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• Kindergarteners with disabilities versus those without are more chronically absent. • Chronic absence disparities are driven by socioecological factors. • Approaches to learning and internalizing behaviors drives much of the disparity. • Addressing systemic inequities that underlie internalizing behaviors could help reduce the gap. The disparity in absenteeism between kindergarteners with and without disabilities is a persistent phenomenon across schools in the United States and reflects ongoing systemic inequities that disadvantage young children with disabilities. Yet, evidence of factors underlying this disparity remains less well understood, limiting the ability for schools to transform how they support students with disabilities in ways that could help narrow the disparity. In our study, we investigate how a set of factors, grounded in a socioecological framework of absenteeism, correlates with chronic absenteeism in kindergarteners with and without disabilities. Importantly, we examine the extent to which distributional differences in these factors between children with and without disabilities explain the attendance disparity. Our study draws upon a nationally representative sample of N = 13,860 kindergarteners (52 % male, 48 % female, M age = 5.5 years, n = 1240 with disabilities) from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Survey Kindergarten Class of 2010–11. We analyze our data using multiple logistic regression to identify significant factors that correlate with chronic absenteeism and leverage the Kitagawa-Blinder-Oaxaca decomposition method to describe how distributional differences in those factors contribute to absenteeism disparities. Results show that internalizing behaviors in students with disabilities and their parents' health are significantly associated with chronic absenteeism as well as help explain the disparity (12 % and 3 % of the disparity, respectively). Importantly, since differences in internalizing behaviors can be generated, in part, by school practices and policies that treat early elementary students with disabilities inequitably, our work suggests that reducing gaps in early absenteeism may require schools to reduce exposure to experiences that can lead to internalizing problem behaviors in young children with disabilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many schools around the world involuntarily began remote learning in March of 2020 as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, which brought immediate changes and challenges to teaching and learning that are likely to influence student achievement into the foreseeable future. While large numbers of students face difficulties in learning to read under typical conditions, remote learning resulted in substantial deficits in reading outcomes. This study aimed to examine the relative impact of the pandemic on reading performance in United States (U.S.) for students with and without disabilities. and procedure: In this interpretive analysis, we compared the progress of a large sample of students (n = 219,500) by using the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) data, in two grade levels (Grades 4 and 8), with and without disabilities, at two time points (2019 and 2022). Statistically significant decreases were identified on the reading outcomes of students in U.S. Students without disabilities experienced a significant decrease in their reading outcomes pre- and post-pandemic, compared to students with disabilities (SWDs). We discuss the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on students' reading performance and the implications for effective reading instructions in the future. • The reading performance of fourth and eighth grade students in US significantly decreased from 2019 to 2022. • The reading scores of students without disabilities (SWOD) decreased significantly, but those of students with disabilities (SWD) did not. • The difference in reading between SWD and SWOD was significant pre- and post-pandemic, with SWD underperforming SWOD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Students with disabilities with unmet health care needs are vulnerable to adverse educational outcomes, including exclusionary discipline. We examined the association between schools' spatial proximity to health care providers and their use of suspension to discipline students with disabilities. The study sample included the 398 public secondary schools in the Boston Metropolitan Statistical Area. We merged census-tract and school-level data from several sources, including the American Community Survey, the Health Resources and Services Administration, the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, and the U.S. Department of Education. Zero-inflated beta regression models were used to examine the association between schools' locations in medically underserved areas (MUAs) and the out-of-school suspension rates of students qualifying for special education services in the 2013–14 school year. Nested models and mediation analysis were used to parse the effects of medical underservice and neighborhood poverty on suspension rates. The suspension rate of students with disabilities was about 5 percentage points higher in schools located in medically underserved areas compared to schools that are not in MUAs, controlling for school- and neighborhood-level characteristics (z = 1.97, p <.05). Medical underservice significantly mediated the effect of neighborhood poverty on suspensions of students with disabilities (indirect effect, p <.05), accounting for 44% of the total effect of poverty. The findings indicate that schools with limited geographic access to health care services may more likely to use suspension as a tool to manage the behavior of students with disabilities. • The spatial distribution of health resources is unequal in the Boston area. • Local health contexts impact schools' inclusion of students with disabilities. • Schools in medically underserved areas suspend more students with disabilities. • Local health contexts impact suspension rates above and beyond neighborhood poverty. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Currently, 1 in 68 children in the U.S. is diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD; Centers for Disease Control & Prevention, 2015) and this growing population of learners has been noted as one of the most challenging groups to teach. Teacher self-efficacy, the belief teachers hold about their instructional capabilities, has been shown to differ according to contextual factors, such as the type of students teachers face. The purpose of this investigation was to develop an instrument that can used to measure teachers' self-efficacy for effectively working with students with ASD. Study 1 involved the development and evaluation of a new instrument, the Teacher Self-Efficacy for Students with Autism Scale (TSEAS) with a sample of general and special education teachers in the U.S. (N = 120). Study 2 involved a cross-validation of the measure with teachers in Australia (N = 85). Results indicated that the scale represented a unidimensional construct in both studies. Self-efficacy for teaching students with ASD was distinct from, though positively related to, general teaching self-efficacy, job satisfaction, and self-regulation. Using a student-specific teaching self-efficacy measure might provide more useful information for supporting teachers' beliefs for teaching students with ASD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the interactions of teachers and specialists with English learners with disabilities and the need for more inclusive teaching practices. Topics include the need for general education teachers to work together with a number of specialists to provide services to English learners with disabilities and the collaborative practices of general education teachers and specialists in elementary education in the U.S.

Newly inducted special education teachers must be well-prepared to address changes in today's schools, including increased student diversity, implementation of tiered systems of support, and the need for increased collaboration with general education teachers and specialists. The purpose of this qualitative study was to develop and implement a data-based continual improvement approach to identify the strengths of our special education Master's program and address changes needed to ensure that graduates are ready to engage with the demands of their chosen profession. Using data gathered from 24 recent graduates and 20 field mentors, we describe our model and what we have done with our results over two years. An important finding is that our students greatly value the relationships they form during the program and the relationships the faculty model, and participants attribute our graduates' skills in collaboration to our program's modeling of collaborative processes and positive relationships. Implications for effective approaches to continuous improvement of special education teacher preparation programs are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Aims: About 18% of college students have disabilities. Social capital, resources we can tap from relationships, may be particularly valuable for students with disabilities. Yet, disabilities often limit the individual's ability to develop or use social capital. We studied how college students with developmental disabilities understand, develop, and use social capital.Methods and Procedures: We conducted in-depth semi-structured Zoom interviews with 10 women with developmental disabilities enrolled at a public university in the southeastern United States early in 2021. We examined the qualitative data with thematic analysis.Outcomes and Results: Participants averaged age 20; 70% reported attention deficit disorder or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder; 90% reported multiple diagnoses. Most participants described COVID-19 pandemic-related isolation and stress, which magnified both the need for relationships and awareness of that need, prompting participants to become proactive in forming and maintaining relationships despite anxiety about them. Themes were: foundational relationships, reciprocity, expanding horizons, a need for new relationships, focus on the future and relationship barriers.Conclusions and Implications: Results highlight the importance of social relationships and the resources they provide to students with disabilities, particularly in stressful times. Colleges can help students by connecting them with others and providing strategies for building and maintaining social capital.What This Paper Adds: College students with developmental disabilities often face challenges developing and maintaining social capital, resources derived from relationships with other people. These resources are key to success in school and after graduation, as students continue into adulthood. We studied how students with developmental disabilities build social capital. The students described their relationships with others and the types of support they contributed to and received from those relationships. We also extended previous research by examining pandemic-related effects, interviewing participants nearly one year into the COVID-19 pandemic. We provide recommendations for further research and ways colleges and universities can encourage social capital development among all students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Public schools in the United States are federally mandated to identify and serve all students with disabilities. However, students whose native language is not English are at risk of being inappropriately identified or not identified for special education because issues related to language and culture complicate the identification process. This article presents findings from a qualitative multi-case study of state education agencies, school districts, and schools along the US-Mexico border. Document analysis and in-depth interviews revealed that state and district policies often lack meaningful guidance for educators in the field while bureaucrats working in state educational agencies and school districts are unprepared and lack time, knowledge, and resources to support schools and educators. The findings inform next generation policy initiatives and identify important lines of inquiry for further research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Chrono-curricula influence learning styles of students with disabilities. • Hidden curriculum greatly determine the success of students with disabilities in school. • Conscious and unconscious biases are detrimental to students' wellbeing. • Environmental barriers aggravate personal challenges. • Fostering a positive attitude in educators is critical in availing official and hidden curricula. Although significantly influencing postsecondary school outcomes, high school education remains challenging to obtain for many disabled students. Then it is vital to know how chrono-curricula operates about disability. This qualitative study on the impact of school time on high school education examines the experiences of eight purposefully sampled US undergraduate disabled students. Their accounts reveal that conflicts between the school calendar and their disability caused a hidden curriculum of time that interfered with their quest to achieve postsecondary education outcomes. Therefore, addressing the hidden curriculum of time within the school time frame is essential in realizing the genuine inclusion of disabled students. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Children from Asian countries score higher on early years’ arithmetic tests than children from Europe or the United States of America. An explanation for these differences may be the way numbers are named. A clear ten-structure like in the Korean language method leads to a better insight into numbers and arithmetic skills. This assumption forms the basis of the current study. Examined is whether an intervention with number naming in the Korean way influences number awareness of students with mild intellectual disabilities (N =70; mean age: 9.0 years). The results indicate a positive effect of this alternative method of number naming on the insight into numbers up to 20. However, the effect did not generalize to insight into numbers 21–100. The Korean method of number naming seems to be a promising way to teach students with mild intellectual disabilities insight into numbers. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Background: Children from Asian countries score higher on early years’ arithmetic tests than children from Europe or the United States of America. An explanation for these differences may be the way numbers are named. A clear ten-structure like in the Korean language method leads to a better insight into numbers and arithmetic skills. This assumption forms the basis of the current study. Method: Examined is whether an intervention with number naming in the Korean way influences number awareness of students with mild intellectual disabilities (N =70; mean age: 9;0 years). Results: The results indicate a positive effect of this alternative method of number naming on the insight into numbers up to 20. However, the effect did not generalize to insight into numbers 21–100. Conclusions: The Korean method of number naming seems to be a promising way to teach students with mild intellectual disabilities insight into numbers. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The Web has become an integral part of postsecondary education within the United States. There are specific laws that legally mandate postsecondary institutions to have Web sites that are accessible for students with disabilities (e.g., the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)). Web accessibility policies are a way for universities to provide a general guide to action for faculty and staff that serve as Website developers for the organization. The purpose of this study is to examine the extent and effectiveness of Web accessibility policies at land-grant universities in the United States. To that end, this paper presents a conceptual foundation for the study, ranging from an overview of Web accessibility studies, to legal mandates, to literature on organizational policies. Data collection consists of a content analysis of the Web accessibility policies of land-grant universities. Results show that while most universities have a Web accessibility policy, most policies have serious deficiencies. The deficiencies are of sufficient magnitude that many schools are likely in violation of the ADA and at risk for a law suit from a disabled person unless these policies are strengthened. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Background: Autistic undergraduate students are experiencing considerable difficulties on their college campuses. Yet, disability support offices (DSOs), which assume the responsibility of providing support to students with disabilities, often lack the resources to cater to the varied needs of autistic students.Aim: To understand autistic students' perspectives and experiences with DSOs and the range of support services available from DSOs of higher education institutions in the United States.Methods: Semi-structured interviews with 27 autistic undergraduate students were conducted to solicit their perceptions about their DSOs. A generic inductive approach was used to qualitatively analyze the participants' responses.Results: Students expressed both positive and negative experiences with academic and non-academic support, and perceived that DSO staff lacked specific autism knowledge and were often inaccessible. Some students initially decided not to receive DSO accommodations, but many chose to reach out to their DSOs after experiencing academic difficulties. Finally, students' perceptions of ways for DSOs to support them better highlighted the need for institution-wide efforts to make a cultural shift about disability and acceptance and the need for more individualized services.Conclusions: Appropriate resources for DSOs and institution-wide efforts are needed to make college campuses both physically and emotionally accessible to autistic students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• College students with disabilities experienced higher rate of IPV victimization. • They had higher rate of ACEs, including peer and community violence victimization. • 42% of the survivors with disabilities sought some sort of support. • They sought more formal support than their counterparts without disabilities. • The associations between ACEs and IPV victimization are evident among them. Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a major public health issue. Almost one third of college students in the U.S. experience IPV victimization. However, existing studies have focused primarily on college students without disabilities with little to no attention to college students with disabilities. In addition, few studies have explored the patterns of help-seeking and the relationship between adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and IPV victimization among college students with disabilities. This study aimed to explore the prevalence of IPV victimization, ACEs, and help-seeking, the patterns of survivors' help-seeking behaviors, and the relationship between ACEs and IPV victimization. Data from a cross-sectional online survey, which was conducted with samples from six universities in the U.S. and Canada (N = 3,308) between March 2016 and June 2017, were used. Descriptive bivariate and multivariate regression analyses were performed. The results show clear evidence that compared to college students without disabilities, college students with disabilities experienced higher rates of IPV victimization and ACEs. In addition, 42% of the survivors with disabilities sought some sort of support and they sought more formal support than their counterparts without disabilities. Furthermore, the associations between ACEs and IPV victimization among college students with disabilities were substantial after controlling for other risk factors. Specific, targeted university policies and programs as well as increased investment in programs that prevent ACEs are urgently needed to reduce violence against college students with disabilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Focuses on the concept of meal time team for promoting nutritional goals in the individual educational plan in Florida. Use of school food service in affording nutritional foods to disabled children; Details on several nutrition-related health problems; Support of the Florida Department of Education for the development of training tools.