services, from the perspectives of their rehabilitation counselors. The participants were eight rehabilitation counselors who had received their Master's degrees from programs accredited by the Council on…

Manifestation determination teams are required by law to determine the relationship between a student's disability and behaviors that lead to disciplinary action when a student with a disability is either excluded from school for more than 10 days, is put in an interim alternative placement, or is under consideration for a change in placement.…

Family outcomes are important to the provision of services because families are increasingly considered as the primarily support unit for children with developmental disabilities. With emphasis on positivity and multidimensionality of the life of families who have children with disabilities, this study aimed to expand the applicability of the…

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act of 2004 (IDEIA 2004) continues to mandate that behavior interventions and behavior supports be monitored for proper implementation, and data gathered to prove implementation fidelity and student outcomes. The current implementation of behavior support plans (BSPs) is another type of…

The purpose of the study was to determine whether or not the implementation of special education graduates' secondary transition plans by a team of supporters such as teachers, parents, administrators, and postsecondary mentors were well-constructed and in alignment with the graduates' high school curriculum and intended postsecondary goals, as…

Assistive technology may be a solution for students with disabilities who are struggling to achieve academic growth; however, the consideration for assistive technology process is not prevalent in schools. The purpose of this qualitative study was to take an in-depth look at the processes and factors that teachers of students with disabilities…

There has been a growing interest in understanding and increasing father involvement in their child's education. Ongoing research has documented the positive effects of father involvement; however, fathers continue to feel disconnected from their child's school and educational program. Not surprisingly, research has indicated that fathers of…

The practice of service-learning is growing. However, service-learning activities seldom involve high school students with moderate mental disabilities working with peers without disabilities. The purpose of this case study was to gain an understanding of the experiences of personnel who work in partnership with students with disabilities and…

The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore characteristics, competencies, and strategies of transition program employment representatives who attain successful employment outcomes for urban Latino/a youths with disabilities. This study employed in-depth interviewing as a method of data collection. The central research question guiding…