A tension exists between educational practitioners and researchers, which is often attributed to their dichotomous and oftentimes polarizing professional ideologies or Discourse communities. When determining what works in education, researchers tend to emphasize evidencebased practices (EBPs) supported by research that is rigorous and internally…

The author of this article asks: What is readiness for kindergarten? How do we know when a child is ready? Unfortunately, as with many topics in education reform and improvement, policy makers ignore the complex questions about readiness and instead focus narrowly on select variables. The focus for kindergarten readiness is on select literacy and…

The Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) recognizes the importance of special education teachers in the education of all children and youth. Special educators have always believed that children's individual learning needs should drive instruction; indeed, pedagogy is the heart of special education practice. One way to judge a special education…

The author begins by stating that Mark Wolery has probably done more than anyone else to remind the field that teaching children is the most important thing practioners do in classrooms and that there is research on what good instruction looks like. However, the author asserts that he has a different take on the new (although it began "a…

Over the years, the author has drawn on a variety of friends, both fictional and real, to help him make specific points when writing professional papers and books for teachers, administrators, and researchers. This included Snoopy and other Peanut characters to describe how struggling writers compose; Calvin and his imaginary tiger Hobbes to…

Federal policies intended to promote educational equity, especially through state accountability mechanisms, have mobilized efforts to improve outcomes for students with disabilities. Although these efforts have met with some success, achievement gaps remain. The authors argue that local cultures of teaching practices and decision making continue…

This article focuses on early childhood classrooms in which young children with disabilities are enrolled, ideally inclusive classrooms. A foundational assumption about which most early intervention professionals would agree is that young children with disabilities learn from: (1) their experiences (interactions) with their physical environments…

In this article, the author identifies and answers questions related to IDEA eligibility issues and the Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE) regulation. The author's answers to several questions concerning legal issues are presented.

Today an ever-increasing number of infants and young children with and without disabilities play, develop, and learn together in a variety of places--homes, early childhood programs, neighborhoods, and other community-based settings. The notion that young children with disabilities and their families are full members of the community reflects…

In this article the author provides legal explanations to the following concerns: (1) Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE) and Individualized Education Programs (IEPs); (2) Functional Behavior Assessments (FBAs) and Behavior Intervention Plans (BIPs); (3) Manifestation Determinations under Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA);…

This article presents questions regarding the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act of 2004 (IDEA) and its 2006 regulations. The author's answers to these questions are presented.

In this article, the authors advance 10 postulates describing what they believe to be true about collaboration in special education: (1) Collaboration in teacher education is possible; (2) Collaborative programs can be initiated from many departure points; (3) Collaboration requires real time for communication; (4) Supportive leadership is…

The CEC Research Award recognizes researchers for the significant contributions they have made to special education. We believe that the members of this distinguished group have much to share with our readers. We have invited each of them to contribute an article, addressing their perspectives on special education research and practices. Richard…

Discussion of due process rights for children with disabilities considers common issues leading to due process requests, due process procedures, hearing officers, procedural violations, effects of due process meetings, and areas for improvement (i.e., accountability, paperwork). Tables list categories of procedural violations with examples and…

This article begins with a discussion of the political and ideological dimensions of culture, cultural difference, and labeling. The authors follow with the assertion that administrator's beliefs, as expressions of personal values, are connected to their instructional behaviors and their leadership roles in schools (Hart Bredeson, 1996).…