For issue 3 of volume 87, we are pleased to present six articles that cover topics ranging from reading and mathematics instruction to a longitudinal study examining parenting of children with cerebral palsy. We are also happy to report that we have recently accepted our first stage 1 Registered Report. You can read more about this yet-to-be-conducted study at the following link: https://osf.io/m2gdz

Working conditions may be an important lever to support special educators’ reading instruction for students with emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD). Thus, we explored how working conditions relate to the quality of special educators’ reading instruction in upper-elementary, self-contained classes for students with EBD. Using mixed methods to examine video observations of reading instruction and

The Common Core State Standards for Mathematics highlight the importance of not only content standards for mathematics but also mathematical practices such as communication, representation, and reasoning, skills that are often difficult for students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Through a single-case multiple-probe-across-participants design, this study found modified schema-based instruction

We used pupil-level data from the National Pupil Database in England to conduct a longitudinal analysis of the identification of moderate learning difficulties (MLD) and social, emotional, and mental health difficulties (SEMH) among 550,000 pupils ages 5 to 11 years. Survival analysis was used to determine the hazard ratios (HRs) for time to first identification, controlling for prior attainment and

Over the past decade, parent advocacy groups led a grassroots movement resulting in most states adopting dyslexia-specific legislation, with many states mandating the use of the Orton-Gillingham approach to reading instruction. Orton-Gillingham is a direct, explicit, multisensory, structured, sequential, diagnostic, and prescriptive approach to reading for students with or at risk for word-level reading

Although the Individuals With Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEA) mandates parent participation in their children’s education programs, the implementation of IDEA results in parent effort beyond participation, specifically, an expectation of advocacy. To date, research on the advocacy expectation is mixed, with some parents perceiving advocacy as an obligation to ensure appropriate services

Because parents of children with cerebral palsy encounter many challenges, the quality of their parenting varies substantially across time. To understand how and why their parenting behaviors change across time, we examined the contributions of child behavior and parents’ psychological needs to explanations of yearly variation in responsive, autonomy-supportive, and psychologically controlling parenting

For this first issue of the new year, we are pleased to provide six strong studies of reading, arithmetic, social behavior, pre-school policy, professional development, and communication. The articles represent the research of scholars whose previous work has been highly respected, and whose work represented in this issue will, we expect, be highly valued.

We have had the pleasure of editing Exceptional Children (EC) for the past 5 years. During this time, EC has maintained its reputation as a leading scholarly journal for the field of special education and related professions as evidenced by our consistently high impact factor. During our editorship, EC has ranked as the top impact factor journal in special education four of five years with a current

This social validity study accompanied a 9-month randomized control trial that investigated the efficacy of an emergent literacy program, Early Literacy Skills Builder (ELSB), delivered in general education elementary classrooms to students with severe disabilities, including autism. The social validity research questions focused on (a) the social significance of the intervention goals; (b) the social

It is important to understand how longitudinal patterns of special education placement differ from cross-sectional incidence estimates in order to improve measurement precision and better target assistance to students with disabilities. This study used latent class growth analysis in a national-level data set to classify four trajectories of special education service receipt from kindergarten to eighth

As the world continues to face significant challenges due to the Covid-19 pandemic, we must be even more committed to advocating for and providing effective services to individuals with disabilities and their families. In Issue 1 of Volume 87 of Exceptional Children, we present six articles, geared toward effectively serving individuals with disabilities from infancy to adulthood. We hope these articles

This meta-analysis examined the effectiveness of supplemental Tier-2 mathematics interventions for students with mathematics difficulties (MD). We reviewed 39 experimental and quasi-experimental studies that included 40 independent samples, with 61 treatment groups. Utilizing robust variance estimation (RVE), results revealed a treatment effect of 0.41. Mixed-effects meta-regression analyses revealed

States are increasingly recommending that districts and schools use multi-tiered systems of support (MTSS) to improve reading outcomes for all students. States have also suggested MTSS is a viable service delivery model in response to new state legislation to screen, identify, and treat students with word-level reading disability (i.e., dyslexia). One model of MTSS that utilizes Enhanced Core Reading

The absence of direct intervention and peer and staff training can contribute to social isolation in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Effective interventions are needed to realize the benefits of inclusive education. This study examines the effects of a multicomponent, peer-mediated intervention on the social communication behaviors of children with ASD and their typical peers in inclusive

Existing approaches for training paraeducators rely heavily on intensive one-to-one coaching and may not be feasible in practice. In this study, we test a tiered training model in which all paraeducators first received group training, and then coaching was provided only for the subset who did not meet performance criteria after group training. Using a concurrent multiple-probe design staggered across

Despite their negative effect, preschool suspension and expulsion are prevalent. Researchers have explored adverse childhood experiences and teachers’ racial bias that link to disproportionate suspension and expulsion in preschools, but little research has investigated disability status as a risk factor. This study investigates the extent to which preschool children with disabilities are related to

Curriculum-based measurement (CBM) is a systematic, ongoing assessment framework that allows special educators to monitor students’ progress and determine the need for instructional adaptations. Jenkins and colleagues examined the accuracy and timeliness of six different schedules of CBM progress monitoring (PM). The authors found that weekly and intermittent PM schedules were similarly accurate and

Disruptive behavior problems frequently emerge in the preschool years and are associated with numerous, long-term negative outcomes, including comorbid disorders. First Step is a psychosocial early intervention with substantial empirical evidence supporting its efficacy among young children. The present study reports on a validation study of the revised and updated First Step early intervention, called

Data-driven decision making (DDDM) helps educators identify children not responding to intervention, individualize instruction, and monitor response to intervention in multitiered systems of support (MTSS). More prevalent in K–12 special education, MTSS practices are emerging in early childhood. In previous reports, we described the Making Online Decisions (MOD) web application to guide DDDM for educators

Since we assumed editorship of Exceptional Children (EC) in 2015, there has not been a health and economic upset as great as the one the world is experiencing in 2020. Most readers remember the economic downturns associated with the bursting of the mortgage bubble in ~2007-08 and the financial calamity after high-jacked jets crashed into sites in the USA in 2001.

Program administrators and policy makers have placed a priority on expanding access to inclusive, center-based early care and education (ECE) for low-income children with special needs, a “doubly vulnerable” population characterized by academic and social-emotional achievement gaps at kindergarten entry. Yet, no research has documented the effects of center-based settings on doubly vulnerable children’s

The purposes of this study were to assess the effects of fractions intervention for students who are at risk for poor outcomes and to examine whether a component that combines self-regulated learning with growth-mindset instruction (SR-GM) provides added value for improving outcomes. At-risk students (N = 84) were randomly assigned to three conditions: fractions intervention, fractions intervention

Individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) often have difficulties initiating and maintaining reciprocal conversations with others. In this study, we examined if an interdependent group contingency would improve reciprocal conversation of children with ASD when they were paired as conversational partners. We also assessed children’s social preference through their choices between spending time

We attempted to strengthen an evidence-based, peer-mediated, first-grade reading program (First Grade Peer-Assisted Learning Strategies [PALS]) by modestly revising its content and adding a repeated-reading (RR) component. In a cluster-randomized trial, we conducted a component analysis of the revised program by creating two versions of it. “PALS+Fluency” represented the modified program with an RR

Young women with disabilities face unique barriers in the transition from school to adulthood, yet very few studies have examined the effectiveness of gender-specific career interventions. Using an intent-to-treat analysis, this study tested the efficacy of the Paths 2 the Future (P2F) career development curriculum to produce beneficial impacts as compared to business-as-usual career and transition

For Issue 3 of Volume 86 of Exceptional Children, we present six articles on a broad array of topics in special education. Topics covered include profiles of children with special needs in the child welfare system, racial disproportionality in special education identification in the U.S. South, identification of disabilities among students whose first language is Spanish, engagement in transition services

Although disproportionality has been a focus of special education research for more than 50 years, relatively few researchers have addressed potential inequitable or inappropriate treatment of Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) students in the United States, particularly in quantitative research. This multistudy investigation explored patterns and predictors of AAPI representation in special

This article presents findings from a quasiexperimental study examining the effects of a Tier 2 intervention aligned to Tier 1 instruction, a nonaligned Tier 2 intervention, and a business-as-usual (BAU) comparison on the content knowledge, vocabulary, and reading outcomes of fourth-grade struggling readers. In the aligned condition, teachers were trained to provide content-area reading practices during

This meta-analysis synthesized over 40 years of research (k = 42 studies) in the social studies for students with learning disabilities. We analyzed the various mechanisms that researchers have used to improve outcomes in the social studies by conducting a subgroup investigation of interventions targeting the following instructional categories: (a) content acquisition, (b) general literacy in social

Due to a shortage of special education teachers and an increase in the number of students with disabilities, the use of paraeducators is common. Paraeducators frequently provide instruction, under the direction of a teacher, to support elementary students with disabilities in elementary school classrooms. However, if and how paraeducators implement foundational instructional strategies is largely unknown

To examine whether special education racial risk ratios reported by U.S. school districts are explained by district-level confounds, particularly, racial achievement gaps, we analyzed merged data (N = 1,952 districts for Black–White comparisons; N = 2,571 districts for Hispanic–White comparisons) from the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights, Stanford Educational Data Archive, and

This study investigated the prevalence of latent classes at risk for reading or math disabilities in elementary-age children whose first language is Spanish. To this end, children (N = 394) in Grades 1, 2, and 3 were administered a battery of vocabulary, reading, math, and cognitive measures in both Spanish and English. Three important findings occurred. First, five latent classes emerged (average

As a discipline of inquiry and influence, implementation science emerged in response to a need. In the early 1970s, Archie Cochrane (1972) voiced the concern that health care workers in England were not basing their practice on scientific evidence. His voice was influential in the start of the evidence-based medicine movement, which gained further traction through the work of Sackett and colleagues

Classroom pivotal response teaching (CPRT) is an evidence-based practice (EBP) adapted for classroom use. A recent effectiveness trial of CPRT involved training 98 special education classrooms in Southern California. The Exploration, Planning, Implementation, and Sustainment (EPIS) conceptual framework illustrates the impact of inner- and outer-context factors on implementation outcomes. This article

An emerging body of research suggests that incorporating randomization schemes in single-case research designs strengthens study internal validity and data evaluation. The purpose of this study was to test the utility and feasibility of a randomized alternating-treatment design in an investigation that compared the combined effects of vocabulary instruction and the paraphrasing strategies on expository

The purpose of this study was to draw from self-determination and self-efficacy theories to evaluate psychological constructs (autonomous motivation, competency, and outcome expectancy) as mediators of the relationship between working alliance and engagement in transition–vocational rehabilitation (VR) services among African American students with disabilities. A serial multiple mediation analysis

The purpose of this conceptual replication study was to investigate the efficacy of an early literacy intervention when it was implemented by special educators in general education classrooms with students in the class participating in the lessons. The study was conducted in 16 schools in three states. Eighty students with severe disabilities participated in the study. Students in the intervention

Retaining teachers is an important priority for school leaders, especially in special education, a field with chronic shortages. We analyzed a nationally representative survey using conservation of resources theory to examine how job demands and resources interacted with one another and with teachers’ assignments (i.e., as special and general educators) to predict intentions to continue teaching. We

In this study, I investigated the maltreatment profiles of child welfare–involved children in special education and examined how those profiles influenced their internalizing and externalizing behaviors. I analyzed data on a sample of 290 children (63% male, 37% female, Mage = 11 years) from the National Survey on Child and Adolescent Well-Being II. When weighted, this sample represented approximately

We evaluated the validity of using the GRE General Test to assist with graduate school admissions for individuals with disabilities. We studied a sample of 16,239 graduate students from 10 U.S. research universities in three groups: students without any reported disabilities, students who reported disabilities and took the computer-delivered GRE with accommodations, and students who reported disabilities

Whether students of color are more or less likely to be identified as having disabilities than similarly situated students who are White in U.S. states with histories of de jure and de facto racial segregation is currently unknown. Unadjusted analyses of large samples of students attending elementary and middle schools in the U.S. South yielded little evidence of minority overrepresentation in special

We examined effects of intervention on the level and trend of text-writing sequences of students with disabilities and writing difficulties, in addition to potential moderating effects related to student demographics (i.e., disability status, age, gender, and race) and writing task (i.e., sentence, essay, and narrative). We reviewed 18 single-case experimental design studies with a total of 96 students

We examined whether U.S. schools systemically discriminate when suspending or otherwise disciplining students with disabilities (SWD). Eighteen studies met inclusion criteria. We coded 147 available risk estimates from these 18 studies. Of four studies including individual-level controls for infraction reasons, over half of the available estimates (i.e., 14 of 24, or 58%) failed to indicate that SWD

Special education teachers (SETs) who teach students with emotional or behavioral disorders (EBD) in self-contained settings are often less qualified, more stressed and burned out, and more likely to leave teaching than other SETs, resulting in a less effective workforce teaching students with significant behavioral and academic needs. Working conditions are a lever by which outcomes can be improved

To draw informed conclusions from research studies, research consumers need full and accurate descriptions of study methods and procedures. Preregistration has been proposed as a means to clarify reporting of research methods and procedures, with the goal of reducing bias in research. However, preregistration has been applied primarily to research studies utilizing group designs. In this article, we

Schools experience difficulty retaining special educators to serve students with emotional or behavioral disorders (EBD) in self-contained settings, as they have higher rates of burnout and attrition than other educators. Administrators could prevent these outcomes by improving working conditions, but research provides limited insights into which conditions are most important for these special educators

A recommended practice in the field of severe disabilities is involving students in their specialized health care procedures; however, little is known about how this practice is occurring in schools. The purpose of this qualitative multiple-case study was to understand how secondary-age students with severe disabilities are involved in their specialized health care at school. Purposeful sampling resulted

Assessing implementation of comprehensive treatment programs is a multifaceted process that should extend beyond measuring solely treatment fidelity. The purpose of this article is to describe and demonstrate a thorough process for assessing implementation and receipt of a comprehensive treatment program for students with autism spectrum disorders in high schools. The Center on Secondary Education

Well-designed mathematics instruction focused on concepts and problem-solving skills associated with measurement and data analysis can build a foundational understanding for more advanced mathematics. This study investigated the efficacy of the Precision Mathematics Level 1 (PM-L1) intervention, a Tier 2 print- and technology-based mathematics intervention designed to increase first-grade students’

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

Positive behavior interventions and supports (PBIS) was first introduced with the reauthorization of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act in 1997. In this article, we describe the 25-year history of the PBIS implementation experience, including the core features of PBIS as a multitiered framework and the process and outcomes for implementing PBIS across over 26,000 schools. We also summarize

For this issue, we are pleased to provide reports that are relevant for professionals concerned with practices, policies, and research about exceptional children. The articles not only address diverse subjects, but they also examine aspects of exceptionality from preschools to professional development, from classrooms to courts, and across research methods. In the first article, Amanda Sullivan and

Effectively managing a classroom is crucial in promoting positive student outcomes. Behavior-specific praise is an empirically supported strategy to reinforce desirable student behaviors. Following a review of the literature, we identified tactile prompting and self-monitoring as effective methods to increase teachers’ use of behavior-specific praise while sustaining intervention long enough until

We are happy to describe the contents of this issue of Exceptional Children. We have had the benefit of superb submissions that have been reviewed by highly qualified experts as we have assembled it. Here are snippets that we hope will encourage readers to reflect on each article. What is happening in preschool classrooms to promote literacy? Greenwood, Carta, Schnitz, Irvin, Jia, and Atwater reanalyzed

Drawing from a social network perspective, we examined the extent to which children with and without disabilities play with each other in preschool inclusive classrooms and identified malleable child characteristics that would support children forming these cross-status play interactions. A total of 200 children with disabilities and 301 children without disabilities participated in this study (Mage

The overrepresentation of youth with disabilities in the juvenile justice system is a persistent concern, but estimates of their involvement vary dramatically due to differences in how disability is conceptualized and when involvement in juvenile justice is measured. This study linked juvenile court and educational records for 230,760 students in one state to describe the involvement of students with

Summer reading programs are a form of extended school year services for students in special education. However, previous studies have not reported including high percentages of participants in special education, nor have studies sufficiently controlled for selection bias. This study combined propensity score weighting with partially clustered models to examine the effects of a summer reading program

Proficiency with fractions is one of the most significant predictors of later mathematics achievement. However, there are currently no meta-analyses that assess the literature base on fractions for students with or at risk for disabilities using quality indicators. We applied the 2014 Council for Exceptional Children Standards for Evidence-Based Practices in Special Education (CEC EBP) to 21 studies

Disproportionality research has been subject to multiple reviews, but there has been less critical examination of the policy dimension of this enduring educational problem. Given the relevance of federal policies, and interpretations thereof, to educators’ and scholars’ conceptualization of disproportionality and schools’ resultant policies and practices, we provide a brief overview of disproportionality