The purpose of the current investigation is to analyze existing research examining the impact of play therapy on the development of language skills in young children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). As rates of ASD diagnoses continue to increase, families and educators are faced with making critical decisions regarding the selection and…

Zero tolerance policies in urban schools increased the disparities in urban school discipline for Black youth in comparison to white youth. Restorative interventions continue to be a popular response to deviant student behaviors; however, exploring the impact of restorative interventions in reducing harsh discipline on Black youth should be a…

An important part of STEM education is students' acquisition of knowledge, skills, and abilities needed for career success, all of which emerge from a combination of classroom and co-curricular activities. Work-related experiential activities (WREAs) offer the opportunity for students to engage in experiential activities before degree completion,…

In this study, we examined the long-term effects of ASSISTments, an educational technology platform that enables formative assessment. The intervention was implemented in schools in one U.S. state for 12-13-year-old students (7th grade). Students' math achievement was measured at the end of the following school year (8th grade, ages 13-14 years),…

Research increasingly seeks to answer the question: does special education work? This is different than asking if specific interventions have positive effects and instead aims to identify system-wide impacts. We systematically review published quantitative research on the impact of receiving special education services on student outcomes using…

Background: Belongingness is an important predictor of academic and psychological outcomes in college students. Team-based learning (TBL) includes a number of explicit structures that should increase students' perceived belongingness (compared to other teaching approaches), including permanent team membership, and activities that encourage team…

Although higher education is becoming increasingly diverse, the widespread adoption of Universal Design for Learning (UDL) remains limited. UDL provides a curricular framework designed to reduce barriers, account for learner's intersectional identities, and address variability. Using quantitative and qualitative measures, this research showcases…

Publicly funded prekindergarten (pre-K) has received substantial investments in recent decades. A robust literature base has shown that pre-K, in general, tends to be associated with shorter-term rather than longer-term impacts. Yet, these findings are not definitive across varying state contexts and student demographic groups. The current study…

Objective: Mood Lifters, a biopsychosocial mental wellness program, has been shown to improve mental health in adults and senior citizens. This study examines the efficacy of the adaptation of the original program, hypothesizing that the Mood Lifters -- Athlete version would improve collegiate athletes' anxiety and depression. Participants:…

Historically, agricultural colleges have primarily attracted students with prior experience in agriculture. However, there is a growing trend of students enrolling without such backgrounds. Recent research emphasizes the need for agricultural colleges to adopt innovative strategies that address the evolving needs of their student body, fostering…

In response to the need for greater racial and ethnic diversity, the Office of Academic Affairs (OAA) at Indiana University Indianapolis introduced a mandatory equity and inclusion-centered training program for faculty search committees in August 2023. This training addresses key challenges in achieving faculty diversity, including biases, narrow…

The extent to which reading achievement is causally impacted by eligibility for special education services due to a learning disability (LD) or speech or language impairment (SLI) is currently unclear. In this registered report, we analyzed U.S. national data from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study--Kindergarten Cohort of 2010-2011 (ECLS-K:…

Do Washington state's targeted, public preschool programs help socially vulnerable students succeed in elementary school? In this study, we explore this question by examining the state's Early Childhood Education and Assistance Program (ECEAP) and the Early Support for Infants and Toddlers (ESIT) program. Using statewide censuses of…

Students with disabilities (SWD) continue to experience poorer postschool employment outcomes compared to their nondisabled peers, particularly those from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds. Career and Technical Education (CTE) has been associated with improved academic and employment outcomes for SWD, yet research on their…

Expulsion is unfortunately common in early childhood settings and has a negative impact on both children and caregivers. In this qualitative U.S. study, we conducted semi-structured interviews to learn about caregivers' experiences with early childhood expulsion. We analyzed the data using a trauma-informed lens to examine how the experience of…