Data-based decision-making (DBDM) using curriculum-based measurement (CBM) data has demonstrated effectiveness in improving academic achievement for students with or at risk for learning disability. Despite substantial evidence supporting DBDM, its use is not common practice for many educators, even those who regularly collect CBM data. One…

The purpose of this study was to discover the potential relationships between principals' special-education training and experiences and the academic growth of students with disabilities (SWDs). The study also investigated the differences between the academic growth of SWDs at schools where principals have completed a degree, minor, and/or…

Academically talented students with autism, also known as twice-exceptional students with autism (2eASD), are increasingly identified in school. These students present challenges to educators who attempt to plan and implement successful instructional opportunities, as teachers' knowledge and use of evidence-based practices (EBPs) for students…

The use of data-based decision making is critical in any classroom, but especially in special education settings. "The Teacher's Guide to Action Research for Special Education in PK-12 Classrooms" describes the basic concepts of action research and how this process can support student success in the classroom and beyond. This practical,…

Author Cara Shores provides a three-tiered instructional framework that helps educators establish integral baselines of performance for students, offering strategies for assessment, intervention, and remediation to ensure student growth. This book guides educators with step-by-step tools and methods for differentiated instruction and lesson…

To understand the process by which evidence-based practices (EBPs) move from identification as effective through research establishing empirically validated effects, to being routinely adopted to bring about meaningful impact, we examined the selection/adaptation process within a well-established consultation model, COMPASS, applying two…

Students with emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD) may benefit from specific instruction on ways to prepare for and participate in their own Individualized Education Program (IEP) meetings. In this article, we describe the application of a research-based self-directed IEP process that can be used by educators to effectively foster…

The Special Education Process (SEP) demands the collaboration of various professionals and personalities to create the Individualised Education Plan (IEP), beginning with the evaluation conducted by clinical psychologists, psychiatrists and in this study, developmental paediatricians. Assessments acts as a keystone document, serving as basis for…

This dissertation comprises three complementary studies that aim to advance the understanding and practice of Individualized Education Programs (IEP) and Present Levels of Academic Achievement and Functional Performance (PLAAFP) development in special education. In the first study, we systematically reviewed empirical research measuring IEP…

In this randomized multiple baseline across participants single-case design study, pre-service special education teachers received a modified Talk Aloud Problem Solving (TAPS) intervention to improve their use of problem-solving verbal behavior and reasoning skills when making instructional decisions. Special education teacher candidates may have…

All students go through a variety of transitions throughout their life (i.e., middle school to high school, high school to the workforce). However, students with disabilities tend to experience disparities compared to their peers without disabilities in regard to in-school and postschool outcomes. One way to enhance outcomes for students with…

Purpose: This tutorial contrasts a familiar and frequently used speech sound disorder (SSD) intervention approach, conventional minimal pair, with newer but less familiar and less frequently used variants that may be more effective: (a) maximal opposition and (b) multiple oppositions. Method: This tutorial provides a general description of each…

Youth in the U.S. face a mental health crisis--one that has steadily worsened over the past 10 years (Centers for Disease Control, 2023). Youth with disabilities may experience increased mental health risk compared to their peers without disabilities. Recent national surveys and systematic reviews reveal that mental health risk may be elevated for…

Since the transition mandates were introduced, multiple models, instructional programs, and published curricula to promote student involvement have been developed and evaluated that are evidence- and research-based practices. The federally funded "National Technical Assistance Center on Transition: The Collaborative" (NTACT:C) has…

U.S. federal special education policies require state departments of education to collect data to measure progress in attaining state performance plan goals, with Indicators 13 and 14 measuring the Individualized Education Program (IEP) transition process and post-high school student outcomes. Research suggests that higher transition indicator…