This study investigated the extent to which preschool teachers have been prepared to recognize students with potential learning needs. The ability of these teachers to recognize students with learning needs and provide appropriate support or referrals is critical for the success of the students. Through this research, several insights have emerged…

Disproportionality in special education is a complex issue adversely impacting African-American students. African-American students experience disproportionality in referral to special education and identification with a disability, removing them from the general education setting and resulting in denial of access and socialization with their…

The identification of autism spectrum disorders (ASD) occurs in educational and health settings. Many children with autism will only receive a classification of autism in the educational setting (Esler et al., 2022, Pettygrove et al., 2013, Wiggins et al., 2020). There is significant overlap between the early intervention offered to children with…

The purpose of this multiple case study is to explore the perceived ability of early elementary teachers in three rural school districts in the Eastern Upper Peninsula of Michigan to identify children who have experienced trauma and to pinpoint and implement impactful interventions that support these identified students. The number of children who…

According to the federal government, intellectually gifted students should be provided the opportunity to experience a challenging curriculum. School districts have the responsibility of identifying talented students and providing them with learning experiences at or above their grade level as well as implementing professional development…

This study explored the racialized experiences of Black Resident Assistants (RAs) at predominately White institutions (PWIs) in the central region of the United States. The research questions inquired what motivated Black RAs to pursue the RA role, how they navigated racialized experiences in their role, and how they sought support. Racialized…

Throughout the centuries of Western colonization of the United States, there has been the repeated denial of educational access for Native students, including Native students in colonized island nations in the Central Pacific. Native Hawaiian students have historically faced barriers in college success (i.e., campuses not prepared for the…

The underrepresentation of Black women in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) is a long-standing issue. According to the National Science Foundation (2019), Black women hold less than 10% of STEM degrees, while only 2% work in STEM fields. These disparities can be attributed to structural inequities related to the STEM…

Researchers have found that teachers do not always understand how to educate students with dyslexia. The research problem addressed in this study was this gap in knowledge leading to a gap in practice regarding teaching students with dyslexia. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to examine how and if third-grade general education…

Teachers are increasingly sought after to support students that are experiencing mental health concerns. Some of the most common mental health concerns include, but are not limited to, depression, anxiety, and behavioral problems (Centers for Disease and Control Prevention [CDC], 2020a). In the United States, these mental health diagnoses have…

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to examine the implications of the low numbers of identified gifted young, historically underrepresented students. The research questions that guided this study were: what are educators' experiences of the gifted identification process of young, historically underrepresented students? What are…

The purpose of this dissertation was to further support female students success in mathematics as it related to the classroom and beyond. The study documented girls' experiences and feelings about math learning and contextualized their responses by comparing them to those of their male classmates. This study provided insights to what educators can…

An educational debt exists for Black and Latinx students with and without IEPs. This debt extends to underrepresentation in curricula and overrepresentation in special education. Identity representation in English Language Arts curricula offers promise to counter this existing educational debt as well as overrepresentation. This qualitative study…

This basic qualitative study identified and described the types of explicit instruction talented and gifted (TAG) teachers used with struggling students and potential twice-exceptional (2e) students. The study also examined how teachers identify struggling students and potential 2e students. This study was essential to the field of education…

This study is a constructivist, narrative case study exploring the experiences of Catholic college students at a secular university. Eight student narratives are explored through the lens of intersectionality theory, in the context of classroom experiences. This study reviews the history of religion in higher education, Christian privilege,…