Early childhood inclusion classrooms are becoming more prominent, but Head Start teachers need more job training to prepare them for the diversity of students in their classrooms. The purpose of this qualitative research study was to investigate research questions about the challenges faced by Head Start inclusion teachers, the strategies they use…

Student-teacher relationship quality (STRQ) influences a variety of student outcomes, including academic, social, and behavioral functioning (McGrath & Van Bergen, 2015). Less is known about the importance of STRQ for preschool students with disabilities. Many studies are conducted with school-aged, typically developing students (Ansari et…

Using two paired datasets from the Head Start Program Information Report and Migrant and Seasonal Head Start (MSHS) Study, this study explored disparities in program rates of screening, referral, and identification for early intervention between MSHS and Head Start programs, as well as associations between MSHS teacher ratings of children's…

The purpose of this study was to understand the perceptions and experiences of Navajo Head Start (NHS) teachers who are serving children with disabilities (CWD). This study used open-ended interviews to collect data from NHS teachers on their experiences, perceptions, and educational strategies. Twelve participants were interviewed via Zoom during…

The Latinx population is increasing in the United States and within Higher Education. Despite this increase, there remains a lower completion rate of Latinx students completing a higher education degree. Higher education institutions have worked hard to achieve upward mobility and try to close the achievement gap by providing students with…

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act mandates that all school districts provide a free appropriate public education to students with Individualized Education Plans in their least restrictive environment. Co-teaching in inclusion classrooms is a collaborative effort, with a general education teacher and a special education teacher, to…

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of IXL Math online software in raising student achievement on the New York State Math exam, with special focus on effects by student gender, ethnicity and disability status. The study includes an analysis of the relationship between scale scores and time spent using the IXL system, number…

The TRiO Program is not an acronym; it refers to a number (initially three, now eight) of U.S federal programs, which increase access to higher education for economically disadvantaged students. TRiO programs are designed to assist first-generation college students, persons with disabilities, and low-income persons. This qualitative research study…

Extensive bodies of literature examining child language acquisition and early literacy development indicate that the language and literacy opportunities young children have at home and in school settings, including the nature of their language interactions with adults and their exposure to books and stories, are consequential for mastery of…

Performance measurement has emerged as a management tool that, accompanied by advances in technology and data analysis, has allowed public officials to control public policy at multiple levels of government. In the United States, the federal government has used performance measurement as part of an accountability strategy that enables Congress and…

Since the adoption of CCSS by 43 states, there has been growing concern regarding teacher training and preparation of state standards for students with disabilities. Through a better understanding of the kinds of support and training needed for teachers to apply the CCSS, the educational system may offer students with disabilities the experience…

Infants and toddlers who live in poverty are more likely to experience developmental delays or disabilities and less likely to access early intervention (EI) services. The federal initiative Race to the Top--Early Learning Challenge (RTT-ELC) was designed to increase access to high quality early learning programs for children at risk for…

Despite the prevalence of student learning objectives (SLOs) in teacher evaluation systems throughout the United States, research on the validity of student and teacher SLO scores used for high-stakes decisions is lacking. For this reason, this dissertation is comprised of two chapters that examine student and teacher-level SLO performance data…

Student academic achievement results in mathematics from one middle Tennessee school district were evaluated to determine if a difference existed between growth experienced and proficiency level achieved on unit assessments and the TCAP Achieve. In addition, TCAP Achieve mathematics value added scores of middle school students with disabilities…

The purpose of this phenomenological study is to describe the experiences of general education elementary school inclusion co-teachers in schools that are successful with their special education population as defined by Adequate Yearly Progress and most recently, the College and Career Ready Performance Index. The participants were employed in a…