Abstract
Before I discuss the articles in this issue, I would like to extend a heartfelt congratulations to Drs. Haines, Giangreco, Shepherd, Suter, and Moore, who were given the 2022 Rural Special Education Quarterly (RSEQ) Research Article of the Year Award for their article, “Examination and Redesign of Inclusive Special Education Service Delivery in a Rural School.” In addition, I want to offer a sincere thank you to Dr. Aftynne Cheek, winner of this year’s RSEQ Reviewer of the Year Award. Dr. Cheek has provided consistent, high-quality reviews of manuscripts submitted to RSEQ.
In the second issue of Volume 42, I am pleased to present three research reports, a program description, and a position paper. In the first research report, Barnard-Brak, Fearon-Drake, and Mutua employed a survey to examine differences in the receipt and delivery of extended school year (ESY) services in the United States by locale: rural, urban, or suburban. Results indicated significant differences in the percentage of students receiving ESY services according to locale, with rural local education agencies (LEAs) having significantly lower percentages of students receiving ESY services. The researchers also found that urban special education directors were significantly more likely to report that there should be less students receiving ESY services while their rural counterparts were less likely to report the same information. Implications for practice, as well as limitations, are discussed by the authors.
Next, Joy Mahiko presents the results of a study on understanding how work experiences in rural communities can be sustained and improved for youth with disabilities. Employing a basic qualitative research design, Mahiko captured the perspectives of rural community members in the U.S. state of Hawai’i who provided work experiences for these youth. Data analysis revealed three key factors for sustaining work experience partnerships between schools and community members: effective communication, competent personnel, and the dispositions of students. The findings also revealed that there were missed opportunities for youth with disabilities during their work experiences. These findings provide insight into how work experiences can be sustained and improved for rural youth with disabilities.
Bundock, Rolf, Hornberger, and Halliday describe the Utah State Board of Education’s professional development (PD) model for secondary mathematics co-teaching, evaluate the model’s outcomes on co-teachers’ behaviors and beliefs, and examine the impact of co-teaching on students’ mathematics achievement. The authors examined data from observations, surveys, and students’ pre/postassessments across nine classes within seven school districts, including three rural school districts, over 3 years. They report data from 19 teachers and 281 students in Grades 6 through 9. Results indicate the PD participants implemented effective co-teaching strategies and reported positive viewpoints toward co-teaching. In addition, students with and without disabilities improved their mathematics scores. The authors discuss key findings in the context of guiding future implementation and research in rural schools.
In their program description, Swails, Bellinger, Zhang, Punt, Tepper, and Nelson explain how the Telehealth ROCKS (Rural Outreach for the Children of Kansas) Schools project partnered with school-based health centers, school districts, and special education cooperatives to provide a range of telebehavioral health intervention services and teletraining to address behavioral and mental health needs of Kansas’ rural and underserved communities. This project used the Project ECHO telementoring framework to connect specialty providers with school/community providers for Web-based continuing education and case consultation to support students with special education needs. The team created the Function Friday for Better Behavior ECHO series, based on the concept of functional behavior assessment and function-based treatment, to address challenging behaviors in schools. The authors describe how (a) the ECHO series provided an effective mechanism for supporting school and community providers during the pandemic, and (b) participating educators utilized skills as they transitioned from onsite education to the virtual learning environment with students.
To close this issue, T. Tomeny, Hudac, Malaia, Morett, K. Tomeny, Watkins, and Kana present a position paper exploring the needs of rural families of children, adolescents, and adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) during and beyond the age of COVID-19. The authors note that disparities such as elevated stress in families of individuals with ASD and health and socioeconomic disparities for rural and underserved populations were exacerbated due to COVID-19. They focus on special considerations for rural families regarding (a) neurobiological and developmental impacts of stressful experiences like COVID-19, (b) delineation of the impacts on individuals with ASD and other comorbid and related conditions, and (c) education and intervention needs during these times. Finally, the authors offer suggestions for future care during pandemic events, including recommendations for improving service delivery under such conditions.
I would like to thank all the authors who contributed to Volume 42, Issue 2. I hope our readers enjoy this new issue and will be able to use some of the ideas in their own community of practice.