The Center on Standards, Alignment, Instruction, and Learning (C-SAIL), examines how college- and career-readiness (CCR) standards are implemented, if they improve student learning, and what instructional tools measure and support their implementation. This brief presents findings from C-SAIL's Implementation Study, which uses interview and survey…

The Center on Standards, Alignment, Instruction, and Learning (C-SAIL), examines through four lines of study to determine how college- and career-readiness (CCR) standards are implemented, if they improve student learning, and what instructional tools measure and support their implementation. This brief presents findings from C-SAIL's…

The U.S. Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights (OCR) and U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) released joint guidance on January 7, 2015, reminding states, school districts, and schools of their obligations under federal law to ensure that English Learners (ELs) have equal access to a high-quality education and the opportunity to achieve…

Bullying in schools is often discussed, but sexual harassment in schools, and how it differs from bullying is often overlooked. In fact, though, sexual harassment (committed both by fellow students and school personnel) is more common and yet more easily and quickly dismissed by those involved, though its consequences for the victim can be…

The checklist provided here is intended to provide schools, districts, or other stakeholders in secondary transition with a framework for determining the degree to which their program is implementing practices that are likely to lead to more positive post-school outcomes for students with disabilities. The predictor categories listed have been…

Administering and supervising special education programs and personnel may be daunting tasks for school leaders. Students and families who warrant the access to special education services present unique and complex needs that make administrative decisions anything but universal and simplistic, especially in regards to foster care populations. The…

Intended for administrators of preschool special education programs, the manual provides guidelines concerning the administrative processes accompanying transition to the elementary program. These include: (1) procedures for establishing communication and information exchange between the preschool program and the local education agency; (2)…

The paper presents a rationale for involving parents of handicapped children in the multidisciplinary team process and offers suggestions to facilitate the involvement. Parental rights guaranteed by P.L. 94-142, the Education for All Handicapped Children Act, are summarized. Advantages of parent involvement include increased understanding of their…

The paper is a product of the 3-year project, "Functional Mainstreaming for Success," designed to develop a model for instructional mainstreaming of handicapped children (3-6 years old) in community settings. The paper reviews research on parent involvement in their children's mainstreaming along with variables that may promote or discourage…

This module provides the basis for inservice training on the establishment of Sharing Centers, which are small groups of parents and their pre-school (birth-3) children, both handicapped and non-handicapped who come together on a regular basis for shared social and developmental experiences. The Sharing Center, as created by the Macomb 0-3 Rural…

The shifting emphasis within the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) legislation toward greater parental involvement is supported by the literature suggesting that engaging parents in their child's education will improve the effectiveness of schooling, especially programs directed toward educating students with disabilities.…

Based on an extensive literature search, this paper identifies key actions school administrators may take regarding systems that limit or avoid student referrals for special education services. Findings indicate that referrals may be limited by early intervention strategies and overall improvement of the mainstream educational system. Includes 93…

These guidelines are intended to assist North Dakota special educators and administrators in providing procedural safeguards including prior written notice and parental consent. Guidelines are closely correlated with requirements under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) 1997. Each section of these guidelines summarizes relevant…

Since the passage of U.S. Public Law 94-142, The Education for All Handicapped Children Act in 1975, special education has undergone much change. This law mandates that any child with disabilities must be educated to the maximum extent possible, with the least restrictive environment possible. This book serves as a resource for teachers dealing…

The report and an accompanying executive summary of a statewide needs assessment on young handicapped children in Iowa examine services available, effectiveness of services, and needed changes. The introduction provides an overview of State Planning Grants, Iowa's history of early childhood special education, and this project's approach to…