<p> The purpose of this study was (a) to identify the knowledge of special education law among administrators within a SELPA in California and (b) to identify the training needs of administrators; 65 administrators participated in this quantitative study, yielding a response rate of 84%. A survey created on the six principles of IDEA was used with administrators (principals and assistant principals) who serve approximately 42,000 students at 50 public schools. Analysis of data revealed that Hypothesis 1, which projected that 51% or more administrators would perceive their knowledge of special education law as average or better, was supported. Hypothesis 2, which predicted that 51% or more administrators would not be able to attain the 70% criterion of basic knowledge on the survey of knowledge of special education law, was supported by the findings of the study. Hypothesis 3, which anticipated a positive gap between perceived and actual knowledge of special education law for administrators, was supported. Hypothesis 4, which predicted a positive relationship between administrators' education level, position, years of experience as an administrator, and their actual knowledge of special education law, had partial support. A positive significant correlation was found between participants' current position and their total knowledge of special education law. Hypothesis 5, which anticipated a positive gap between the administrators' training needs and their actual assessed knowledge of special education law, was supported. Training areas of IDEA principles that require expanded emphasis include LRE, procedural safeguards, FAPE, evaluation, and parental participation. The results of this study will guide administrators to proactively and eagerly embrace the need to expand their knowledge, experiences, and professional acuity in special education. As for future research, effective communication and collaboration between administrators and parents should be studied in light of its impact on litigation. Additionally, a similar study, using the same survey, should be conducted with district superintendents and the results studied in light of their respective special education programs. Lastly, the field may benefit from a Delphi study utilizing a panel of experts to study and support the need for administrative training in special education. </p>

<p> This causal comparative study investigated the relationship of an identified disability (IDEA declared vs. non-declared) on success outcomes for sixth through twelfth grade at-risk students enrolled in a school-based mental health program. Outcome variables included: selected attendance, behavior, and achievement indicators for students who were enrolled in and received intensive school-based counseling.</p><p> Overall, after one year in the program, referrals for violent incidents significantly decreased for both groups of students while lack of respect incidents increased, indicating that staff changes in providing preventative strategies and approaches for working with students may have led staff to "catch" student behaviors at an earlier phase. IDEA declared students also had a significant decrease in suspensions. Although absences increased and instructional days decreased for both groups of students, a few of the non-declared students had more extreme changes. In-depth examination of the data showed that non-declared students, in particular Black and Asian students, had the most negative changes. Achievement data revealed that the majority of IDEA declared and non-declared students failed at pre and continued to fail at post.</p><p> This study adds to the limited base of research that on outcomes for students with and without disabilities. As school-based mental health counseling programs, coupled with strengths-based, multi-level counseling approaches expand across schools, it is important that we further the research base to determine what differences exist and what ramifications emerge for students based on disability, mental health problem, or ethnicity. Findings in this study of decreased referrals for severe behaviors for all students, decreased suspensions for IDEA declared students, and more extreme cases of negative outcomes for Asian and Black students without a disability, should be considered important factors in the continued effort to improve educational success for all students by supporting and promoting positive social emotional development and decreasing student risk factors.</p>

<p> Parent satisfaction with and knowledge of the IEP system were examined as part of this study. Overall, local parent satisfaction was found to be decent with the current system, and a positive and significant correlation was found between overall satisfaction and parent knowledge of rules and regulations. However, a strong relationship between satisfaction and other more specific variables was not found. Responding parents also provided open ended feedback concerning their experiences with the special education system to date, which will be of practical benefit to school staff members moving forward.</p>

<p> Young Latino men reflect on their high school experiences in multi-stage phenomenologically-based interviews. These six participants had transitioned out of high school and no longer received educational services from the school district where they had attended a majority-minority high school in an urban, low socioeconomic community in CA. Interviews focused on their lives and families, high school years, post-secondary school lives, and reflections about their secondary school experiences. These young men had family backgrounds that put them tremendously at risk. All six young men spoke Spanish as their first language and were taught in schools where instruction was in English. While in high school all six young men qualified for special education services. Critical Race Theory, Latino Critical Theory (LatCrit), and Disability Studies as well as the intersectionality of theories helped explore the marginalization of Latino students with disabilities and allowed the identification of central themes from participant's experiential knowledge. These former students cited instances where teachers or staff members encouraged or discouraged them while in high school and shared, from their perspective what teachers need to know to be better prepared and more effective. Participants proposed teachers understand their small acts of kindness have a monumental effect in a student's life. Further, teachers need to listen carefully to what students say; look beyond bad behavior; help students become involved in school in multiple ways; publicly acknowledge academic and social successes; and explicitly prepare students for college and other challenges they will face after high school.</p>

<p> This qualitative study investigates two teachers who attempt to guide self-improvement initiatives in their school setting during and after completing a University based practicum course in special education. Fullan's (1993) framework for change agency was used to help facilitate the participants' self-improvement process. Participants were called to consider and enact self-identified changes they would like to make as teachers and to consider how these changes interact with their teaching selves and schools at large. To better understand how the self-initiated projects were carried out in the school context, two cases were followed for eighteen months after the sixteen-week self-study practicum was completed. </p><p> A case study of each participant was constructed based on observations, interviews, and document analysis. Using a recursive process, data was explored to analyze each participant's sense of identity and how this process related to efforts to foster improvements in their school setting. The critical importance of the participant's life experiences (past and present) emerged as important to the self-study process and as important to their actions beyond the self-study process. The participants in these case studies were engaged in a balancing act between efforts to improve themselves as teachers and efforts to respond to the internal and external expectations they had in their personal lives as mothers and wives. Although this study was initially interested in how a teacher's identity process might lead toward greater critical consciousness about social justice issues in the classroom, these cases do not suggest a strong connection between the enacted self-study process and an emerging critical consciousness in teachers. However an examination of a teacher's life circumstances and prior experience is believed to provide insights that may inform future research on identity development, teacher development and change agency.</p>

<p> The purpose of this study was to develop a valid and reliable survey instrument to examine elementary general education teachers' attitudes toward the inclusion of students with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) in the general education classroom. By determining what influences attitudes, the needs of elementary general education teachers can be established to make educated decisions, develop meaningful professional development activities, or enable teachers to self-reflect thus improving attitudes of elementary general education teachers toward inclusion of students with ASD. </p><p> The study was guided by the following phases: Phase One: (1) Reviewed current literature and conducted a discussion with a focus group to determine the overall construct, (2) wrote and modified an initial set of items, (3) consulted a panel of experts to certify that items measure the overall construct intended for content and construct validity, (4) conducted a think-aloud with individual teachers to ensure questions are being interpreted as intended, and (5) rewrote and revised as needed. Phase Two: Conducted an Exploratory Factor analysis in order to determine common factor structures. Phase Three: Conducted a pilot test to establish reliability in a test/re-test format. The findings indicate evidence of a valid and reliable survey instrument to examine elementary general education teachers' attitudes toward the inclusion of students with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) in the general education classroom. </p>

<p> There is a distinct employment gap between disabled and non-disabled young adults with disabilities. Unemployment numbers are even higher for adults with autism. Recent statistics show Autism Spectrum Disorder is the fastest growing developmental disorder. The problem this dissertation addressed is the perceptions of employment experienced by young adults with autism and their parents. The literature review was perceived through the lens of a social justice view and disability theory. The review summarized overviews of special education policies, autism, and employment. </p><p> The purpose of this research was to give voice to the autism community through a qualitative single case study with multiple participants. Six high school graduates between the ages of 18-24 and their parents participated in individual semi-structured interviews. Questions were asked about participants' perceptions of the employment journey and perceptions of services received through the Individualized Transition Plan. Four participants made their Individualized Education Plans, Individualized Transition Plans, and psychological reports available.</p><p> Four themes emerged from the data collection: impact of autism on employment, social skills training, disclosure and self-advocacy, and expectations of students and parents about teachers. Data implied that a majority of young adult participants did not feel their disability would affect employment, whereas most parents believed autism would negatively impact future employment. Participants did not correlate social skills training to successful employment. No participants had a full understanding of the importance of self-disclosure or clear understanding of workplace accommodations. Half of parent participants were pleased with how their school districts serve students with disabilities, while the other half felt services should be continued, regardless of cost. The data led me to make several implications and recommendations.</p>

<p> Sustainability educators could benefit from better understanding how the built environment, natural environment, and curricular activities can interface to encourage connections between people and place. My research explores the relationship between these dimensions at the Michael Ritchie Big Barn Center for Environmental Health and Education at the Center for Discovery--an innovative project in place-based education and design for individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders and other disabilities. Specifically, my research addressed the following question: For the occupants of the Big Barn, what is the relative and synergistic importance of (a) the built environment, (b) the natural environment, and (c) the curricular activities and experiences, as they encourage connections between people and place? My research was supported by a range of literature related to place-based education and design, as well as research related to universal design and phenomenological ecology. This literature review shaped my decision to use various research methods, including photo elicitation, surveys, interviews, observations, and document analysis. Using qualitative and quantitative techniques, I identified several important themes, including the relationship between photo content and meaning; the importance of curricular activities and the pedagogical value of the farm; the synergistic relationship between the environment and the activities; the relationship to the broader community; and the potential for staff training. These themes provide insight into the lived experiences of the Big Barn staff and highlight lessons that could potentially inform place-based education more broadly.</p>

<p> According to critical disability studies scholars, disablism may be the fundamental system of unearned advantaging and disadvantaging upon which all other notions of difference-as-deviance are constructed. If so, a deeply critical and intersectional investigation of enabled privilege/disablism prepares a grounding from which seeds of novel and effective approaches to social and educational justice may be cultivated. Whether or not disablism holds this pivotal position, the costs to us all in terms of personal, ethical, professional, and financial losses are too steep, have always been too steep. In this disquisition I begin by arguing for the prioritizing and centering of a radical emancipatory discourse&mdash;across and within all education venues&mdash;regarding disability. In Chapter 2, I explore models of disability and notice where awareness of enabled privilege has been absent in my own experience as an educator and call for all educators to consider what might it mean if awareness of enabled privilege and the harms of disablism were at the center of our daily personal, social, and institutional lives. Chapter 3 investigates the perceptions of post-compulsory education professionals regarding what constitutes disability allyship and identifies three unique viewpoints. Chapter 4 blends conceptualizations of allyship developed within various social justice literatures with those identified viewpoints of disability allyship to yield a model professional development approach focused on an intersectional analysis for social justice through disability justice. The dissertation concludes in Chapter 5 with a discussion of core assertions and findings and points to future research priorities.</p>

<p> Students attending charter schools, including those with learning disabilities, are subject to policies set by individual charter management organizations. One practice used within some charter schools is grade-level retention, or having students repeat a grade level. Literature overwhelmingly indicates that retention is associated with negative outcomes, yet the practice continues to be used. One particular charter school that used a strict retention policy and retains students with learning disabilities was studied to understand how the process unfolds. Using the conceptual frameworks of critical disability theory and critical pedagogy, the study draws inferences regarding how this phenomenon blends with ableism and power imbalances. Six teachers (four general education and two special education teachers) participated in interviews for this qualitative case study. Through triangulation of findings from individual and group interviews, trends were identified. A major finding showed that although retention is conceptualized as beneficial for the school to threat unmotivated students, for students with learning disabilities, retention is still regarded as highly ineffective and harmful. Decision making factors used with students with disabilities include particular individual characteristics, such as abilities and parental support. Discussion into participants' perception of students with disabilities as inferior, and how retention as punishment asserts the school's power, follows a review of concepts, effectiveness, and decision-making factors related to retention. Implications for educators to improve inclusive and fair school policies, in addition to rethinking traditional methods of analyzing school practices are discussed. Further research in various educational initiatives and areas of study are summarized.</p>