Where Do Students with Disabilities Enroll in Texas Postsecondary Institutions?

Although a wealth of research has explained how postsecondary institutions can support students with disabilities, no studies have articulated which postsecondary institutions are best suited to enroll students with disabilities through quantitative measures over long periods of time. Given the contentious history of special education in Texas, it is critical to investigate how Texas postsecondary institutions support students with disabilities and which institutional characteristics best predict the enrollment of these students. This study explored which Texas postsecondary institutions have enrolled students with disabilities over a five-year period (2013-2017), ultimately informing how Texas education policies could be changed to support greater postsecondary access for this population. Data suggest institutions of lower research intensity and private non-profit postsecondary institutions in Texas have enrolled greater percentages of students with disabilities from 2013 to 2017. Additionally, instructional expenses and institutional grant aid positively predicted enrollment from 2013 to 2017, suggesting Texas postsecondary institutions could strategically spend funds to increase postsecondary access for students with disabilities. Implications for research, practice, and policy are addressed.Educatio

Talk Debt to Me: An Applied Linguistics Approach to Exploring College Student Preferences for Student Loan Debt Letters

Although student loan debt has been rigorously studied over the past several decades, scant research has investigated how institutions of higher education communicate debt to current and former student borrowers. As COVID-19 forced the United States Department of Education to cancel the Annual Student Loan Acknowledgement as part of a student’s signing of the master promissory note (MPN), there are no other mechanisms for students to be aware of their student loan debt beyond a debt letter from their institution or reviewing their National Student Loan Debt System (NSLDS) portal. This applied linguistics study surveyed 2,030 current student loan borrowers attending U.S. institutions of higher education to explore their preferences for receiving a student loan debt letter. Results suggest students of Color and first-generation in college students strongly prefer shorter, simpler letters, while there were no statistically significant preferences by gender. Implications for research and practice will be addressed

General education teachers' perceptions of inclusive education in Trinidad and Tobago

Teacher perceptions of inclusive education can have a significant impact on the educational opportunities for students with disabilities. Teacher perceptions will ultimately affect the manner in which teachers teach students with disabilities in their classrooms, namely, the way in which teachers offer the appropriate instruction for this population. This phenomenological study focused on general education teacher perceptions’ of inclusive education in Trinidad and Tobago. Research on inclusive education in Trinidad and Tobago suggested that this country has many challenges in creating a successful inclusive environment for students with disabilities but there has been limited insight into the experiences of teachers in these settings. Through in-depth interviews with ten general education teachers from pre-kindergarten and elementary school in Trinidad and Tobago, more detailed understanding was offered on their perceptions of inclusive education and their beliefs of the challenges that are impacting the current model of inclusive education. Data were transcribed, coded, analyzed, and member checked. Key findings from the data revealed that teachers in this study held positive perceptions of inclusive education but believed that improvement was needed in terms of training, and structure. Further, findings revealed that participants believed that societal constraints, infrastructure, governmental input, parent involvement, and teacher training, parent education and education for everyone on disability significantly impacted successful implementation of inclusive education in Trinidad and Tobago. Implications for policy and future research on inclusive education in Trinidad and Tobago are discussed.Special EducationSpecial Educatio

Special education services available in Trinidad and Tobago

This study was conducted to determine the extent to which publicly-funded special education services are available and accessible to students with disabilities in Trinidad and Tobago. Seventy participants completed a survey pertaining to the type and intensity of special education services available to their children, the extent to which they privately funded special education services, and the nature of services they desired that their children receive. This included their children having access to related services such as physical, speech and occupational therapy, more trained special education teachers and increased access to special education services across the country. Results indicated that comprehensive publicly-funded special education has not been achieved in Trinidad and Tobago, and that access to education is limited for children with disabilities. Recommendations for policy changes and future research are made.Special Educatio

Measuring College Students\u27 with Disabilities Attitudes Toward Taking COVID-19 Vaccines

This survey explores attitudes of 245 currently enrolled college students with disabilities regarding their comfort taking a COVID-19 vaccine. Results suggest most college students with disabilities are willing to take a COVID-19 vaccine if their institution requires it to return to campus in subsequent semesters. However, many students with disabilities would not feel comfortable with a vaccine mandate mid-semester and would consider withdrawing, especially among older students with disabilities and first generation college students with disabilities. Implications for postsecondary policy and leadership are addressed

Building Equitable Education Datasets for Developing Nations: Equity-Minded Data Collection and Disaggregation to Improve Schools, Districts, and Communities

Many studies of education engage with large datasets to attempt to solve educational problems. However, no studies have provided a systematic overview of how large datasets could be compiled with an eye toward solving educational problems related to equity, especially as it relates to racial, gender, and socioeconomic equity. This study provides a synthesis of literature and recommendations for how developing nations can learn from peers and collect, disaggregate, and analyze data in ways that promote equity, thus improving schools, school districts, and communities