Texas educational curriculum standards are implemented within all general and special education classrooms. This qualitative phenomenological research study explores the perceptions of 12 high school life school servicing student with an intellectual disability (ID) within a self-contained classroom. This study provides district stakeholders such…

Teacher preparation programs are critical to the induction of new teachers into the field. Research has shown student teaching and embedded field experiences are essential components of these teacher preparation programs and are therefore included as a culminating element of teacher preparation programs. However, little is known of the…

The purpose of this qualitative descriptive designed study was to explore how special education teachers from a private special education school with self-contained classrooms describe their experiences teaching and how they identify and select instructional strategies based on student's individual instructional and cognitive needs when teaching…

Students with emotional or behavioral disorders (EBD) often display externalizing behaviors (e.g., aggression and defiance) and experience internalizing symptoms (e.g., anxiety and depression). When left untreated, these difficulties can result in negative outcomes for students in school and beyond. Cognitive-behavioral interventions (CBIs) offer…

The problem of this basic qualitative study explored whether there is an underrepresentation of information surrounding strategies, systems, and programs special education teachers use to support students using augmentative alternative communication (AAC) and the impact said information has on student behaviors. The purpose of this basic…

This qualitative descriptive study explored how self-contained special education (SPED) teachers described the use and implementation of evidence-based practices (EBP) in relation to the academic growth of students with severe disabilities. The problem statement was it is not known how self-contained SPED teachers describe the use and…

Although federal laws require public schools to provide every student in Special Education with a free appropriate public education (FAPE) and an individualized education program (IEP), which provides students' accommodations and services, there is variation in the degree of access that many students have to assistive technology, particularly…

Children with social skills deficits in verbal and nonverbal communication can face a variety of social challenges in many aspects of their lives. Given the increasing social needs of many students in today's classrooms, there is a need for increased social skills instruction and support in public schools. Inclusion opportunities in public schools…

Our nation's K-12 schools are faced with numerous critical challenges that affect student achievement and consequently impact society. Key challenges, such as elevating academic achievement, meeting state and No Child Left Behind (NCLB) standards, high dropout rates, at-risk students, parental involvement, and the recruitment and retention of…