Autistic students are faced with ableism and oppressive practices daily in their school environments. Special educators can mitigate this problem by celebrating the neurodiversity of the students in their classroom. Utilizing a critical disability theory lens, I conducted an instrumental case study through observations and interviews with six…

Students who are dually identified as English Language Learners (ELLs) and as students with disabilities have unique needs that can be addressed through differentiated instruction. There is a gap in the current literature on the experiences of special education teachers who differentiate instruction in their classrooms to meet the needs of ELLs…

This study focused on the perception of special education teachers on the new Common Core Standards and effective classroom instructions for students with disabilities. It shared a new understanding and increased knowledge of the Common Core Standards and how it has affected students with disabilities. Given that special educators have direct…

Given the importance of evidence-based practices (EBPs) for improving outcomes for students with disabilities, it is key that preservice special education teachers have the opportunity to implement EBPs with high levels of fidelity during their teacher preparation program. For this reason, the authors conducted a systematic review of the…

Special educators are urged to use research findings to inform their instruction in order to improve student outcomes. However, it can be difficult to tell whether and how research findings apply to one's own students. In this article, we discuss how special educators can consider the samples and the sampling methods in studies to examine the…

Response-prompting procedures are a form of systematic direct instruction based on the principles of ABA. Researchers have identified six specific and distinct response-prompting procedures for teaching both academic and functional skills: (1) graduated guidance; (2) most-to-least prompting; (3) system of least prompts; (4) progressive time delay;…

Institutions of higher education are increasingly relying on distance technologies to prepare teacher candidates. In early childhood special education (ECSE), a field that focuses on working with young children ages 0-8 with delays and disabilities and their families, many of these distance technologies are being used to improve teacher candidate…

Classroom observations are an integral component of teacher evaluation systems, but little is known about who is best qualified to observe and evaluate special educators, who have a specialized skillset, and whether observation instruments adequately reflect their instructional practices. In this study, 19 special education teachers in California…

Special educators can play an essential role in the development of students' understanding of and capacity to do mathematics. Whether a special education teacher's goal is to help kindergartners develop counting skills or to support 10th graders in constructing geometric proofs and whether instruction will occur in co teaching, consulting, or…

This quantitative dissertation examined the differences in special education teacher preparation programs and their association with novice teachers' self-efficacy in the areas of classroom management, student engagement, and instructional strategies while teaching students with moderate to severe disabilities. Tschannen-Moran and Woolfolk Hoy's…

Since the inception of ESEA of 1965 student achievement has been one focus on public education. Fast-forward to NCLB of 2001, a reenactment of the ESEA of 1965; school leaders have been pushed to demonstrate student achievement to all learners. With increased demands to close the achievement gap and track struggling learners co-teaching models…

In this interview study, three middle school students with disabilities and seven without disabilities were interviewed about their experiences in a co-taught classroom. Also, data from their co-teachers who taught mathematics, social studies and science were gathered. Both students and teachers reported that co-teaching provides extra help for…

A total of 77 teachers working in inclusive settings in North Eastern USA were surveyed regarding their perceptions of the barriers that may hinder the use of co-teaching. Results indicated that (a) teachers lack the necessary skills required for implementing co-teaching, and (b) co-teaching may require a lot of resources for its successful…

The evidence-centered design framework was used to create a special education teacher observation system, Recognizing Effective Special Education Teachers. Extensive reviews of research informed the domain analysis and modeling stages, and led to the conceptual framework in which effective special education teaching is operationalized as the…

The Evidence-Centered Design (ECD) framework was used to create a special education teacher observation system, Recognizing Effective Special Education Teachers (RESET). Extensive reviews of research informed the domain analysis and modeling stages, and led to the conceptual framework in which effective special education teaching is…