Skip to main content Skip to main navigation Skip to footer content

Kremen School of Education and Human Development

William Garnett

Assistant Professor

Literacy, Early, Bilingual and Special Education | 559-278-0448 | Office: ED 341

wgarnett@mail.fresnostate.edu

Education

University of Nevada, Las Vegas, Las Vegas, NV
Ph.D. in Special Education, August, 2014

California State University, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA
M.A. in Special Education, December, 2005 

University of Montana, Missoula, MT
B.A. in English, May 1995

Courses Taught

  • SPED 299 Thesis
  • SPED 298 Project
  • SPED 243 Applications of Reserarch Methods in Special Education
  • SPED 233 Special Educator as Researcher
  • SPED 176 Final Practicum in Mild/Moderate Disabilities 
  • SPED 160 Fieldwork in Special Education 
  • SPED 158 Differentiated Instruction in Inclusive Secondary Settings 
  • SPED 146 Assessment and Instruction for Students with Moderate to Severe Disabilities
  • SPED 145 Designing Effective Environments for Students with Moderate to Severe Disabilities
  • SPED 130 Assessing Students with Special Needs
  • SPED 120 Introduction to Special Education
William Garnett is an Assistant Professor of Special Education in the Department of Literacy, Early, Bilingual, and Special Education in the Kremen School of Education and Human Development and the program coordinator for the Master's in Special Education. He came to Fresno State in 2015 from the Pacific Northwest where he ran a transition program for students with disabilities ages 18-21. He earned a Ph.D. from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas in Special Education with an emphasis in intellectual and specific learning disabilities. He has ten years of public-school teaching experience as a special educator, and has worked in public schools in California, Oregon, and Washington State. He has also been a community support provider for adults with disabilities. 
 
Areas of Expertise
  • Transition planning, program development and implementation
  • Special education law and policy
  • Single-subject design
  • Inclusive practices
  • Individualized education program (IEP) development and implementation
  • Functional skill development, assessment, and instructional practices
Research Interests
  • Criminal justice system and individuals with disabilities
  • Disability studies in education
  • Transition services and practices rural settings for students with moderate/severe disabilities
  • School discipline and students with disabilities
  • Special education law and policy
  • Disproportionate representation (school discipline and incarceration)
  • Multi-cultural issues in special education
Publications

Nguyen, N., Darling, S., Peralta, C., Mosier, W., & Garnett, W. (2021). A collaborative and supplemental model to enhance early language and reading skills. The Reading Teacher, 74(4), 469-473. DOI: https://doi: 10.1002/trtr.1984

Nguyen, N., Garnett, W., Leytham, P., & Gelfer, J. (2018). Improving reading comprehension skills of students with autism spectrum disorder: A supplemental guide for early childhood educators in inclusive settings. The Reading Professor, 41(1), 36-47.

Presentations
Garnett, W. (2019, March). Access denied? Required course work on disability for law students. Presented at the 34th Annual Pacific Rim International Conference on Disability and Diversity, Honolulu, HI. 

Garnett, W. (2018, September). Becoming a special educator. Presented at Make a Difference-TEACH! Conference, Fresno, CA

Garnett, W. (2017, February.) Teacher social-emotional status and student behavior. Presented at Western Regional Noyce Conference, Fresno, CA.

Garnett, W. (2016, April). Risky business: Suspension/expulsion of students with disabilities from 2006 to 2011. Presented at the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) 2016 Special Education Convention and Expo, America’s Center Convention Complex, St. Louis, MO.

Juarez, S.W. & Garnett, W. (2016, April). Preparing secondary general educators to implement universal design for learning: The effectiveness of an online module. Poster session presented at the Spring 2016 Conference of the California Council on Teacher Education (CCTE), San Jose, CA.

Garnett, W. (2015, November). Risk and race: Suspension/expulsion of students with disabilities from 2006 to 2011. Presented at the Cesar Chavez Inequalities and Social Justice in Education, Teacher Education, and Mental Health Conference, Fresno, CA.

Garnett, W. (2012, May). Dangerous intersections: Individuals with intellectual disabilities and the criminal justice system. Poster session presented at the 12th Annual Second City International Conference on Disability Studies in Education at Hunter College, New York, NY.