This correlation, quantitative, non-experimental, ex-post-facto study examined the relationship of the percentages of students that were identified as being from high poverty districts and the rate of students identified as eligible for services under Individual with Disability Act (IDEA). To do this, 188 randomized elementary public-school…

State governments have the purview to interpret federal special education policies as they see fit. Interpretations of these policies to music education rarely are addressed within state special education policy. The authors selected four states to analyze and compare state special education policies; Illinois, Michigan, Texas, and Virginia.…

Despite growing research and the federal standard of providing students with education in the least restrictive environment, students with disabilities continue to be excluded inappropriately from the general education classroom. This quantitative study was designed to identify any relationship between collective teacher efficacy, teacher…

This 3-year ethnography explored the culture of the Academy of Music and Arts for Special Education (AMASE), a university undergraduate volunteer organization offering music instruction for individuals with disabilities. We examined the organization and its impact on students, parents, and volunteers through the lens of the social relational model…

Among all college students, students with disabilities are particularly at risk due to a high percentage of underreporting. We conducted a survey across many undergraduate courses in engineering and computing at the University of Illinois to identify course components that engage students with and without disabilities. We were motivated to find…

Although the Individuals With Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEA) mandates parent participation in their children's education programs, the implementation of IDEA results in parent effort beyond participation, specifically, an expectation of advocacy. To date, research on the advocacy expectation is mixed, with some parents perceiving…

Due to systemic barriers, Spanish-speaking (versus English-speaking) parents of children with disabilities are less likely to participate in educational decision-making. However, little research has directly compared special education experiences between both populations. The purpose of this study was to explore the differences and similarities…

Due to systemic barriers, Spanish-speaking (versus English-speaking) parents of children with disabilities are less likely to participate in educational decision-making. However, little research has directly compared special education experiences between both populations. The purpose of this study was to explore the differences and similarities…

With growing interest among higher education faculty and administration in adopting open educational resources (OER), several nationwide and statewide OER initiatives are attempting to increase the awareness and encourage the implementation of OER. In the exploration of OER resources for career and technical education (CTE) in Illinois community…

This article reports the preliminary results of a multiple case study that investigated how, during the Spring 2020 and the following school year, old and new areas of EL educational inequity revealed themselves in two rural school districts during the COVID-19 pandemic. The data presented here focuses on multilingual immigrant/refugee parents of…

A Toolkit of Emerging Best Practices and Opportunities for Charter Support Organizations Approximately 6.4 million students--roughly 13 percent of the student population between ages 6-21--receive special education and related services in public schools every year. While students identified as eligible for special education require supports and…

This report describes the establishment of and delivery of Illinois Career and Technical Education (CTE), the existing condition of Illinois CTE based on fiscal year 2022 data, and the future developments and recommendations for CTE in our state as required by Illinois School Code 105 ILCS 435/2e. Further, this report provides an update on police…

In the past, parents of children with disabilities have spearheaded several policies for individuals with disabilities. However, little is known about their experiences with legislators. To address this gap, focus groups and surveys about legislative advocacy were conducted with 127 parents of individuals with disabilities across four states. The…

Since states closed school buildings to protect students from COVID-19, schools have had to adapt quickly to keep students learning. Nearly all states put out guidance or resources to help districts and schools institute continuous learning and surmount the challenges faced by students in homes with limited or no internet access and those with…

Traditional definitions of school readiness have focused primarily on the skills, knowledge and abilities children need for educational success. However, these definitions have evolved in recent years to encompass a multidimensional view, adding physical and mental health, social and emotional skills, executive functioning and self-regulation, and…