Parent involvement and leadership have evolved over time and carry different meanings within various educational contexts in the United States. In special education, parent involvement includes the roles that parents of children with disabilities play in the development of their children’s Individualized Education Programs (IEPs), as well as in leadership and policy development and evaluation. In spite of the purported benefits of parent leadership in educational planning and policy, little research has been conducted on models that intentionally build critical skills and leadership opportunities among parents of children with disabilities. This article describes results associated with a leadership development project known as “Parents as Collaborative Leaders” (PACL) in which parents from across the United States participated in a leadership curriculum and individualized internship experiences at the local, state, and national levels. Participants reported a number of positive outcomes, including skills and experiences gained through curriculum and internship experiences, increased participation in leadership and policy activities, increased networking and relationships, and a sense of leading for a larger purpose. The article describes the development and implementation of the PACL model, outcomes associated with a subset of participants, and implications for policy and practice.

In this article, Kervick and colleagues posit that restorative practices (RP) implementation promises to mitigate educational inequities resulting from discipline disparities for youth with disabilities and youth of color. Recent efforts to reduce these disparities have emphasized more relational approaches to behavioral change. Kervick et al. argue that nonpunitive restorative approaches promise to mitigate discipline disparities for racialized youth and youth with disabilities within a schoolwide multitiered systems of support framework only if implemented with an emphasis on educational access and equity. They offer practical tools and strategies to support teachers with implementation of inclusive, accessible, and equitable Tier 1 restorative circles.

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Background: There are many examples of school-based interventions involving a service learning project aimed at helping students with disabilities, but it is potentially more impactful on the students with disabilities for them to be active participants in service learning, rather than merely its recipients. Purpose: The purpose of this article is to present a synthesis and analysis of all available research studies focused on service learning where the students with disabilities were active participants in the service learning, rather than passive recipients of interventions. Methodology/Approach: We assessed all available studies ( N = 13), including eight peer-reviewed journal articles and five dissertations, for content and for research quality according to established design standards for quantitative ( n = 3), qualitative ( n = 6), and mixed methods ( n = 4) research. Findings/Conclusions: Favorable evidence in support of service learning participation for students with disabilities exists in the available qualitative and mixed methods research, but evidence from quantitative research is lacking. Implications: The activity-based, often motivating opportunities to learn and apply a wide range of academic and functional life skills are abundant in service learning. We urge practitioners to consider implementing this practice, while also noting the need for more empirical research.

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