All children in the United States have a right to effective education. While an optimal learning environment is important for all students, children with disabilities are particularly vulnerable to barriers to accessing high-quality learning environments. Many parents of children receiving special education services want to be strong advocates for…

While systems of support are used in schools to assist students' academic growth, parents are not always informed of the support process or the academic goals set for their child (RTI Action Network, n.d.; Troisi, 2014; Weingarten et al., 2020). In the aftermath of the pandemic, students present a wide variety of academic needs (Lewis et al.,…

Although special education advocates have played an essential role in obtaining rights for individuals with disabilities, there is still much unknown about their motivations, challenges, roles, and the meaning they made from their experiences. Research into Saudi parent advocates of children with disabilities and their complex daily life issues…

The qualitative research study was guided by the following research questions: What factors impede how parental advocacy works in collaboration with the IEP team, and what motivates parents to be involved and/or engaged with their child? The qualitative study examined the everyday experiences of parents and school personnel as they collaborate to…

Race-based over-representation in special education, or disproportionality, is a pervasive equity issue correlated with poorer educational outcomes. While racial disproportionality is described widely in literature as a persistent and significant problem, few studies suggest ways to positively disrupt this pattern. This study aimed to test whether…

Early intervention is the area of practice specific to children aged 0-3 years old and is often made up of a team of professionals working towards similar goals for a child alongside the family. Many of these settings use a multidisciplinary approach. This study aims to create a transdisciplinary model for early intervention professionals to…

This study aimed to shed light on the attributes of parents who advocate fiercely for inclusion and how these attributes impact education placement. Questions guiding this study were: What are the distinctive attributes of parents of children with multiple support needs that equip them to advocate for inclusive education settings? How do parents…

The primary focus in this study was to capture the experiences of parents who have participated in the IEP process. Specifically, the research expounded on how parental experiences during the IEP process impacted or informed education plans for their children and informed education leaders seeking to improve the IEP process experience. This study…

"The opportunity is there, this is what I think of when I think of role models, I think of my experience" (Anthony -- a participant in this study -- commenting on the effectiveness of advocating for his child). Black children encounter racism in American schools and parents need to advocate for them. The purpose of this qualitative study…

Students with special learning needs (SSLN) have many issues when attempting to access quality education that would prepare them for post-secondary pursuits. Upon investigation, two themes stand out (1) persistent devaluing of the potential of the SSLN, and (2) the absence of the caregiver's voice in their son or daughter's educational plan. To…

It is widely accepted that the involvement of parents in their children's education leads to various academic, social, and mental health benefits. Further, parent involvement has been identified as a critical component to ensuring robust and rewarding experiences for students with disabilities throughout their educational journeys and essential in…

This qualitative study explored the lived experiences of teachers currently serving in Title I schools in South Georgia and how the challenges from these experiences influenced them to remain in the role for five or more years. The purpose of the study was to capture the voices of ten veteran middle school teachers currently serving at schools…

Educational engagement and advocacy of parents is a central priority for increasing the academic performance of African American male students at risk of academic underachievement. This research explored six types of parental involvement in education to evaluate which ways of engagement have the best relationships with African American male…

This record of study applies a qualitative research design to explain the phenomenon of parent advocacy in school systems for parents whose children suffer from a specific illness known as chronic recurrent multifocal osteomyelitis. This study seeks to explain frustrations experienced by parents during their work as the key communicators between…

The problem that was addressed in this qualitative study is a lack of understanding of the requirements for an online e-learning module on effective parent advocacy for 2e students who are identified as ADHD and gifted. The purpose of this qualitative Delphi study was to determine perceptions of what should be included in the online asynchronous…