Rate My Professor Amy McCart

Amy McCart is a distinguished Research Professor at the University of Kansas' Life Span Institute and Adjunct Faculty member in the Department of Special Education. As Director of the SWIFT Education Center—a national pre-K-12 research and technical assistance initiative—she leads efforts to enhance educational outcomes for all students, with a particular emphasis on students of color and those with the most extensive support needs. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Applied Behavioral Sciences (Human Development and Family Life: Early Childhood Education), a Master of Arts in Special Education, and a Ph.D. in Special Education, all obtained from the University of Kansas. Throughout her career, McCart has forged extensive partnerships with state education agencies, local education agencies, and schools nationwide, facilitating the effective implementation of integrated Multi-Tiered Systems of Supports (MTSS) from coast to coast. Her work as Principal Investigator on multiple center research projects focuses on developing effective instructional leaders to drive equity and inclusion.

McCart's academic interests encompass equity-based inclusive school reform, MTSS, Positive Behavior Support, Response to Intervention, family engagement in early childhood, technical assistance for sustainable transformation, and social justice in education. She is the author of the national education bestseller "Leading Equity-Based MTSS for All Students" and the more recent "Build Equity, Join Justice: A Paradigm for School Belonging." Notable peer-reviewed publications include "Re-conceptualizing inclusive education through multi-tiered system of support" (Inclusion, 2018), "Effects of an equity-based model of inclusive school reform on math achievement of students with IEPs" (2018), "Improving learning for all students through equity-based inclusive reform practices" (Remedial and Special Education, 2016), "All means all: Building knowledge for inclusive schoolwide transformation" (Research & Practice for Persons with Severe Disabilities, 2015), and "A framework for inclusive educational delivery systems" (Inclusion, 2014). Through her contributions to journals, handbooks, and technical briefs, McCart has profoundly impacted the field by promoting rightful presence, systemic change, and improved life outcomes for children, especially in urban and diverse settings.