Dissertation Proposal Announcement Ph.D. Program: Karin Garver, “Unraveling Policy Barriers: A Study of Preschool Inclusion”

Legislative requirements, recommendations from government and education organizations, and a growing body of empirical research support the inclusion of preschoolers with disabilities in high-quality programs alongside their typically developing peers. However, federal data indicate that the percentage of preschoolers with disabilities served in inclusive settings has hovered at or below 50% for over 40 years. Placement in inclusive settings also varies by state, home language, race/ethnicity, age, gender and disability type. Although these facts are recognized in the literature, the reasons why rates of inclusion in preschool remain unchanged and vary as they do are unclear. More specifically, the potential impact of state-funded preschool policies around access, quality, and funding mechanisms has not been explored as a potential factor contributing to higher or lower rates of inclusion.

The primary purpose of this dissertation study is to contribute to our understanding of inclusive preschool and policy implementation by offering insights as to whether specific state policies influence rates of inclusion. I will address the gap between evidence of the potential benefits of high quality inclusive programs for preschoolers with disabilities, and current practice. This study will investigate how rates of inclusion have (or have not) changed over time in relation to state preschool enrollment, how rates of inclusion vary based on current state definitions and policies to support high-quality inclusion, and whether state special education funding methods influence inclusion rates. To provide theoretical context for the study, I will draw upon Ecological Systems Theory which demands that we look at the way policies developed at the state level impact the delivery of services at the local level, and the Ambiguity-Conflict Model of policy implementation, which pushes us to examine the clarity of and resources behind those policies and how they impact implementation.