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Purpose: This paper describes the educational experiences of children and youth (aged 3–20) with disabilities during school closures resulting from the 2017 Northern California wildfires. Students with disabilities are particularly vulnerable to the adverse impacts of disaster, yet the effects of school closures on these children remains understudied. This study identifies considerations for students with disabilities and their families post-disaster. Design/methodology/approach: An inductive, qualitative approach was used for the study design, methodology and analysis. In-depth interviews were conducted with parents of 14 students with disabilities about their experiences during and following school closures. All of these children had missed between a week and over a month of school as a result of the wildfires. Thematic analysis was used to code data and identify four themes present across the data. Findings: Our findings indicate that children and youth with disabilities experienced disruptions in school-based services; lost previously acquired skills; exhibited negative health and behavioral issues; had difficulties adapting to new, unfamiliar routines and were saddened by lost social connections. Additionally, findings pinpoint the importance of social connections while schools were closed, the benefits of resuming school which included access to responsive school staff, as well as challenges faced by children with disabilities and their families once schools reopened. Originality/value: Families of children with disabilities, as illustrated in this study, often must transverse a different post-disaster landscape. Schools should assist them in navigating that landscape so students with disabilities can experience a more equitable return to education post-disaster. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of paraeducators has increased as a main mechanism to include more students with disabilities in the public schools in the U.S. Although the utilization of paraeducators is intended to be a supportive service delivery option, many concerns and challenges have resulted. The purpose of this study was to examine the role of the paraeducator in the general physical education environment from the perspectives of special education, physical education, and adapted physical education teachers and paraeducators. Data were collected from a phenomenological approach using questionnaires, interviews, and observations. Results indicate concerns about the clarity of the role of the paraeducator in physical education. Emerging themes include elastic definitions of student protection and teacher backup, contradictory expectations and mixed acceptance, and paraeducators' role ambiguity. Findings regarding the role of the paraeducator are essential in determining both best practice and legal policy for the appropriate utilization of paraeducators in physical education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

School leaders react to inappropriate behaviors by excluding students, despite research suggesting an association with poor student outcomes. Students with disabilities are frequently subjected to these practices. One framework that has been proposed to reduce the reliance on reactive discipline procedures is schoolwide positive behavior interventions and supports (SWPBIS). In this study, we replicated several state-level quasi-experimental studies with discipline data from California. Using propensity score matching, we compared 544 schools implementing SWPBIS with fidelity and 544 schools that had never been trained. We found statistically significantly fewer out-of-school suspensions and days missed due to out-of-school suspensions across all students. Students with disabilities were statistically significantly less likely to be sent to alternative settings due to behavior in schools implementing SWPBIS with fidelity, with an effect size of −0.65. These results replicate and extend prior findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study explores the experiences and perspectives of 15 Black and Latinx students with disabilities as they journeyed through the process of taking and attempting to meet high-stakes testing policies in an urban high school in southern California. Utilizing critical policy sociology and student voice, findings reveal material and structural challenges related to lack of teacher quality, excessive use of substitute teachers, and lack of access to essential course curricula. In addition, contradictions between general and special education policy mandates demonstrate the failure of a one-size-fits-all policy approach that overlooks students' multidimensional needs. Finally, despite the multiple structural and material challenges students faced, their family and peers played a pivotal role in their preparation both emotionally and academically for the exam. Given these findings, recommendations for policy and practice are offered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses a way for students obtaining school-based services under the Individuals With Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) to have their own form of exemption from state vaccination requirements. Topics mentioned include how to balance state authority to protect the public's health against the federal IDEA law, California's right to offer services to special education students that it prefers, and the Office of Special Education Programs' authority to interpret state laws.

According to recent estimates, over 1 million Operation Iraqi Freedom/Operation Enduring Freedom Veterans are utilizing the post-9/11 GI Bill to pursue higher education. Data collected by the Department of Defense suggests that greater than 17% of returning Veterans may experience mental and physical health disorders, which can negatively affect school performance. The current study explored student Veterans' perceived facilitators and barriers to achieving academic goals. Thirty-one student Veterans completed self-report measures and interviews. Results suggested that Veterans who were reporting problems or symptoms in one mental or physical health domain were likely to be reporting symptoms or problems in others as well. The interview data were coded, and three overarching themes related to barriers and facilitators emerged: person features (e.g., discipline and determination, symptoms and stressors), institutional structure (i.e., what schools and the Department of Veterans Affairs do that was perceived to help or hinder student Veteran success), and policy concerns (i.e., how the structure of the GI Bill affects student Veteran school experience). Results from this research indicate the need for larger studies and program development efforts aimed at enhancing academic outcomes for Veterans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article presents case studies of two rural districts—both confronting economic and demographic challenges—that were making significant strides toward closing achievement gaps between students with and without disabilities. The districts accomplished this work by using six practices, common to both but implemented differently in each: (a) using data well, (b) establishing and maintaining focus, (c) selecting and implementing shared instruc tional practices, (d) implementing deeply, (e) monitoring and providing feedback and support, and (f) inquiring and learning. These findings illustrate that, contrary to popular stereotypes, some rural districts serving low income and diverse families are able to increase the achievement levels of students with disabilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examined math growth trajectories by disability category, gender, race, and socioeconomic status using a nationally representative sample of students ages 7 to 17. The students represented 11 federal disability categories. Compared with the national norming sample, students in all 11 disability categories had lower math achievement levels and slower growth in elementary school. In secondary school, however, the math growth rate slowed down and was similar for all students. Among students with disabilities, those with speech or visual impairments had the highest math achievement, and those with multiple disabilities or intellectual disability had the lowest. Relative to students with learning disabilities on calculation, growth rates for students with autism were significantly slower and those for students with speech impairments decelerated significantly faster. For students with disabilities, gender, White–Black, and socioeconomic status math achievement gaps were significant and stable over time, whereas White–Hispanic math achievement gaps widened over time. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This article provides a quantitative synthesis of the published literature on word problem solving intervention studies for children with math disabilities (MD). Seven group and eight single-subject design studies met inclusion criteria. Mean effect sizes (ESs) for solution accuracy for group design studies were 0.95 (SE = .19) for children with MD-only and −0.45 (SE = .14) for children with MD and reading disabilities (MD + RD) when compared with their counterparts in the control condition. The mean ES for single-subject design studies was 0.90 (range = 0.09–2.99), with a mean ES of 1.45 for MD-only students and a mean ES of 0.58 for MD + RD students. Effective group and single-subject interventions shared a number of common instructional components (e.g., advance organizer, skill modeling). In general, the results suggest that specific sample characteristics (reading ability) and specific instruction components (sequencing, explicit practice, task reduction, advanced organizers, questioning, task difficulty control, elaboration, skill modeling, strategy cues) play a major role in treatment outcomes for children with MD. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Accurate diagnosis and treatment planning for children with autism are a growing concern. This study sought to address two questions: (a) Which domains of the of the Behavior Assessment System for Children (2nd ed.) Teacher Rating Scales (BASC-TRS) are most effective in discriminating students diagnosed with higher functioning autism from children and youth who do not have a disability or psychiatric diagnosis? and (b) Are there noteworthy differences in BASC-TRS domain scores between children and adolescents with autism? The results indicated that children and adolescents with an educational diagnosis of autism were given significantly higher ratings in the domains of Developmental Social Disorders and Withdrawal and significantly lower ratings in Functional Communication. These scales appear to discriminate best between those students with autism and their nondisabled peers. In addition, the results suggest that the differences between students with autism and students without clinical problems may become less pronounced as they grow into adolescence. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Assessments developed and field tested for the mainstream student population may not be accessible for students with disabilities (SWDs) as a result of the impact of extraneous variables, including cognitive features, such as depth of knowledge required, grammatical and lexical complexity, lexical density, and textual/visual features. This study investigates the impact of these features on the performance outcomes of SWDs in the United States. Live test items from two different states with large numbers of SWDs were evaluated for their level of depth of knowledge features, linguistic complexity, two types of lexical features, and textual and visual characteristics. Results suggest that textual features have the greatest impact on the performance of students with different types of disabilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this quasi-experimental study was to (a) compare Tier 2 evidence-based intensive reading instruction to business-as-usual instruction for sixth graders with and without learning disabilities who were "far below" or "below" basic level in literacy and (b) explore the development of a response-to-intervention model in middle school. The study took place in a large inner-city urban setting, where 100% of students received free or reduced-price lunch and 90% of the students were considered English learners at some point in their school history. Intervention students received intensive small-group instruction for 30 hours across 10 weeks. Credential candidates in special education provided the small-group instruction in the treatment condition. Results on oral reading fluency, less so for Maze reading comprehension measures, indicated greater improvements for treatment students, and students with learning disabilities benefited as much or more than the other struggling sixth graders. Educational implications and recommendations for future research are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Early and accurate identification of special needs, coupled with an appropriate course of treatment and educational plan, is important to academic progress, in particular for economically disadvantaged children with fewer family resources to catch up if they fall behind. A first step in improving mechanisms to promote early identification is to uncover factors influencing the timing of identification. This study investigates how early identification—defined as identification prior to kindergarten entry—varies by demographic characteristics. Using data from the California Department of Education, the authors find systematic differences in the timing of identification, even after adjusting for disability and other factors. Girls are less likely to be identified with special needs prior to kindergarten entry than boys. African Americans are less likely than children of other races to be identified early, despite disproportionately high overall identification rates. English learners are less likely than non-English learners to be identified early. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

California's Proposition 227 (1998) has affected the education of many English language learners (ELLs). However, the extent of Proposition 227's influence on special education planning and practice is unclear. ELLs who have moderate to severe disabilities face major communication obstacles. The present qualitative study looked specifically at the impact of California's Proposition 227 and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (1990) on special education teachers' educational planning, assessments, and classroom practices for students identified as ELLs who have moderate to severe disabilities. Findings indicated teacher misinterpretation of Proposition 227, resource scarcity, a lack of administrative support, and the exclusion of parents from decisions regarding which language should be used to instruct ELLs with moderate to severe disabilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, the authors describe a change model that was developed and implemented over 3 years in 2 southern California school districts to promote inclusive practices. A study documented the change process and the impact of related district and site activities through interviews with general and special educators, administrators, and parents. Findings from the study indicate that all sites moved toward inclusive practices, with the participants reporting benefits for students with disabilities, the general education student population, and educational practices of general and special educators. Approaches in implementing inclusive practices differed, however, resulting in significant variability among schools in services provided to students with special needs. Implications in moving toward inclusive practices are discussed, including factors perceived as contributing to the change process, the configuration of services provided, and issues related to sustaining inclusive efforts. The data suggest the complexity of change and the diversity of programs that emerge from a common model of change. Balancing inclusion with specialized instruction for all students emerged as an important component of inclusive practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Provides information on the Community-Based Education program (CBE) of a local school district in California for transition students with disabilities. Goals of the program; Roles of the Department of Kinesiology and Health Science at California State University in Sacramento and a local community college with regard to the program; Details on the efforts of the district to form partnerships in order to mobilize the program; Background on the formation of the CBE program.

Examines parents' views of severely disabled children on the inclusive education program in Los Angeles, California. Belief of some on the effect of general education classroom; Reasons for the opposition; Speculation on the relationship between views on inclusion and the general education system.

Examines the operation of an attendant care program for disabled college students in California. Assistance of the program by able-bodied students in an on-campus attendant care; Features of the program and operation; Recognition of the physical needs of disabled students.

In March 1983 California adopted new eligibility criteria for handicapped students. The criteria for learning disabilities and language impairments included complex statistical procedures designed to identify students with a deficit in educational performance or language development of about 1.5 standard deviation units, as reflected in the scores of certain standardized tests. This article examines the development of the criteria, their relationship to federal regulations, and their tie to California's special education funding cap of 10% of student enrollment. Technical aspects of the criteria are examined, including two case studies, and recent litigation regarding the new standard is discussed. California's efforts in these areas may have implications for special education programs elsewhere in the United States. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article describes written programs that are very similar to those required by Public Law 94-142 that educational agencies serving handicapped pupils develop written individualized education programs for each pupil they serve. These programs, called individual education plans, were produced in Contra Costa County Master Plan for Special Education pilot program in California. They were designed for students diagnosed as learning disabled and placed in regular schools who received part time remedial help individually or in small groups. The findings showed that the Educational Needs, General Educational Goals, Instructional Objectives and other plan elements were of high quality, free of jargon and easily readable. In addition, elements of individual education plans such as Educational Needs and Recommended Teaching Approaches received higher quality ratings than elements such as General Educational Goals and Instructional Objectives.

This article reports that California-based Exceptional Teaching Aids has changed its name to Exceptional Teaching in May 2005. The company will remain dedicated to finding and producing products for teachers of students with visual impairments, special needs, or high school students in transition; rehabilitation specialists; parents of children with visual impairments or special needs; occupational therapists; orientation and mobility instructors; and classroom teachers.

A list of publications related to exceptional minority students is presented. The publications include "Exceptional Asian Children and Youth," by Margie K. Kitano and Philip C. Chinn, and "Educational Services to Handicapped Students with Limited English Proficiency: A California State-Wide Study," by Patricia T. Cegelka, Rena Lewis, Ana Maria Rodriguez, and Richard Pacheco.