In 1990, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) reauthorized a previous legislation for students with disabilities to place more focus on the individual needs of the student, rather than the disability the student may have. In 2004, IDEA was reauthorized to align with the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, which held schools and…

This research study examined inclusive teaching practices, class policies, and course structures in active learning Calculus classes. Analyzing interview data, along with focus group discussions and classroom observations, obtained from 23 students and 4 instructors, themes were extracted through open-coding methodology, employing scholarly…

In 1996, government policies in South Africa required all educational institutions to align with human rights and equality. Public schools now operate as inclusive institutions. Thus, there exists a problem that after 23 years of policy implementation, South African educators continue to acknowledge their need for knowledge, skills, and training…

The problem is neurodivergent students continue to experience exclusion and segregation resulting in a loss of social interactions, decreased academic growth and progress, and any decline in developmental growth in the all-inclusive classroom. The purpose of this qualitative participative action research was to develop strategies for…

Through a landscape analysis and content analysis, this study investigated informal Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) education funding and evaluation policies. The primary objectives of this study were to identify informal STEM education funding organizations, and to examine funding priorities and evaluation policies…

When immigrant youth are harmed by institutional policies and practices that reinforce idealized notions of nationalism and assimilation through subtractive and coercive strategies, school leaders can turn to restorative justice as a technology of resistance. This participatory action research study, with the author as a participant, captures four…

In 1969, the Stonewall riots in New York City marked the launch of the liberation movement for the LGBTQ+ community. In the years that followed, the fight for equal rights and inclusion has permeated society, the court system, professional settings, and academic institutions. The role of colleges and universities, particularly historically black…

This research highlighted the critical importance of colleges and universities to prioritize the education of diverse students, foster inclusive communities, and cultivate awareness of inclusive learning environments. As higher education continues to evolve with an increasingly diverse student body, a one-size-fits-all institutional model is…

Providing an accessible and equitable education for all students has been an ongoing process mandated by the Managing for Equality and Equity initiative to close the achievement and opportunity gaps among students. This qualitative study examined Black superintendents' perspectives about the effectiveness and impact of diversity, equity, and…

This dissertation examines the way novice social studies teachers learn to support multilingual learners in their social studies classes. I take a critical lens to practice-based teacher education (PBTE) to understand the decisions novice teachers make as they support multilingual students in their content classes. In this way, I bridge…

A qualitative case study approach was employed to explore the perspectives of stakeholders affiliated with an inclusive postsecondary education (IPSE) program for students with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (I/DD) in the pacific northwestern United States. Utilizing Artiles' (2009) cultural-historical paradigm, three research…

The goal of this study was to investigate the effects (as articulated by Stephen Ball) of global and national inclusive education policies on the education of children with disabilities. The study focused on global and national policy influences and stakeholder engagements (perceptions, understanding, interpretations, and translations) of these…

In 2005, the Texas Education Agency implemented a new accountability measure for school districts that penalized those that had more than 8.5% special education enrollment. The policy that lasted for over a decade and its implications, which continue to this day, created inequitable access to services for students with disabilities of all…

While dually identified students are ever-present in the elementary classroom, historical policies and practices surrounding bilingual and special education in the United States have resulted in the exclusion of equitable and inclusive education for this population of students. The effects of the separation of bilingual education, special…

Advocates for inclusive diversity with equity, access and accountability (IDEAA) are often torn between individual-level change and institutional-level change processes. Similarly, antiracist scholarship spans individual-level and institutional-level efforts towards antiracism. In discipline-based education research (DBER) in microbiology…