It Takes a Well-Organized Village

Response to intervention (RTI) and multi-tiered system of support (MTSS) are educational initiatives designed to increase the success of all students in general education and reduce the number of students referred for special education services. RTI and MTSS have resulted in improved outcomes for students. Successful implementation of RTI and MTSS relies upon collaboration between teachers and other school personnel. Lack of collaboration and consistency between members of MTSS teams can compromise the fidelity of the interventions, which can lead to poor student outcomes. Secondary RTI and MTSS models are difficult to implement due to several factors, including student diversity, curriculum complexity, and high student-staff ratios. This chapter investigates recent research on the implementation of RTI and MTSS models in secondary schools and focuses on the interdisciplinary efforts required to implement these models with fidelity and with student success.

High Fidelity Co-Teaching Through Collaboration, Varied Co-Teaching Models, and Differentiated Teaching Strategies

Co-teaching is a service delivery option for students receiving special education services that is characterized by the presence of both a general education and special education teacher providing support in an inclusive classroom. A co-taught classroom can provide access to the general education curriculum to students with disabilities while they are simultaneously being supported by a special education teacher. The inclusion classroom, a classroom in which both students with and without disabilities are instructed, has been suited with the task of upholding the protections put in place by legislation for students with disabilities. A large number of students receiving special education services (64%, approximately 4,600,000) are placed in the general education, inclusion classroom 80-100% of the school day. This chapter will explore the implementation of excellent instructional practices in the inclusion classroom setting to improve outcomes for students with disabilities.

Lead Exposure in Children: What Special Educators Need to Know

Journalists have reported large-scale lead poisoning affecting children in cities such as Flint, Michigan. Unfortunately, children’s exposure to lead is not isolated and occurs throughout the country in both urban and rural settings. The effects of lead exposure can cause children to develop disabilities, potentially requiring special education services to address their academic and behavioral difficulties. In this paper, we detail three areas where special education has a major role in addressing the lead crisis: special education identification; intervention; and advocacy, awareness, and prevention. For each area, we provide concrete suggestions for special educators to implement in order to ensure children exposed to lead receive the special education services they need.

Helping Teachers Understand and Mitigate Trauma in Their Classrooms

Nine-year old Eliza is a student at Meadows Elementary School where she receives special education services for her diagnosis of Emotional Disturbance. Her teachers are working together to try to bring Eliza back into the classroom after weeks of time spent in the office with no contact with her peers. Mr. Jimenez and Ms. Landon are collaborating to incorporate trauma-informed practices into their classrooms in an attempt to address the absence of secure attachments and feelings of safety in Eliza’s life, as well as her inability to control her emotional responses. Creating a trauma-informed classroom benefits everyone but especially students with disabilities who have experienced trauma. In this paper we discuss the need for trauma-informed practices and strategies for making classroom environments more trauma-informed.

Special Education Services and School-Related Quality of Life in Children With Learning Disorders and Their Families: A One-Year Follow-Up Study

Learning disorders can have adverse impacts on children and families extending beyond the academic skills deficits. The goal of the present study was to assess the impact of the school’s response, following an independent evaluation, for child and family school-related quality of life (QOL). We hypothesized that a positive school response would be associated with improved QOL. Parents completed the LDQOL/15, a brief measure of school-related QOL, at the time that their child received an independent evaluation and again a year later ( N =155). At follow-up, parents reported the tenor of the school’s response to the evaluation and whether special education services had changed. QOL problems were very high in this referred population, with 66% of respondents rating a level of problems in the clinical range at baseline. Predicted interactions between time of assessment (baseline/follow-up) and the school’s response to the evaluation were confirmed for all outcome variables; a positive school response was associated with improved QOL. Nevertheless, the overall prevalence of school-related QOL problems remained high a year after the evaluation. These findings indicate that special education interventions can mitigate LD impacts, but even with these services, many children with learning disorders and their families continue to be significantly affected.

Contemporary Issues of Special Education in Turkey

The first international declaration of inclusive education through the Salamanca Statement (UNESCO, 1994) underlined the importance and necessity of inclusive practices and recommended that all students should benefit from the same educational approaches in the same environment. In addition to that, growth in field applications, published research papers, the number of trained professionals, and general awareness around students with disabilities triggered the improvement of special education services in Turkey during the last three decades. This article displays a brief history of special education, laws and regulations, the path of special education, and introduces contemporary issues in special education in Turkey. Without recognizing the existing situation and contemporary issues of the field of special education, it is not possible to take steps for planning and obtain better outcomes.

Evidence-Based and Culturally Sustaining Practices for Diverse Students With Emotional and Behavioral Disorders

Children from diverse backgrounds are more likely to receive special education services for emotional or behavioral disorders. These data validate the research that advocates for practitioners to use evidence-based and culturally sustaining practices. This article discusses how strategically implemented, evidence-based, and culturally sustaining practices can assist in preventing inaccurate referrals for special education services.

Promoting wellbeing and resilience

Social isolation, disruption to routine, and limited access to special education services are just some difficulties children with SEND have faced. By promoting wellbeing, practitioners can help children build the resilience they need to cope with the challenges they will encounter throughout their lives.

Advocacy for Incarcerated Youth: A Conversation With Peter Leone

Dr. Peter Leone is an internationally renowned researcher and advocate for incarcerated youth. Throughout his almost four decades at the University of Maryland, his expertise and research have influenced lawsuits related to the provision of education and special education services in juvenile corrections and paved the way for changes in policy and practice. Dr. Leone shared his reflections on his career, progress that has been made in juvenile justice education, urgent matters, future directions, and recommendations for future juvenile justice educators and researchers.

Job Interview and Vocational Outcomes Among Transition-Age Youth Receiving Special Education Pre-Employment Transition Services

Vocational outcomes among transition-age youth receiving special education services are critically poor and have only incrementally improved since the implementation of the Workforce Innovation Opportunity Act. Few studies highlight whether interviewing may be critical to obtaining vocational outcomes such as competitive employment or internships. This study evaluated vocational interviewing and outcomes among 656 transition-age youth receiving special education pre-employment transition services from 47 schools. Results suggest 20.8% of these youth were currently employed, and 88.8% of these employed youth interviewed prior to obtaining their job, which is higher than anecdotal evidence suggests and speaks to the importance of job interview skills as an intervention target for special education pre-employment transition services. We discuss the implications and directions for further study.