This mixed methods study addresses special education teachers' (SETs) knowledge and beliefs about specially designed instruction for reading, individualized education program (IEP) development, and aspects of future professional development opportunities that are supportive on these topics. Special education teachers are the primary authors of the…

This study examines parental perceptions of their participation in the special education process at a high school in southern Illinois. Eleven parents were interviewed based on either self-reported low socioeconomic status or non-participation in a formal IEP meeting during the previous year. Regarding the quality and the quantity of their…

The purpose of this study was to test whether co-teaching had an impact on special education students achievement in the areas of reading comprehension and fluency. The study was conducted in a south-west suburban Chicago elementary school, and data from special education students at the school were discrepant from their nondisabled peers. This…

This study examined elementary school principals' beliefs and practices regarding the types of resources that facilitate collaboration between general and special education staff working on prereferral intervention/Response to Intervention (RtI) teams and serving students with Individualized Education Programs (IEPs). In June 2009, elementary…

This qualitative mixed methods study explored how Special Education Directors transformed and maintained a successful inclusion model throughout their district. The study identified leadership strategies and inclusive behaviors utilized by Special Education Directors who have successfully transformed their district into inclusive school districts.…

This study used a qualitative phenomenological approach within a constructivist paradigm to examine spelling and spelling motivation of four suburban Illinois high school students: two male seniors with LD, one male freshman with ADHD, and one female freshman with LD. The purposes of the study were to determine why students with writing goals and…

This study compared mathematics achievement in Illinois elementary schools using the "Everyday Math" and "Saxon Math" curricula. The Illinois Standards Achievement Test (ISAT) was used as the measure of student achievement. Multiple correlation analyses showed that the type of curriculum used was a significant predictor of…