Congratulations to Alyssa Heller who on Monday, November 10, 2025, successfully defended her dissertation proposal.
The title of Alyssa’s dissertation is "NAVIGATING CHALLENGES TO ACHIEVING EQUITABLE GRADING: AN INTERPRETATIVE QUALITIVE STUDY TO SPECIAL EDUCATION TEACHERS IN SUBURBAN MIDDLE SCHOOL."
Overview of Problem: Although federal initiatives such as the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) and guidance from the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) promote educational equity, grading practices for students with disabilities (SWDs) remain inconsistent and often inequitable. Traditional systems emphasize compliance and performance over individual growth, disadvantaging SWDs and misrepresenting their learning. Special education teachers (SETs) frequently interpret grading policies independently, balancing fairness, accountability, and inclusion in their classrooms.
Research Purpose: This interpretive qualitative study aims to understand how SETs navigate the challenges of achieving equitable grading practices for SWDs in middle school inclusive classrooms.
Research Design: Drawing upon Karl Weick’s sensemaking theory, this study further explores how SETs interpret grading practices and apply their understanding to their grading decisions.
Sample: Participants include SETs in suburban middle schools in New York and New Jersey. Purposeful sampling will select educators who have completed a teacher education program, hold a valid teaching license, earned a master’s degree, co-taught in inclusive classrooms, and hold varying perspectives on equitable grading.
Data Collection: Data will be collected through semi-structured interviews, capturing SETs’ perspectives and decision-making on grading, and through document analysis of school and district grading policies, which provide context for institutional influences.
Dissertation Committee Chair:
Dr. Kenneth Mitchell
Dissertation Committee Members:
Dr. Martin Fitzgerald
Dr. Lynn Allen
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