The purpose of this multiple explanatory case study was to investigate the preparation of underserved school band programs for a Music Performance Assessment (MPA). Specifically, I examined racial, economic, and social inequalities, which are well documented in the research literature, and the related achievement gaps of underserved public school…

Few studies examine the effectiveness of community-based early interventions in unselected samples of autistic children, especially those from minoritized backgrounds. These types of studies require attention to strategies for recruitment, retention, data collection, and support for community providers beyond those used in university-based trials.…

In this study, the relationships between child social functioning, parenting stress, and Part C Early Intervention (EI) enrollment were examined in 227 ethnically and racially diverse, low-income families of 15- to 27-month-old children. All toddlers in the sample were identified with or at high risk for developmental delay via universal screening…

Strategies to recruit and hire faculty and staff of color to the Commonwealth of Kentucky's population levels have continued for 57 years. From Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to the Kentucky Plan in 1982 to the Strategic Plan for Kentucky Higher Education from 1982 to 1995, to the Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education's 2010-2015…

Disproportionality persists with regard to the labeling of students with emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD). A blending of critical race theory and disability studies, or DisCrit, provides a framework to examine disproportionality. In this article, a DisCrit mindset is applied to examine how racism and ableism intersect to disproportionately…

This case study explores the role of adult siblings in bridging and brokering cultural and linguistic gaps in special education on behalf of their sibling with a disability. Focusing on the Le family, the study explores how Eunice Le, an adult sibling, is navigating communication between their Vietnamese-speaking family and the school, and…

More students with disabilities are present on higher education campuses. This study examines enacted legislation of the 50 United States throughout an 11-year period of students with disabilities in higher education. Racialization of disability and representation in states' legislation is examined. As the student body expands on higher education…

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…

This article draws parallels between the concept of "Black lives matter" and the efforts of caregivers to advocate for the value of the lives of their children who have disabilities. The authors identify three key concepts that undergird their argument: first, the concept of systemic bias as built in to the hierarchical valuing of…

Infants and toddlers with disabilities (ages birth to 2 years) and their families receive services under IDEA Part C, and children and youth with disabilities (ages 3-21 years) receive special education and related services under IDEA Part B. IDEA mandates the provision of opportunities for parent involvement in early intervention (Part C),…

This study compares what schools are doing to engage parents and analyzes the efficacy of these initiatives across predominantly Black, Latino, and White schools. Using the National Center for Education Statistics's (NCES) Schools and Staffing Surveys (SASS, 1999-2004), we specify a model that accounts both for factors associated with school…

This report examines five of North Carolina's largest universities -- University of North Carolina (UNC)-Chapel Hill, UNC Charlotte, North Carolina State University, Wake Forest University, and Duke University -- and finds that discrimination on the basis of sex is rampant at these higher education institutions. Tens of thousands of male students,…

Although parent involvement is a cornerstone of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), few individual parents of children with disabilities participate in civic engagement to voice their suggestions for the next IDEA reauthorization. To address this gap, a civic engagement training was conducted with 95 parents of children with…

Our country's existing and long-term child care crisis--inequitable access for communities of color, poverty-level wages for early educators, and unaffordable care for far too many families--has been exacerbated by the terrible, inequitable impacts of the coronavirus pandemic, which has pushed the child care and early learning sector to the brink…

In this brief annual report, Colorado Children's Campaign shares a few examples of their work in 2016. The Campaign's early childhood work in 2016 focused on making child care and early education more accessible and of higher quality. Among other changes, teen parents and domestic abuse survivors have better access to child care subsidies so they…