Educators today are challenged with the task of designing curricula and standards for students of varying abilities. While technology and innovation steadily improve classroom learning, teachers and administrators continue to struggle in developing the best methodologies and practices for students with disabilities. "Models for Effective…

The purpose of the present study was to examine self-reported fears and related anxieties in children and adolescents (7-18 years of age) having learning disabilities (LD) or mild mental retardation (MIMR), and whether these fears and related anxieties differ based on gender and age. Students responded to two well validated instruments, The…

Transition from secondary education to adulthood represents a period during which adolescents with disabilities face multiple responsibilities and changing roles that include establishing independence, attending postsecondary education or training, developing social networks, choosing a career, participating in their communities, and managing…

Predictions about future directions in special education assessment include more research on fewer instruments, new types of assessments for identification of learning disabilities, and consumer demand for tests with acceptable technical characteristics. Teacher-oriented assessment predictions include increasing diversity of student performance,…

The purpose of this study was to compare the effectiveness of two instructional approaches on mildly handicapped and nonhandicapped students' science achievement. Students were assigned at random to one of two conditions: (1) direct instruction; and (2) discovery teaching. The content of the lessons remained constant across conditions and focused…

A large urban district [the Houston Independent School District], serving 17,000 handicapped students, initiated a special education achievement testing program to provide measures of student growth and group progress. A standardized test was selected that was both norm- and criterion-referenced and that matched the special education curriculum.…

To illustrate the impact of research on the performance and quality of life of individuals with disabilities, this article highlights three research areas supported by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA): (1) at-risk infant programs; (2) learning strategy interventions for adolescents with learning disabilities; and (3)…

The SAT I: Reasoning Test was introduced in March 1993 for the national testing program of academic preparation and ability of college applicants, including students with disabilities. A survey was administered to 1,001 students with disabilities participating in a field trial of the SAT I prototype test. Students' disabilities were in the areas…

Reports on a study about mainstreaming issues in music education among 107 Arizona music educators. Finds that, in most schools, mainstreaming is the only music placement option, and regular music teachers are the sole providers of instruction for special learners. Concludes that effective mainstreaming does not exist in Arizona. (CFR)

This paper reports the results of an SAT I field trial which examined test performance and efficiency of test timing for students with disabilities. A prototype SAT I test was administered to 1,113 students with disabilities in December 1992, in special formats and using special accommodations, to obtain information about the level of performance…

This study examined whether Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (Revised) subtest patterns employing Kaufman's classification system differ between male and female elementary grade students receiving special education services. It also examined whether females in special education are more significantly impaired than males, and whether males…

This 1984 survey was conducted to obtain data on the characteristics of public school students in the 50 states and the District of Columbia. The 3,510 school districts selected to participate were statistically sampled from approximately 16,000 U.S. school districts, and the schools within the selected districts were subsampled: (1) all special…