Reviews of research in special education have a unique place in the scientific literature, with the potential to inform a broad audience about the effectiveness and acceptability of assessment and intervention strategies for a heterogeneous group of children and youth. Results from reviews are useful to school leaders, practitioners, parents,…

New technology devices such as iPads and iPods have become very popular and widely used in special education settings to teach students with disabilities. The 20 selected single-case design studies published by November 2015 were comprehensively reviewed to examine the effects of using iPads and iPods on academic performance and engagement of…

Although parent involvement is required by special education law and is important for all students, the literature synthesizing studies on parent involvement has focused on the general education parent population, often without addressing students with disabilities. The purpose of this review was to descriptively synthesize the literature on…

Some researchers have characterized Universal Design for Learning (UDL) as a promising framework to provide diverse students with access to the general education curriculum, but to what extent and how have UDL-based interventions fulfilled that promise? The purpose of this review was to analyze studies that investigated impacts of UDL-based…

The purpose of this review was to examine the methods used to conduct meta-analyses of single-subject research involving students with and at-risk for disabilities. Specifically, the procedures used for preparing, aggregating, analyzing, and evaluating single-subject data across 68 primary syntheses were examined. In addition to these…

Although transition outcomes for youth with disabilities have shown some improvement and transition support practices have been identified, many young people continue to face transition barriers that preclude their full participation in key adult life activities. While research efforts have largely been professionally driven, there is emerging…

Describes, demonstrates, and promotes the use of log-linear analysis in research that investigates categorical variables associated with the study of career development and transition for individuals with disabilities. Formulas used by chi-square and log-linear analyses are presented, and log-linear analysis is demonstrated using data from a…

Reflects on a previous article in this issue that demonstrated the use of log-linear analysis in research investigating categorical variables associated with the study of career development and transition for individuals with disabilities. Initial exposure to and motivation for pursuing the study and use of multivariate categorical data analysis…

Guidelines for the implementation of qualitative methods in special education research are offered, addressing rigor, sample selection, data collection, and data management/analysis. Five possible pitfalls are identified, including the quantitative-qualitative methods debate, premature data collection, the tendency to use a linear procedural…

The authors of EC 610 840 reflect on their use of data from the federally developed National Education Longitudinal Study for their research. They identify specific weaknesses of their study stemming from use of this database (such as lack of severity data) as well as strengths (use of a national sample). Researchers are urged to utilize such…

The authors of EC 610 841 comment on problems encountered in their research, such as difficulties in analyzing interview data, and discuss their ongoing three-year study of personal and environmental influences affecting attrition of special education teachers. (DB)

The application of noncategorical special education in two states and categorical special education in two companion states was considered, with a focus on program practices and procedures. The effects of grade level, disability severity, and school district size on state and local implementation of the noncategorical approach were examined, and…

This commentary offers authors' reflections on their case-study approach to examining the application of categorical and noncategorical special education (EC 612 095). The reflections address why the authors decided to study this issue, how case study methodology assisted in the study, and implications of the study. (SW)

Comments on researchers' efforts to develop and refine a methodology to use in a study that investigated patterns in general education teachers' integration practices (EC 618 917). The need to combine qualitative and quantitative methods in more creative ways to investigate actual practice in special education is discussed. (CR)

This article broadly characterizes the complex forces that shape the special education research agenda in the United States. The influences caused by the momentum of normal science, changes in social values, public policy, imports from other disciplines, the power of advocacy groups, and changing methodologies are discussed. (Contains references.)…