This issue of "Equity Dispatch" examines national education policy as it moves from development to implementation, the impact local actors can have on upholding the original intent of policy, and the ways administrators and educators can critically examine policy implementation in order to ensure equitable opportunities for students.

African American male students are disproportionately represented in special education. The purpose of the current study is to examine the disproportionality of African American male students who are referred to special education programs and are identified special education services, specifically in the areas of Emotional Disturbance (ED),…

COVID-19 has engendered serious challenges with the provision of special education services for youth and young adults incarcerated in U.S. adult correctional facilities. This article describes the recent lawsuit, Charles H. et al. v. District of Columbia et al., which focused on the lack of a free and appropriate public education (FAPE) at the…

COVID-19 has devastated the education sector. School closures have disrupted learning for more than 1.6 billion students around the world. As of January 2021, UNESCO estimates that more than 234 million children and youth remain affected by school closures in 33 countries, equaling more than 13 percent of enrolled learners worldwide. An estimated…

Educational choice programs--defined broadly as programs that provide parents with financial aid to help their children opt out of the traditional public school system--are a hallmark of meaningful educational reform. Yet despite widespread news coverage of such programs, polls show most Americans are unfamiliar with how educational choice…

This "Equity by Design" brief highlights equity issues that arise in the process of reopening schools during a global pandemic. The authors examine state plans and guidance for reopening schools across states in the Midwest & Plains Equity Assistance Center (MAP EAC) region which includes the 13 states of Indiana, Illinois, Iowa,…

Universal Design for Learning is the firm foundation for the education all students. Some students with more intensive support needs also require individualized services based on their unique needs in order to participate in and benefit from learning environments built and maintained according to the principles and practices of UDL. A student…

In the United States, students with disabilities have moved from learning in a segregated environment to being included in the general education classroom. Legislative mandates have encouraged this shift to occur in public schools in order to equal the playing field for students with disabilities. Both general and special education students with…

Each year, between 1.5 and 1.6 million youth run away from home or are forced out of their homes by their parents. While many of these youth return home quickly, others remain separated from their families and live in homeless situations. Every local educational agency (LEA) has a designated homeless liaison, with the responsibility to identify…

This research was carried out as part of an Erasmus + project called "Visually Impaired Mentally Sighted" targeting to improve the conditions and materials used in the educational environment and to develop personal and professional skills of the school staff. This qualitative study employed descriptive case study design. The study…

The aim of this research is to determine the opinions of teachers working in the city of Kastamonu towards inclusive education and to investigate what inclusive education practices are. For this purpose this research was conducted from a qualitative perspective. The study group consists of thirteen teachers from various branches working in the…

Inclusive educational practices are rooted in a body of research indicating that when students in need of support through special education are meaningfully included in schools, academic and social outcomes improve for all students. To realize this promise of better outcomes, traditional schools with separate classrooms and even schools designated…

This guidance focuses on how school districts in Washington state can plan and respond to the challenges of the 2020-21 school year, specific to closing equity gaps in dual credit access and success and postsecondary transitions. The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the significant inequities inside of education systems that districts across the…

When the "AEM Quality Indicators with Critical Components for Higher Education: Institutes of Higher Education" (ED613012) was updated, a series of interviews were conducted with experts in colleges, universities, and related associations with knowledge and experience in system- or campus-wide accessibility. Additionally, a literature…

The purpose of this study was to investigate Chinese-speaking families' perspectives of their advocacy for the education of their children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and provided perspectives that enabled educational stakeholders to understand the barriers diverse families encounter. Children with disabilities had historically received…