Sarah Scribner headshot

Sara Scribner

Assistant Professor
Program Coordinator, Special Education
Office: PSU ED&SC Education Unit, Rounds Hall, Plymouth, NH 03264
Pronouns: She/her/hers

Education

PhD: Special Education, Syracuse University
CAS: Disability Studies, Syracuse University
MS: Inclusive Special Education - Multiple/Severe Disabilities, Syracuse University
BS: Inclusive Elementary and Special Education, Syracuse University

Biography

Sara Scribner, PhD, is a former inclusive special education with a passion for creating more just educational experiences for all students, including students with disabilities. As a public-school teacher, she co-taught across a variety of grade levels for students with complex support needs. Her research utilizes a critical lens and her interests include inclusive best practices (UDL, Differentiation, meaningful assessment practices, co-teaching), the intersections between "disability" and other forms of marginalization in schools, supporting students with challenging behavior in general education classrooms, classroom community and membership, and preparing inclusive social justice-oriented teachers. Alongside her work with educators, she also collaborates with families and/or school districts to evaluate current special education services and provide recommendations for ways to create more inclusive learning environments. ​ 

When not working, she loves to spend time outside: hiking, stand-up paddleboarding, kayaking, snowshoeing and many other activities, usually with her two large dogs.​

Scholarly Interests

Inclusive Best Practices, Supporting Students who exhibit Challenging Behavior, DisCrit and Critical Disability Studies, Community and Belonging

Select Publications and Conference Presentations

Scribner, S. (April 2023). Teachers’ Perceptions of their Current Support: Classroom, Community and Challenging Behavior. (Paper Presentation) American Educational Research Association, Chicago, IL.  

Scribner, S. & Tracy-Bronson, C. (March, 2023). Understanding Autism and Rethinking “Behavior” Through a Motor-Planning and Sensory Regulation Differences Lens (Presentation). Pacific Rim International Conference on Disability and Diversity, Honolulu, HI.  

Scribner, S. (April 2022). “Well, They Were _____: Pathologizing Disability to Justify Students on the Margins of Classroom Community.” (Paper Presentation). Society for Disability Studies, Virtual.  

McCarthy, M.D., & Scribner, S. (2023). Reframing K-12 Students Through Asset Based Collaboration Around Assessment Practices with Prospective Teachers. Currents,   46 (1). Retrieved from https://www.matsol.org/assets/Currents/MATSOL-Currents-v46n1-Sum2023.pdf 

Theoharis, G., Causton, J., Woodfield, C, & Scribner, S. (2020). Leading inclusive schools for students with disabilities. In G. Theoharis & M. Scanlan, (Eds.) Inclusive leadership for increasingly diverse schools (2nd Edition). New York, NY: Routledge.