This study addressed the experiences of primary school teachers in Türkiye regarding inclusion/integration and Individualized Education Programs (IEP). The study also addressed how mainstreaming/integration and IEPs might impact students without special needs and their parents. This qualitative study adopted a phenomenological research design. The…

The purpose of this qualitative descriptive study was to explore how public-school IEP team members describe decision-making influences and thresholds in least restrictive environment (LRE) placement for K-5 students with significant support needs in the Midwest. Decision-Making Ecology served as a framework for two research questions which…

Social policies can be well-intentioned but ineffective in achieving what is intended. They can be undermined or destroyed by their exaggerated or oversimplified caricatures with a single, narrow focus. Caricatures may result in the opposite of the original intent of more carefully crafted variants. Institutionalization and deinstitutionalization…

With this position paper, we advance the case for reformation of U.S. special education law and praxis. These have undergone mostly incremental changes over the five decades since their inception despite a substantial body of evidence amassed over this period, which points to a major gap between extant policy and praxis, and contemporary cultural…

Although the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) intends parents to be equal members of the team that makes their child's Individual Education Plan (IEP), parents face barriers to participation, particularly exclusionary procedures, school structures, professional behaviors, and racial and cultural biases. Little wonder that some…

This study aimed to identify variables that may influence English Language Learner reintegration/exit rates from special education. It examined the variables of parental participation, English Language Learner status, and socioeconomic status. A correlational research design using secondary data analysis of an existing data set was conducted. A…

Creating an inclusive and welcoming environment for all students with disabilities within school-based agricultural education (SBAE) is important to ensure students receive opportunities. This study explored the experiences that SBAE teachers associated with providing special education and related services for students with disabilities in all…

The purpose of this guidebook is to guide the provision of Speech and Language Pathology services in order to support the educational goals of eligible students with disabilities in the District of Columbia Public Schools (DCPS). It is designed with the purpose of assuring that all Speech-Language Pathologists (SLPs) in the District of Columbia…

The goal of this article is to assist individualized education program (IEP) team personnel to not make errors in the placement of students. To do so the authors: (1) describe what a placement decision is and who makes the decision; (2) review the placement requirements of the Individuals With Disabilities Education Act (IDEA, 2006); (3) examine…

The decades-long assault on principles of special education--some knowingly, such as the regular education initiative, and some unknowingly, such as certain presumptions and practices of full inclusion--have consequences that may negatively affect the future of the field. Protracted criticisms on the character, role, and legitimacy of traditional…

Research has begun to identify the breadth and complexity of contextual variables that impact the opportunities, services, and supports students with complex support needs receive across different classroom placements. Indeed, as research has suggested, placement in and of itself may determine the schooling experiences of these students in ways…

The purpose of this paper is to trace the historical trajectory of special education and how societal perspectives influenced the special education movement. It aims to answer if special education and inclusion have achieved their goals for all individuals, especially those with disabilities. A review of historical trends, special education laws,…

To better support districts and preschool program providers, the Ohio Department of Education's Office of Early Learning and School Readiness is providing answers to the following frequently asked questions pertaining to Ohio Administrative Code 3301-51-11. This document is divided into sections aligning with each section of the rule. This…

Teachers and parents often find special education law complex and confusing. As one step for a basic foundation in special education law, a previous "TEACHING Exceptional Children" article (Zirkel, 2005) provided a snapshot of the "top five case concepts" based on 10 decisions from the Supreme Court. Each of these decisions…

The model of special education known as inclusion, or mainstreaming, has become more prevalent over the past 10 years, and today, more than 60 percent of all students with disabilities (SWDs) spend 80 percent or more of their school day in regular classrooms, alongside their non-disabled peers. This is not the full inclusion favored by some…