The state of Texas has been cited through the U.S. Department of Education under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) as failing to identify students under the Child Find component of the law using Response to Intervention/Multi-Tiered System of Support (RtI/MTSS). The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to identify…

This qualitative study was designed to gain insight on Jewish leaders' conceptualizations and access to IDEA funding for their parentally placed private school children when Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE) is not at issue. Additionally, this study explored the various ways Jewish leaders aid and advocate for these students. The current…

The successful transition into adulthood of students with disabilities should be a priority for parents, students, educators, and leaders in special education. The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) amendments of 1990 first mandated transition services for individuals with disabilities. Subsequent amendments to the IDEA in 1997 and…

Purpose: This paper aims to share responses from current literature, a small case study about perceptions and practices of the school of education faculty toward multicultural and educational issues concerning the rapid rise in online environments during coronavirus (COVID-19) experiences and just-in-time strategies for addressing digital equity…

This qualitative case study was designed to learn more about how the practices of instructional leaders support and monitor the implementation of Individual Education Plans (I.E.P.s) and influence teaching in inclusive classroom settings. It was designed to explore a sample of general educators' and administrators' perceptions about the challenges…

Federal funds are one resource that state leaders can use to establish and/or supplement programming designed to diversify the teacher workforce. Though several federal funding streams can be used for this purpose, state and district leaders have a great opportunity to leverage COVID-relief funds to expand their diversity efforts. The primary…

Rural school leaders encounter an array of complex issues that require legal counsel. Student discipline, contract disputes, employee conduct, special education, and a host of other topics require school boards and superintendents to utilize school attorneys. This descriptive phenomenological study explored the daily experiences of ten school…

Legislation such as the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, IDEA(2004), and No Child Left Behind, NCLB (2001) reference that paraprofessionals should be trained and supervised by a certificated teacher. Yet, many special education teachers feel that they are poorly prepared to manage the staff in their classroom. Inadequate teacher…

Situated in the context of U.S. educational outcomes, education policy in California, and UNESCO's definition of inclusive education, we examine how schools have addressed student diversity. Methods of identifying students with disabilities are not adequately designed to identify English learners with disabilities. In part to address that problem,…

This guide is designed to provide important resources and recommendations to support teacher implementation of digital learning. Digital learning is defined as "any instructional practice that effectively uses technology to strengthen a student's learning experience and encompasses a wide spectrum of tools and practices." This guide will…

Funding the important work of teachers can be supported through a variety of federal programs, private foundations, and state legislative appropriations. This guide identifies potential funding that can be leveraged by state education agencies (SEAs), local education agencies (LEAs), and educator preparation providers to address teacher…

Concerns about the new coronavirus, with the consequent school closures and with significant economic fallout, are having profound effects on the public education landscape, from how educators deliver instruction to the amount of revenue available for operating schools. Produced by WestEd as part of a collection of Crisis Response Resources, this…

Concerns about the new coronavirus are having profound effects on the public education landscape, from how educators deliver instruction to the amount of revenue available for operating schools. The full fiscal effect of school closures and of the country's broader economic downturn is not yet known, but predictions are distressing. More than…

The Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), as amended by the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), signed into law on December 10, 2015, requires that state education agencies (SEAs) establish standardized, statewide entrance and exit procedures for their English learners (ELs), including ELs with disabilities. For certain ELs with…

Despite legal protections within the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and school requirements in place to provide educational access to students with disabilities, once they graduate from high school these students enroll and persist in college at lower rates compared to peers without disabilities. In addition, graduates of rural…