No abstract

The paraeducator workforce as well as the breadth of their responsibilities to serve students in special education has increased considerably in public schools. Unfortunately, research to identify the most effective methods for training paraeducators has not kept pace. Addressing this dynamic, through an implementation science framework, requires a better understanding of contextual factors. In this study, focus groups (FGs) with paraeducators and teachers were conducted to examine (a) responsibilities, training needs, and related issues of paraprofessionals; (b) training needs and related issues of teachers as supervisors of paraeducators; and (c) factors that support or impede special educators’ self-efficacy and their perception of competence of their colleagues. Four FGs, homogeneous based on role and assignment (mild vs. moderate-to-severe disabilities), were conducted utilizing a semistructured interview protocol. Qualitative content analysis revealed important challenges and training-related deficiencies experienced by both teachers and paraeducators, as well as suggestions for addressing these issues.

Since the Declaration of Salamanca in 1994, many countries, including China, have been moving toward a more inclusive approach to schooling. This column discusses the history, status quo, and future directions of Chinese inclusive education. It also examines facilitators, barriers, and challenges in the development and implementation of Chinese inclusive education and provides corresponding recommendations.

The purpose of this study is to examine the bidirectional relationship between children’s language development and challenging behaviors as well as the moderating roles of gender and race/ethnicity. We conducted a number of structural equation modeling analyses with a national representative sample ( N = 2,462) of Head Start children from the 2014 Head Start Family and Child Experiences Survey. Results suggest that there is no bidirectional relationship between vocabulary development and challenging behavior in the full sample. However, gender, race/ethnicity, and the interaction between the two moderate associations between language and behavior.

The social validity of intervention research has been emphasized in special education and related fields for decades. There is relatively little focus on social validity that considers culturally and linguistically diverse populations. Eleven articles met the inclusionary criteria for this systematic review and were evaluated to describe social validity in early language intervention research—specifically with young (birth through 5 years) dual language learners (DLLs). We examined how social validity was considered and addressed, how social validity was measured, and the results of social validity assessments. Definitions of social validity were generally vague, and researchers in most studies only considered social validity post intervention rather than prior to starting or during the interventions. Participants generally viewed interventions positively, but incomplete data were often reported.