Trent McLaurin, Ph.D.

Before joining La Salle, Dr. McLaurin was a special education practitioner in a variety of K-12 school settings. He has experience as an ABA therapist at a private school, special education teacher and behavioral specialist in a public-school district, and as a special education administrator for a k-12 charter school network. These experiences have shaped his passion for education equality for students identified for special education as well as teacher/administrator preparation to meet the needs of all students.

Dr. McLaurin earned a Ph.D. in Education with specialization in Special Education and a secondary emphasis in Counseling from George Mason University. His research area of focus is centered around critical studies and special education. More specifically, the intersection of race and disability status, trauma-informed pedagogy as well as the impact of systems on outcomes of students with disabilities.

Dissertation title: Self-monitoring strategy with a cross-age peer mentoring component for the disruptive behaviors of young students with emotional and behavioral disabilities.

Areas of Expertise

• Special Education
• Teaching students with emotional and behavioral disabilities
• Classroom and Behavioral Management
• Trauma-Informed Pedagogy

Education

• A., Psychology, George Mason University
• A., Education and Human Development, George Washington University
• D., Education, George Mason University

Teaching

• Education Diversity in America
• Assessment, Accommodations, and Adaptations for Students with Disabilities
• Seminar in Special Education

Presentations

McLaurin, T. & Hawkins, D. (2021). Building school capacity to work with students with emotional and behavioral disabilities, Convention workshop (accepted) to be presented at Council for Exceptional Children, Baltimore, MD.

McLaurin, T. (2020). Recruitment, retention, and equity during challenging times: Through a trauma informed lens, Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) and the Philadelphia Institutions of Higher Education Educator Diversity Consortium’s Aspiring to Educate (A2E) Working Group Presents: A Virtual Summit to Address Culturally Relevant and Sustaining Education in Pennsylvania.

McLaurin, T & Chambers, J. (2018, Winter). Leading Cross-Culturally. Main Speakers at YoungLives Summit. Baltimore, MD.

McLaurin, T. (2017, Fall). School to Prison Pipeline. Educators Panel at the Frequency Conference, Philadelphia, PA.

McLaurin, T. (2016, Fall). How to get connected with local schools. Administrators Panel at Young Life Summit, Philadelphia, PA.

McLaurin, T. (2014, Spring). Connecting family, community, and schools: Interventions with promising effects. Poster session presented at Council for Exceptional Children. Philadelphia, PA.