Special Education Research to Practice in Action (SPED R2PA) Article series

The Special Education Research to Practice Center is pleased to announce the first articles in our  Special Education Research to Practice in Action (SPED R2PA) article series. Congratulations to all!

1. Intersecting Visibility: Unseen and Misread to Visible and Supported Black First-Generation Doctoral Women with ADHD Doctoral by Verlonda ‘Lonnie’ Johnson-Baker

2. Speech Generating Device Design for Classroom Contexts by Katie Kostin

3. Impact of a Hybrid Pilot Peer-Reading Program on Reading Motivation and Achievement for Children with Reading Difficulties by Joanna Gu

4. Coaching that Works: Practical Guidance for Supporting Special Educators with Behavior Management by Amy Wasersztein

5. Supporting Historical Thinking Skills for Secondary Social Studies Teachers Using Culturally and Historically Responsive Education in Inclusive Classrooms by Latesha Watson

6. Designing a Performance-Based, Interview-Informed Synthesized Contingency Analysis in a Special Education Classroom by Tess Fruchtman

7. Reversing the MTSS Pyramid: Preparing School Counselors for Tier 3-Dominant Post-Pandemic Schools by Alexis L. Washington

SPED R2P Faculty Mini-Grant Competition

The Special Education Research to Practice Center is pleased to announce the winners of the SPED R2P Faculty Mini-Grant competition. This funding opportunity provides internal funding to support faculty research aligned with special education, inclusive education, and/or disability studies, while also promoting interdisciplinary collaboration and preparation for external grant opportunities. Congratulations!
 

1. Improving Instruction and Reducing Disproportionate Identification of Multilingual Learners Through Schoolwide Professional Development
Principal Investigator: Sabina Neugebauer

Multilingual learners of English (MLEs) are disproportionately identified for special education services, often due to challenges in distinguishing language differences from learning disabilities and inconsistent implementation of evidence-based instructional practices. This pilot study examines the effectiveness of a schoolwide professional development model designed to improve Tier 1 instruction and strengthen Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) in urban elementary schools serving multilingual learners. The model provides aligned professional development for teachers, principals, assistant principals, and ESL coordinators to promote coordinated instructional practices, assessment procedures, and decision-making processes. Using a randomized wait-list control design across eight elementary schools, the study will evaluate the impact of the program on reducing the number of multilingual learners requiring intervention services while exploring educators’ perceptions of the practices and systems introduced through the training. Quantitative analyses will examine student literacy outcomes and intervention identification rates, while qualitative focus groups will provide insight into implementation and educator experiences. Findings will inform future large-scale research and offer guidance for schools seeking to improve instructional support and reduce disproportionate identification of multilingual learners in special education.

2. Composing Disabled Histories and Futures in Philadelphia: A Place Conscious Approach to Disability History Education
Primary Investigator: Molly Siuty

Composing Disabled Histories and Futures in Philadelphia is a community-engaged research project that explores how Philadelphia’s disability histories, communities, and cultural resources can support disability-inclusive education. Grounded in Disability-Centered Culturally Sustaining Pedagogies and place-conscious pedagogy, the study will engage educators, disability rights advocates, and community members in archival research, community asset mapping, and story circles. Using Critical Participatory Action Research, participants will collaboratively identify community-based assets for teaching disability history and advancing educational equity. Findings will inform the development of a disability-inclusive curriculum, create a community archive of disability histories, and support future large-scale research on disability history education and social justice.