Educators need evidence of the highest standards to make informed decisions about policies and practices that help students with disabilities reach their full potential.

To help partners get the information they need, SRI Education designs and conducts cutting-edge research and rigorous impact evaluations around teaching and learning of students with disabilities. Our descriptive, correlational and experimental studies in special education and disability inclusion focus on the critical areas of universal design for learning; alternative assessment; response to intervention; digital tools for accessibility and learning; and science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education for students with disabilities.

Read about more research and findings from SRI Education on disability inclusion for education:

• Science Notebook in a Universal Design for Learning Environment (SNUDLE) (STEM)
• A Unified Research Agenda for 6-12 Online Learning Environments to Improve STEM Outcomes for Students with LD and Students with ASD
• Montana Continuous Improvement in Literacy Partnership (literacy)
• Impact Evaluation of Response to Intervention Strategies (literacy)
• NSF Co-organized Learning Environment for Middle School Science (CORGI-2)
• NSF Inventing, Designing, and Engineering on the Autism Spectrum (IDEAS)
• IES REL NEI
• Center on Inclusive Software for Learning (CISL)

Longitudinal studies of nationally representative samples enable researchers to observe the learning trajectories of students in special education across all disability categories and age ranges.

After IDEA was passed, SRI Education pioneered the special education and disability studies that documented the characteristics, outcomes and services for children and youth with disabilities. Beginning with the first National Longitudinal Transition Study, we have assembled a successful portfolio of longitudinal studies providing our partners with national information about the full range of students receiving services under IDEA. By tracking students’ progress and observing the supports they receive at key points in their learning trajectories, we inform disability education policies and practices that continue to strengthen inclusion in schools. 

Learn more about the large-scale impact of SRI Education work for the rights of disability inclusion:

• National Longitudinal Transition Study-2 (NLTS2)
• Special Education Elementary Longitudinal Study (SEELS)
• National Early Intervention Longitudinal Study (NEILS)
• Success Predictors in Postsecondary STEM Education and Employment for Students with Autism
• Mixed-Methods Exploration of Factors Associated with Postsecondary Success for English Language Learners with Disabilities

To improve the services provided under IDEA, educators, administrators and policymakers need technical assistance to understand and implement effective practices and systems that meet the needs of students with disabilities and their families.

SRI Education provides universal, targeted and intensive technical assistance to state, regional and local educators, administrators and policymakers based on needs. We help our partners synthesize research on best practices in disability education; develop and select inclusive programs and interventions; build capacity for collecting and using high-quality data; and create, expand and improve data systems.

Find more SRI Education resources on systemic improvements for students with disabilities:

• Center for IDEA Early Childhood Data Systems (DaSy)
• IDEA Data Quality Center
• National Center for Systemic Improvement (NCSI)
• Early Childhood Technical Assistance Center (ECTA)
• Model Demonstration Coordination Center (MDCC)
• Center to Improve Programs and Project Performance (CIP-3)

Educators need accessible technologies and assessments that provide students with disabilities and their nondisabled peers with multiple means of engagement, representation and expression.     

As part of an institute with a long history of technological innovation, SRI Education offers unique opportunities for our partners to explore new approaches to accessibility and universal design for learning. We collaborate with other SRI divisions (computer vision, artificial intelligence, speech and natural language and robotics) to apply our innovative technologies to improve learning outcomes for students with disabilities. We also work with industry leaders to codesign and implement software and tools that support inclusive education for students with ​​disabilities.