TDNet Discover

The purpose of this case study was to explore potential gaps in supports for students with disabilities at the K-12 and postsecondary levels. For the utility of this study, the potential gaps in supports for students with disabilities were defined as recurring patterns and differences in federal and state-level laws and regulations pertaining to the education of students with disabilities. This study was grounded in cognitive learning theory, allowing for the researcher to build upon existing knowledge based on the experiences of disabled students. The study utilized a qualitative content analysis of federal and state-level laws, limited to those in the state of Louisiana, in which all current laws and regulations relating to the education of disabled students are analyzed. The laws and regulations are published on government websites and are accessible by the public. For this study, the laws and regulations were used verbatim. The primary research question explored in this study was: “What gaps, if any, exist between disabled student supports in K-12 education and higher education?”. In the study, coding software was used to code data and develop themes to allow the conduction of a thematic analysis and the identification of potential gaps.