Multicultural powers of “fluffy” words and actions in general and special education

The search for “quality” has been the driving force behind general and special education programs; and rightly so! This search has led to incessant demands for scientifically proven and evidence-based methods, both in research and practice. However, this search has frequently ignored “fluffy” words and actions that make up the gum that glues together good friendships, marriages, relationships, classrooms, organizations, institutions, and communities. The reality is that this Utopian demand for quality has downplayed or eliminated “hearty” and caring sensibilities in general and special education programming. This systematically creates psychological, socio-emotional, and educational problems for culturally and linguistically diverse (CLD) and vulnerable learners who have been traditionally disenfranchised, disadvantaged, and disillusioned. The critical question is, What can be done to incorporate and value “fluffy” words and actions in general and special education in this puritanical search for quality? This is the focus of this article.

The Effect of School Funding on Opportunity Gaps for Students With Disabilities: Policy and Context in a Diverse Urban District

School finance reform has recently centered on providing schools with more equitable access to resources to reduce opportunity gaps for students. Although special education is often a prominent part of larger equity conversations, special education funding is commonly excluded from school funding reform initiatives. Given the costly nature of special education programs, it is imperative that scholars and policy makers understand the effects of funding changes on outcomes for these students. In this study, we examined the effect of California’s Local Control Funding Formula, in addition to school context and student compositional characteristics, to identify changes in special education students’ achievement rates. Using a combination of publicly available data sources and local district data, we assessed differences in academic outcomes (i.e., achievement scores) between elementary students with and without disabilities in both high- and low-poverty schools, given increases in spending for special education programs.

Principals’ Depth of Perception of Knowledge on Special Education Programs: How Much Do They Really Know?

In this study, research centered on the degree to which principals felt knowledgeable about basic generic leadership as well as special education functions. Current principals were selected from the 2018 state DOE databases from five states—Georgia, New York, Michigan, Vermont, and Oregon representing a wide demographic base. Ten (10) functions were generic leadership functions such as budget preparation or evaluating teachers while ten (10) others were related to special education such as authorship of Individual Education Plan (IEP’s) or Response to Intervention (RTI) strategies. Data suggest that a moderate difference exists with higher ratings attributed to generic leadership functions.

Teachers’ awareness of differentiated learning dimensions for students with special educational needs in Kuwait: مدى وعي معلمي برامج التربية الخاصة في دولة الكويت بمبدأ وأبعاد تفريد التعليم للطلبة من ذوي الاحتياجات الخاصة

The current study aims to identify the awareness of teachers of special education programs in the state of Kuwait of differentiated learning or what is known as “pedagogical difference” based on four components. The four components are the foundation of individual differences, planning and preparation, instructional strategies, and learning environment. A questionnaire was developed and distributed in 18 schools that provide special education programs (9 male schools and 9 female schools) in which 158 respondents completed the questionnaire. The study concluded the following results: The teachers have a high level of awareness of differentiated learning and its components. The dimension of learning environment was the highest mean (M =4.39), followed by the dimension of learning strategies (M= 4.37) then the dimension of individual differences (M= 4.22) and the dimension of planning and preparation (M =4.03). Also, statistical differences were emerged according to some demographic variables such as years of experience, academic qualifications, taught course, type of disability. No statistical differences were found based on gender and school level. These findings are discussed according to the previous empirical works and literature review followed by some implications and suggestions.

A Follow-Up Study on Recidivism among Adjudicated Juveniles with Special Education in the Juvenile Correctional Facility

This study examines recidivism among adjudicated juveniles in special education programs in the juvenile correctional facility during the period of 2009–2015. There were two aims of this research: to conduct exploratory analyses of recidivism and to examine whether level of education relates to recidivism among this segment of juvenile offenders. Results revealed that 37.6 % of adjudicated juveniles with special education recidivated and that 52 % of those who recidivated were recommitted within 12 months of being released. Results from logistic regression also show that education failed to significantly predict recidivism once other factors were controlled for in multivariate analyses.

Modern Problems of Studying Art in an Inclusive Environment

The article focuses on the problems of studying art in the context of inclusion, describes the Russian and foreign experience of education in an inclusive environment. In order to address the issues, it is suggested to expand the content of the existing special education programs, introduce elective courses and extracurriculars, as well as create variatiable intergrative learning models for teachers, which suggest the use of art technologies that effectively include children with special needs into the general educational process.

Services for young children with disabilities in China’s rural area: a case study

Purpose Recently with increased legislative support and evidence-based studies on the importance of education for children with disabilities in China, special education programs and intervention and rehabilitation services have received more and more attention. There are limited studies on special education programs for children with disabilities located in China’s rural areas. This paper aims to select one special education program in China’s northeast rural area with a special focus on its curriculum design, accommodative services and teacher qualifications. Recommendations were provided on how to modify the curriculum to meet each child’s special needs, increase social interaction among children, increase teacher qualifications and improve teacher family collaboration. Design/methodology/approach The participating program serves orphans and children with disabilities between 6 and 18 years old and provides them 9-year free education, along with free textbooks, uniforms, food and boarding. Currently, there are approximately 100 students and 40 teachers, one director and one nurse. The teacher/staff and student ratio is 1:3. Data were collected through classroom observation and interviews. Afterward, the interview data were transcribed. Data were analyzed following Braun and Clarke’s (2006) six-step approach. The researcher reviewed the collected data, then coded the data and reviewed, refined and revised the codes, and finally themes and sub-themes were identified with quotations that support each theme/sub-theme. Findings The identified themes are accommodations, education plan and curriculum and teacher qualifications. Accommodations include, but are not limited to, visual and hearing aids. National unity textbooks were adopted, along with national syllabus objectives, as a guideline for instruction and evaluation of child progress. Teachers also adjust curriculum-based students’ individual needs. All teachers hold an associate degree in special education, and those who teach specials hold a higher degree in the specialty area. Given that there is no speech language pathologist, physical therapist, or occupational therapist, teachers with rich working experiences in the related field serve as special professionals. Research limitations/implications The current research reports the program design, accommodations for children with disabilities, curriculum and syllabus, parent/guardian role and teacher qualifications in the selected school. Given that the current study focuses on only one school located in the rural area of China’s northeast, it may represent special education programs in rural China, but it is hard to be generalized to provide a big picture of China’s special education programs in more developed, metropolitan areas. Practical implications The selected school offers accommodative services to students with disabilities; adjusts its curriculum to make it developmentally appropriate; and offers educational, medical and rehabilitation services to promote student development to the maximum. The selected school should improve teacher quality, increase social interaction between children with and without disabilities, modify the curriculum to cater to individuals with different severities of disabilities and increase family professional collaboration. Originality/value There is limited study on special education programs for young children with disabilities in China’s rural area. The current study fills this gap and studies a special education school that offers services to children as young as six years old located in a small town in the northeast of China. The special focus of the study includes program curriculum, accommodations, rehabilitation and intervention services and teacher qualifications in this program.