Teacher evaluation has been closely tied to professional development. In special education, professional development experiences are meant to promote special educator learning and implementation of high leverage practices. Yet, the connection between teacher evaluation outcomes and professional development decisions of special educators is largely…

The purpose of this study is to investigate the impact factors of special education journals in indexed in the "Education, Special (ES)" category of the Social Sciences Citation Index (SSCI) (Web of Science, WoS) as well as considering some bibliometric indicators. As an alternative metric of the journal impact factor (JIF), JIF…

This study investigates the critical role of mentorship in preparing pre-service special education teachers for the challenges of the classroom. We surveyed pre-service special education teachers before and after engaging in a year-long mentorship experience with a veteran teacher. We also followed up with study participants one year after the…

With the onset of COVID-19, school districts were forced to rapidly engage in planning and development of resources for remote instruction during spring of the 2020 school year, and many special education professionals reported difficulties meeting student needs. In order to portrait the initial challenges and concerns related to remote…

The purpose of this study is to investigate the impact factors of special education journals in indexed in the "Education, Special (ES)" category of the Social Sciences Citation Index (SSCI) (Web of Science, WoS) as well as considering some bibliometric indicators. As an alternative metric of the journal impact factor (JIF), JIF…

Native American students appear to be overrepresented in the special education population of PreK-12 schools. In 2021, the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) reported that a higher percentage of American Indian/Alaska Native children were served by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) than children in any other…

The purpose of this autoethnographic multiple case study is to examine the perceptions of culturally and linguistically diverse (CLD) doctoral students, who are also first-generation college (FGC) students. This research seeks to navigate their experiences in a doctoral program focused on special education for culturally and linguistically diverse…

Section 504 has recently been gaining more traction among parents, educators, and government officials as more Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) ineligible students become eligible for Section 504. To alleviate Section 504 being a special education responsibility and ramp up the lack of 504 professional development efforts for…

This study investigates special education teachers' perceptions of the effectiveness of support and training received while working with Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) device users. The research evaluates important components of AAC implementation, such as the range of support available, quality of training programs, degrees of…

Recruiting special education teacher candidates to teacher preparation programs and to special education classrooms continues to be a national struggle (National Center for Education Statistics, 2022; United States Department of Education, 2021). While a number of solutions to this decades-long problem have been explored, we offer the analysis of…

Special educators are among the countless professionals adversely impacted by the coronavirus (COVID-19) global pandemic. Before the pandemic, the special education profession was associated with increased occupational stress, anxiety, and job dissatisfaction. As we progress through the first post-pandemic school year, special educators continue…

This study aimed to examine and compare the teaching efficacy of paraprofessionals in the four desired domains identified in prior research about teaching special education: academic instruction, behavioral management, assessment, and professional ethics; and to identify what demographic or background factors predicted paraprofessional efficacy in…

As more K-12 educators leave their teaching careers, it is unclear why they decide to depart from teaching. Retention is an ongoing problem, particularly with special education inclusion teachers (SEITs). A qualitative narrative analysis was conducted with four SEITs to determine why they departed from their profession. Each participant was…

Job demands and poor working conditions of special education teachers are one of the main reasons for teacher attrition, one of the most pressing issues in special education today. This study explored the job characteristics and working conditions specific to special education teachers of students with extensive support needs. Sixty-six special…

Curriculum from a rural central-Midwestern high school special education transition program was analyzed and compared to the college policies and expectations of a private college in the rural central Midwest. Data from student files of college students with disabilities were compared to high school special education transitional curriculum and…