The Research to Practice Gap
As a special educator, I struggled to find truly effective ways to support my students. I joined professional organizations, but didn’t have the time to sift through journals or navigate lengthy resource pages. I attended required professional development, yet it wasn’t always engaging—or useful.
Welcome to The Research to Practice Gap, a podcast created to bridge exactly that divide. Each month, I sit down with a researcher in the field of education to translate research into practical, evidence-based strategies and activities you can use in your classroom right away.
The Research to Practice Gap
Beyond Deficit Thinking: Culturally Responsive Teaching in Action
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In our first episode of The Research to Practice Gap, Dr. Helen Flores sits down with Dr. Buruuj Tunsill to explore how educators can better serve racially, ethnically, and linguistically diverse (RELD) students in special education — particularly in under-resourced and high-needs schools.
This episode bridges research and lived classroom experience, offering concrete strategies educators can begin using immediately.
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Dr. Tunsill's Book:
Resources for Teachers
- Recognizing Bias by the National Education Association
- Tools to Avoid and Address Deficit Thinking — University of Tennessee
- Transforming Urban Education Through Hip Hop Pedagogy — Edmund Adjapong
- Sparking Engagement with Hip Hop — Edutopia
- Culturally Responsive Teaching Guide — University of San Diego
- Strategies and Resources to Support Trauma-Informed Schools — SchoolSafety.gov
Research Articles Referenced
Cruz, R. A., & Rodl, J. E. (2018). An Integrative Synthesis of Literature on Disproportionality in Special Education. The Journal of Special Education, 52(1), 50–63. https://doi.org/10.1177/0022466918758707
Katsiyannis, A., Zhang, D., Ettekal, I., et al. (2025). Minority Representation in Special Education: 5-Year Trends from 2016–2020. Advances in Neurodevelopmental Disorders, 9, 23–36. https://doi.org/10.1007/s41252-023-00387-6
La Salle, T. P., Wang, C., Wu, C., & Rocha Neves, J. (2020). Racial Mismatch among Minoritized Students and White Teachers: Implications and Recommendations for Moving Forward. Journal of Educational and Psychological Consultation, 30(3), 314–343. https://doi.org/10.1080/10474412.2019.1673759
Rasheed, D. S., Brown, J. L., Doyle, S. L., & Jennings, P. A. (2020). The Effect of Teacher–Child Race/Ethnicity Matching and Classroom Diversity on Children's Socioemotional and Academic Skills. Child Development, 91(3), e597–e618. https://doi.org/10.1111/cdev.13275
Bal, A., Kozleski, E. B., Schrader, E. M., Rodriguez, E. M., & Pelton, S. (2014). Systemic Transformation from the Ground–Up: Using Learning Lab to Design Culturally Responsive Schoolwide Positive Behavioral Supports. Remedial and Special Education, 35(6), 327–339. https://doi.org/10.1177/0741932514536995
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