This qualitative phenomenological study sought to understand the implications for the inclusive natures of public-school settings. This study utilized Plan, Do, Study, Act (PDSA) cycles paired with the Universal Design for Learning (UDL) framework as proponents of inclusive tools for special education teachers. Explicit training was provided to…

The rapid shift to online learning exposed significant gaps in special educators' preparedness and ability to adapt instruction for students with disabilities (SWDs) effectively. The study sought to develop an in-depth understanding of these challenges to inform training, resource allocation, and support for special education teachers providing…

Digital accessibility has become one of the most critical components for post-secondary student success because accessibility is the first step to learning for the diverse college student population. However, emerging studies show that teacher candidates experience challenges in program completion due to inaccessible course materials or course…

Data collection of IEP goals is an ongoing problem in special education (Blackwell & Rossetti, 2014; Codding, Skorron, & Pace, 2005, Sandall, Schwartz, & LaCroix, Ruble, McGrew, Wong, & Missall, 2018; Walton, 1985). Research shows that there are inconsistencies between belief and practice. Many educators acknowledge the importance…

The time is now for educational leaders and policy makers to accept the responsibility of hiring, developing, and retaining a highly qualified, diverse, and committed teaching force in special education. Recommendations from research identify the need to involve key stakeholders at various levels to orchestrate a systematic effort in assisting…

Special education teachers employ a variety of strategies to support the needs of students in their classrooms. This research focused on the beliefs that special education teachers have on the incorporation of dance to support academic, behavioral, physical, sensory, medical, social-emotional, and communication needs. Included in this study was an…

This article presents an exploratory study aimed to document co-taught education courses across the general-special education curriculum and to determine perceived change in students' disability knowledge as a result of taking the courses. Collaborative teaching taught by a general and special education university faculty was examined over a…

We explored the involvement of students with extensive support needs (ESN) in School-wide Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (SWPBIS). We interviewed 15 administrators and special and general educators from elementary schools implementing SWPBIS during the 2019-2020 school year and analyzed responses using qualitative content analysis.…

In this study, we examined the scoring and generalizability assumptions of an explicit instruction (EI) special education teacher observation protocol using many-faceted Rasch measurement (MFRM). Video observations of classroom instruction from 48 special education teachers across four states were collected. External raters (n = 20) were trained…

This study uses nationally representative data for the United States from the Basic Monthly Current Population Survey to document how teachers' hours of work have changed in 2020 and 2021 relative to typical labor supply levels and to the hours worked by other college-educated professional workers. Controlling for demographics, teachers' hours…

Many students with extensive support needs (ESN) benefit from specific instruction as well as a range of communication supports to develop effective communication repertoires and fully participate in their educational experience. Although evidence-based practices and supports addressing the communication needs of students with ESN have been…

Teachers of students with extensive support needs (ESN) often perform many leadership-related tasks, such as supervising paraprofessionals or advocating school wide for student accessibility and inclusion. While teacher leadership has received considerable attention in research and practice, much of the attention has resided in general education…

Bullying in schools is a national problem receiving much needed attention. Teacher workplace bullying is a lesser known but equally debilitating problem. Our purpose in doing this study is to examine the problem of teacher workplace bullying and its effect on teachers, students, and schools. We surveyed 173 general and special education teachers…

A national survey of Special Educational Needs Coordinators (SENCOs) in England was conducted during the summer of 2020 in the midst of the global COVID-19 pandemic. The annually conducted survey typically collates demographic data about the SENCO workforce, but given the wider context, this particular survey also included nine questions about…

The main aim of this study was to investigate how Finnish pre-service special needs teachers' (N = 134) assessment conceptions, prior academic studies in special education and teaching experience together cluster into different patterns representing different student types. Their assessment conceptions formed three main factors: 1) assessment…