The purpose of this survey study was to assess the perceived skill level and educational needs of special education paraprofessionals in the area of function-based intervention and to identify paraprofessionals' preferred training delivery method(s) and any variables that affect paraprofessionals' preference for these methods. Special education…

In the world of public school finance, fewer resources are being allocated to curricular activities, let alone cocurricular activities. To help ameliorate budgets for clubs, athletic teams, and other groups, students with the guidance of school officials conduct fundraisers. Many of these fundraisers were once perceived as innocuous with…

In this article we report on our exploration of academic advising practices at 19 community colleges in the Florida College System after the implementation of Senate Bill 1720. This bill made developmental education optional for many students and mandated that colleges provide academic advising for all new students. Descriptive statistics of…

Purpose: The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) represents a notable shift in K-12 accountability, requiring a more comprehensive approach to assessing school performance and a less prescriptive approach to intervening in low-performing schools. In this article, we seek to leverage the experiences of California's CORE (California Office to Reform…

The originators of special education law anticipated disputes and provided due process hearings as a means to settle the disputes. However, due process proved to be unfair, costly (financially and emotionally), and destructive to school-family relationships. Years later, lawmakers offered mandated mediation along with resolution meetings in…

Teacher Residencies have been highly touted as the next generation in teacher preparation, because they are applied programs that are predicated on strong partnerships and in-the-field mentoring. However, very little is known about this model as a whole. The goal of the current study is to report on the scope of teacher residencies, and compare…

Background/Context: Research reveals the Head Start program has made impressive gains in increasing the qualifications of its teachers since the passage of the Coats Human Services Reauthorization Act of 1998. These gains have been attributed to the initiatives implemented by the Administration of Children and Families to increase the…

As populations migrate and seek refuge around the world, educators in receiving countries need information about how to provide meaningful education experiences. Refugee children have higher rates of school dropout and are faced with many challenges, such as acculturation stress, poverty, poor housing, dangerous neighborhoods, and psychological…

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and ASD are two common neurobiological disorders in school-age children. In fact, approximately 6.4 million children between the ages of 4 and 17 have been diagnosed with ADHD since 2011 (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2017). More recent prevalence estimates suggest that five percent of all…

In light of shifting immigration trends and demographics, teacher preparation must be rethought to ensure culturally and linguistically responsive curriculum and classroom practice. This imperative is one with which educators have long been struggling, but have yet to adequately address. Fourteen years ago, I wrote an article about this very same…

This article examines "neoliberalism" inside two American public high schools. The work of one leading critical theorist, Mark Olssen, is explained and examined. Particular attention is paid to Olssen's concepts of "homo economicus" and "manipulatable man." It is concluded that Olssen's theories on neoliberalism…

Objectives: This paper seeks to explore from an historical perspective the way in which political climates impinge upon the public and professional perception of what constitutes appropriate provision for people with an intellectual disability. Methods: A systematic review of literature relating to policy and provision for people with an…

The purpose of this quantitative study was to investigate the factors that influenced the decision of general education teachers to identify and refer male students for special education classes. Additionally, the students' gender, the teachers' gender, and the teachers' years of teaching experience were investigated to determine the extent to…

The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) presents a renewed focus on school leadership and acknowledges the importance of school principals to school improvement and effective instruction (Public Law No. 114-95, 2015). The act allows states and districts to use federal funds for activities targeting the quality of school principals and other school…

The U.S. Department of Education's review of state assessment systems is an evidence-based, peer review process for which each state submits evidence to demonstrate that its assessment system meets a set of established criteria, called Critical Elements. Critical Elements represent the Elementary and Secondary Education Act statutory and…