Drawing on analyses of a subset of teacher quality studies in which student outcomes were used as a dependent variable (Hess, 2001; Walsh, 2001), the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB; 2001) challenged traditional concepts of good teaching by emphasizing content mastery and verbal ability and downplaying the importance of pedagogy. In turn, the belief that pedagogy is a less powerful determinant o...

Teaching in 21st-century schools cannot easily be separated from technology-based solutions. Instead, technology is increasingly becoming an essential tool for any teacher’s toolbox, especially the new teacher who is often considered a digital native (i.e., someone who has grown up with digital technologies) (Prensky, 2005). Whether it is online state assessments, Internet-based grade books, wi...

Researchers investigated the effects of a read-aloud modification on students' performance on a reading comprehension test. A total of 338 students in Grades 4 and 5 participated; 76 of these students (22%) received special education services, the majority of whom were labeled learning disabled. Students completed a standardized reading comprehension test under two conditions: (a) standard admi...

Although during recent years in the field of special education there has been much debate regarding inclusion and people’s beliefs around disability, it is suggested that what has been lacking in many of the discussions is any coherent guiding philosophy that helps direct research in this area. The paper proposes that critical realism, developed by philosopher Roy Bhaskar, may provide such a fr...

School nurses are often called on teach sexual health without being given any formal teacher training or support. This article describes a study of the experiences of 50 school nurses. The author suggests ways in which schools and their nurses could create supportive and complementary teaching partnerships for effective sex education.

Distributed leadership can enhance the professional learning communities of schools. The present study explored the leadership experience of Jordanian special education teachers, and their perceptions of common constraints to leadership. A mixed method design was used, including a survey (n = 136) and an interview (n = 23). Results indicated that special education teachers had little experience...

Research strongly supports including students with extensive support needs in general education settings and providing them access to the general curriculum. Yet, there is limited research indicating how to provide them authentic access to this curriculum. This article explores several instructional approaches to provide access including (a) use of existing general education practices with stud...

As state legislatures across the United States continue to permit younger juvenile defendants to be tried in adult court, juvenile competence to stand trial has become an issue of increasing legal and forensic significance. This study examined competency to stand trial in a sample of preadjudicated and petitioned juvenile defendants. Results revealed that juveniles deemed unfit to stand trial w...