Communicative competence for people who use augmentative and alternative communication consists of four interrelated domains: linguistic, strategic, social, and operational. Ongoing assessment and progress monitoring within these domains are crucial to (a) providing information to teach targeted skills in a manner contextualized within the…

The Minnesota Department of Education (MDE) ensures educational equity for multilingual learners through supporting school districts and charter schools to develop, implement and evaluate research-based language instruction educational programs (LIEPs) so that multilingual learners, including students with English learner (EL) status, attain…

Two prominent factors that have been linked to students' mathematics achievement are teachers' instructional practices and students' self-efficacy. However, these factors are typically considered in isolation, negating the relationship between the two. This study examined the effect of two instructional practices, direct instruction and inquiry…

The purpose of this essay is to identify and interrogate listening practices, which can restrict and facilitate educators' capacity to authentically care for neurodiverse students and their families. We reconceptualize listening as integral to consciousness formation by unveiling our own listening experiences as parents and collaborative…

Although postsecondary STEM outcomes for students with disabilities are poorly understood, literature exploring this problem is quite sparse. We examined the career aspirations of high school students by modeling the likelihood of students with individualized education programs (IEPs) aspiring to STEM careers. Results demonstrated no differences…

Through effective communication and proper accommodations, adolescents with chronic illnesses can have their physical, cognitive, social, and emotional needs met at school.

This research was carried out to identify teachers' professional competence development about inclusive practice and their advice for prospective teachers about this practice. Parallel Mixed-Methods Design was used in this study. In the quantitative research part of this study, 'The Development of the Professional Competencies Scale' about…

For many decades, traditional public schools were the dominant public schools available for educating students, including those with disabilities. However, in the current climate of school choice, parents can now choose from a variety of educational options for their children. This study sought to explore the reasons parents of students with…

In the school to work transition process, school personnel collaborate with community employment and vocational rehabilitation to establish an employment plan for Individual(s) with Disabilities (IWDs). Development of the Individualized Education Transition Plan (IETP) is often haphazard and not evaluated for effectiveness, resulting in poor…

This study investigated the Assembly Bill 114 assertion that School Psychology is considered the appropriate discipline to provide mental health services to the special education student population. The current study sought to examine School Psychologist's perceived level of mental health training they received while in their school psychology…

In the need to improve high stakes standardized test scores for all students, many schools began to implement research-based instructional techniques, such as Marzano's Instructional Elements and Strategies. This student will investigate the implementation of Marzano's Instructional Elements on the Star Reading Assessment Scores of students at a…

This action research is about empowering teachers to communicate positively in discourses with parents at Individual Education Plan (IEP) meetings. It builds on the premise that giving teachers communications tools will increase their motivation to communicate more effectively and to be aware of their dialogue behavior. Taking a case study…

Background: Over the past four decades, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) has expanded access to public education for millions of students with disabilities, who now make up nearly 15% of the public-school population (National Center for Education Statistics, 2024). The IDEA's primary goal is to boost educational and…

Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) are crucial for the educational planning and service provision for students with disabilities (SWDs) in special education. Within the IEP, the Present Level of Academic Achievement and Functional Performance (PLAAFP) statement forms the basis for developing goals and interventions. Despite its importance,…

When a student exhibits challenging classroom behaviors that are resistant to traditional classroom management systems, his/her individualized education program (IEP) team conducts a functional behavior assessment (FBA). The FBA process is a series of assessments designed to identify the function of the student's behavior. This is done by…