Rehabilitation Psychology and Special Education

Andrea Ruppar

Professor

ruppar@wisc.edu

(608) 263-5791

440 Education Building
1000 Bascom Mall
Madison, WI 53706

Ruppar, Andrea

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Andrea L. Ruppar, Ph.D. is a Professor in the Department of Rehabilitation Psychology and Special Education at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. Her research focuses on inclusive education and access to the general curriculum for students with autism and developmental disabilities, special education teacher preparation and practice, and the social and organizational contexts that shape decisions in special education. She has authored numerous peer-reviewed publications, book chapters, and practitioner resources. Her work has been supported by the U.S. Department of Education Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP), the Institute for Education Sciences (IES), and the Spencer Foundation. Dr. Ruppar is an active leader in TASH, a research and advocacy organization focused on individuals with the most significant disabilities, and serves on the editorial boards of Teacher Education and Special Education, Exceptional Children, Remedial and Special Education, Education and Training in Autism and Developmental Disabilities, and Research and Practice for Persons with Severe Disabilities. She is the inaugural co-editor of Inclusive Practices, a research-to-practice journal published by TASH. She co-authored the text Equitable and Inclusive IEPs for Students with Complex Support Needs (Ruppar & Kurth, 2023), and was a editorial contributor to High Leverage Practices and Students with Extensive Support Needs (Pennington et al., 2023) and the 4th edition of COACH: Choosing Outcomes and Accommodations for Children (Giangreco et al., 2026). Dr. Ruppar is accepting Ph.D. students for the upcoming academic year.

Education

  • PhD Special Education, University of Illinois at Urbana – Champaign, 2011
  • M Ed Special Education, University of Washington, 2004
  • BS Vocal Performance and Sociology, Indiana University – Bloomington, 2000

Select Publications

  • Toews, S. G., Johnston, R., Kurth, J. A., Ruppar, A., McQueston, J. A., & McCabe, K. M. (2020). Alignment of supplementary aids and services with student needs and placement. Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities
  • Li, L., & Ruppar, A. (In Press). Conceptualizing teacher education for inclusive education: A systematic and international review. Teacher Education and Special Education
  • McCabe, K. M., Ruppar, A., Kurth, J. A., McQueston, J. A., Gross, S. M., & Johnston, R. (2020). Cracks in the continuum: A critical analysis of least restrictive environment for students with significant support needs. Teachers College Record, 122(5)
  • Kurth, J. A., Burke, K., Ruppar, A., & Lockman-Turner, E. (In Press). Curricular Philosophies Reflected in IEP Goals for Students with Complex Support Needs. Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities
  • Miller, A., Allcock, H. C., Kurth, J. L., Morningstar, M. E., & Ruppar, A. (In Press). Teacher agency for inclusive education: An international scoping review. International Journal of Inclusive Education
  • Kurth, J., McQueston, J., Ruppar, A., Toews, S., McCabe, K., & Johnston, R. (2019). An analysis of parent input in IEP development. Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities
  • Kurth, J., Ruppar, A., Gross, S. M., McCabe, K., McQueston, J., & Johnston, R. (2019). Considerations in placement decisions for students with extensive support needs: An analysis of LRE statements. Research and Practice for Persons with Severe Disabilities, 44, 3-19.
  • Ruppar, A., Roberts, C. A., & Olson, A. J. (2018). Developing expertise in teaching students with extensive support needs: A roadmap. Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, 56, 412-426.
  • Ruppar, A., Knight, V., McQueston, J., & Jeglum, S. (2018). Involvement and progress in the general curriculum: A grounded theory of the process. Remedial and Special Education
  • Kurth, J., Ruppar, A., McCabe, K. M., McQueston, J., Gross, S., & Johnston, R. (2018). Types of supplementary aids and services for students with significant support needs. Journal of Special Education

Select Presentations

  • Ruppar, A., McQueston, J. A., Yang, Y. R., Li, L., Barofsky, K., Bubash, S., Xin, W., Pant, N., & McCabe, K. M. (2019, December). Alternate assessment: What purpose is it serving? Poster presented at the TASH Annual Conference, Phoenix, AZ.
  • Ruppar, A., & McCabe, K. M. (2019, December). Emergency-certified rural special educators: Implications for professional development and inclusion. Poster presented at the TASH Annual Conference, Phoenix, AZ.
  • Ruppar, A., Kurth, J. A., Bubash, S., & Turner, E. L. (2019, December). Functional Skills in the 21st century: A conversation. Oral Presentation presented at the TASH Annual Conference, Phoenix, AZ.
  • Ruppar, A., Kurth, J. A., Toews, S. G., McCabe, K. M., & McQueston, J. A. (2019, December). Reporting present levels of performance: Narratives and their consequences for students with significant support needs. Oral Presentation presented at the TASH Annual Conference, Phoenix, AZ.
  • McQueston, J. A., & Ruppar, A. (2019, May). Ask Yourself: A comprehension self-questioning strategy at the elementary level. Poster presented at the Association for Behavior Analysis International Annual Meeting, Chicago, IL.
  • Ruppar, A., Snodgrass, M., Corr, C., Roberts, C., & Peck, C. (2019, April). The complexity of mixing research paradigms: Mixed methods research combining qualitative with single-case designs. Panel presented at the American Educational Research Association Annual Meeting, Toronto, ON.
  • Kurth, J., Ruppar, A., McCabe, K., Toews, S., & McQueston, J. (2019, January). An analysis of placement decisions for students with extensive support needs. Oral Presentation presented at the Council for Exceptional Children Division on Autism and Developmental Disabilities Annual Conference, Kahului, HI.
  • McQueston, J., & Ruppar, A. (2019, January). Ask yourself: A preliminary study of a self-questioning strategy. Poster presented at the Council for Exceptional Children Division on Autism and Developmental Disabilities Annual Conference, Kahului, HI.
  • Kurth, J., Ruppar, A., McCabe, K., Toews, S., & McQueston, J. (2019, January). Supplementary aids and services: Patterns and implications for inclusive education. Poster presented at the Council for Exceptional Children Division on Autism and Developmental Disabilities Annual Conference, Kahului, HI.
  • Burke, K., Shogren, K., Kurth, J., & Ruppar, A. (2018, November). Analyzing individualized education program annual goals for students with significant support needs. Oral Presentation presented at the TASH Annual Conference, Portland, OR.

Select Awards and Honors

  • Early Career Research Award, TASH, 2019
  • Early Career Publication Award, Council for Exceptional Children Teacher Education Division, 2017
  • Outstanding Student Research Award, American Educational Research Association, Special Education Research SIG, 2013
  • Student Research Award (Qualitative), Council for Exceptional Children Division of Research, 2012