The purpose of this evaluation was to determine the impact of the Houston Independent School District (HISD) Literacy Empowered (LE) initiative on the reading, literacy, and performance in core courses among high school students. Literacy Empowered is a districtwide initiative that provides support for high school students through the expansion of…

The Council was asked to review Detroit Public Schools Community District's (DPSCD's) services for students with disabilities and provide recommendations to support the teaching and learning of these students. To conduct its work, the Council assembled a team of experts who have successfully administered and operated special education programs in…

When developing inclusive practices in early childhood education (ECE) settings teachers are required to be guided by the principles enshrined in Te Whariki. When a child deemed to need 'extra support' comes into an ECE setting, to what extent might ECE teachers and support staff draw on the spirit and intention of this document to support the…

This white paper outlines factors in the general education setting that contribute to equitable success for all students. The paper addresses elements of equity, inclusion, and opportunity that can minimize or eliminate success gaps that exist among groups of students. Success gaps are those differences in a variety of educational factors and…

Despite the American promise of equal educational opportunity for all students, persistent achievement gaps among more and less advantaged groups of students remain, along with the opportunity gaps that create disparate outcomes. However, the recent passage of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) represents an opportunity for the federal…

Aim: Understand the social representations of disability in the school context. Methodology: Purpose-built questionnaire with open answers, consisting of 10 questions, was used. Results: (1) The operators interviewed undoubtedly framed the disabled student in a non-medicalization perspective, albeit with qualitative differences; (2) All teachers…

Educational professionals have the challenging responsibility of serving a highly diverse population of students. Laws such as the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), also known as the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB, 2001), the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA, 2004), the Vocational Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and the…

Although recent trends in educational research have addressed the plight of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) students, a dearth of literature exists about the subpopulation of LGBT youth with disabilities, namely those with verified emotional-behavior disorders (EBDs). Discussions throughout what literature does exist, and as…

Recent research indicates that Therapeutic Horseback Riding (THR), as a part of animal-assisted therapy, yields several positive results. THR is an intervention utilizing horses to improve behaviors of individuals with disabilities. The current study attempted to add to the research regarding THR effectiveness on children with Autism Spectrum…

This praxis article outlines an ongoing inclusive "Music and Movement in Education" two-credit undergraduate course initiated and facilitated by the author in 2012. It includes step-by-step strategies and suggestions to implement and advocate for an inclusion model in pre-service education or special education courses. The exploratory…

This paper examines the challenges facing research on nurture groups and on the wider field of nurture in education. A four-level model is proposed based on severity of need, ranging from universal applications in nurturing schools and communities, through to addressing the needs of children and young people whose needs are so great that a nurture…

The Texas Education Agency (TEA) prepares an annual report on graduates and dropouts in Texas public secondary schools. This report includes state summaries of the annual dropout rate, longitudinal graduation and dropout rates, and state attrition rates. In addition to statewide statistics, the report provides historical information about dropout…

For many years, Kansas Association of School Boards (KASB) has provided information on Kansas' rankings compared to other states on a variety of student outcome measures. In addition, KASB annually determines "peer states" which are most similar to Kansas in terms of student characteristics, adult population characteristics and…

Over the past 25 years, a small but growing number of school districts have implemented weighted student funding (WSF), a type of school-based budgeting system, as a way to increase school-level autonomy and flexibility and more equitably distribute funding among schools. In these districts, education leaders have implemented policies that…

"Districts' Use of Weighted Student Funding Systems to Increase School Autonomy and Equity: Findings from a National Study. Volume 1," is intended to provide both practitioners and policymakers with detailed information about the design, implementation, and outcomes of weighted student funding (WSF) systems in the United States. Findings…