In the era of inclusive education, every educator can expect to have students with disabilities in their classroom. Unfortunately, preservice teachers who are not specifically pursuing special education licensure are often only expected to take one course focused on teaching students with disabilities. Given the increased emphasis on less…

Approximately one-quarter of the adult population self-reports having one or more disabilities. Expanding adult and continuing education access for individuals with disabilities is an important dimension of striving to make our programs more inclusive. Thus, it is crucial that adult and continuing educators have a basic understanding of the types…

Since the reauthorization of the Individuals With Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) in 2004, standards-based individualized education plans (IEPs) have been an expectation for serving students with disabilities in the K-12 public school setting. Nearly a decade after the mandates calling for standards-based IEPs, special educators still struggle…

The Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) for students 16 years of age or above must address specific transition components. Studies to date have focused on the presence and quality of these transition components, yet the alignment of these components and their role in leading the development of the IEP is just as critical. This qualitative…

The article describes the work of critical special education scholars and teacher educators in the field of Disability Studies who challenge the fundamental assumptions on which special education is founded, illustrating implications for all educators. A brief history of the field acknowledges the enormity of the institutionalization of special…

Although transition of students with disabilities has been part of federal mandates since the passage of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) of 1990 and IDEA amendments of 1997, many students with disabilities continue to leave high school without a functional postsecondary transition plan. The purpose of this qualitative…

The passage of Public Law 94-142 (the Education of All Handicapped Children Act) in 1975 established the rights of children with disabilities to a public school education in the least restrictive environment. Fifteen years later, it was amended and renamed the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) (PL 101-476, 1990), still intended to…

Reading difficulties and disabilities present serious and potentially lifelong challenges. Children who do not read well are more likely to be retained a grade in school, drop out of high school, become a teen parent, or enter the juvenile justice system. Building on the extant research and seminal studies, including the National Reading Panel and…

After more than two decades of federal transition legislation, students with disabilities continue to have significantly poorer postschool outcomes as compared to their peers without disabilities. One reason for these outcomes is that educators are inadequately prepared to provide the services required under the Individuals with Disabilities…

The passage of the 1997 Amendments to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), as well as the increased numbers of students with disabilities being educated part or full time in general education classes, create significant challenges for teacher preparation programs for both special and general education teachers. In response to…

A study investigated the perceptions and level of knowledge of special education law, policies, and procedures among regular education teachers (n=303) and special education teachers (n=52) in Mississippi. The seven principles of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) that ensure the delivery of educational services for students…

This thesis reports on a 1996 survey of Wisconsin art educators (N=161) concerning attitudes, college preservice background, availability of graduate level course work, and perceptions of working with students with exceptional education needs (EEN). An introductory chapter provides an overview of developments leading to passage of Public Law…

This five-volume directory describes almost 1,200 discretionary grants and contracts supported by the Research to Practice Division of the Office of Special Education Programs. The projects are grouped into five sections representing the seven program areas of the newly reauthorized Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), Part D. This…

This article addresses how teacher preparation programs can best respond to the broad, complex calls for reform in ways that are locally meaningful and honor academic integrity, but that are also true to the intent of the reform mandates. The authors begin with an overview of some of the federal and state initiatives that are presenting challenges…

This five-volume directory describes almost 1,200 discretionary grants and contracts supported by the Research to Practice Division of the Office of Special Education Programs. The projects are grouped into five sections representing the seven program areas of the newly reauthorized Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), Part D. This…