The purpose of this document is to provide information and resources on special education for charter schools and charter school authorizers. The information in this report should not be relied upon as a comprehensive or definitive response to specific legal situations involving special education compliance. This report includes a: (1) Minnesota…

This brief is the second in a series focusing on Employment First implementation as it relates to one of the seven elements within the High-Performing States in Integrated Employment model. It examines the background of circumstances under which Employment First efforts began in seven states, and introduces each state's values, mission, and goals…

Boosting literacy among school-age children remains a national priority. Nearly one third of students in the United States have not developed the foundational reading skills needed to succeed academically, with students living in poverty, students with disabilities, and English learners especially at risk. Starting in 2010, Congress invested more…

Person-centered positive supports are about empowering people with disabilities to live lives that fully reflect their individuality and their humanity. They're about using evidence-based positive practices in the service of the needs, values, and goals of the person receiving the support. And they're about promoting quality of life for people in…

Vocational Education, Community Training, and Occupational Relations Program (VECTOR) serves a variety of students with disabilities, about one-third of whom are deaf, hard of hearing, or deaf/blind. As part of what the federal government calls a "traditionally underserved population," these students come from the homes of immigrants and…

The school-wide positive behavioral interventions and supports (SW PBIS) program is managed by the Minnesota Department of Education and is implemented in hundreds of Minnesota schools. PBIS is an evidence-based model that attempts to develop a school-wide positive behavior culture. Based on previously documented outcomes, PBIS is a potential…

The purpose of this study was to determine if the actual implementation of Response to Intervention (RtI) was related to school psychologists' knowledge, district opportunities for RtI training within the school district, and school psychologists' attitudes toward RtI. The implementation and use of RtI was predicted to be dependent upon those…

This "feature issue" focuses on early intervention with handicapped children, with an emphasis on: Project EDGE (Expanding Developmental Growth through Education), an early intervention research project initiated in 1968; strategies for developing family-friendly early intervention services; and progress reports from various states and…

This monograph describes projects of the Minnesota Governor's Planning Council on Developmental Disabilities which focus on empowerment and self-advocacy for individuals with disabilities and their family members. Individual sections address: (1) Partners in Policymaking (an intensive course to train individuals with disabilities and family…

This paper highlights eight states that have implemented alternate assessments for children with disabilities who cannot participate in their state and district-wide assessment programs. The alternate assessment systems in Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Minnesota, North Dakota, Utah, and West Virginia are briefly described, along with their…

Current educational policies require the participation of students with disabilities in state assessments. Their participation has raised a number of issues, among them the need for accommodations. In this article we consider the role that assistive technology (AT) can play to alleviate current accommodations demands, and highlight research and…

The plan documents Minnesota's policies and procedures for implementing state and federal statutes concerning the education of handicapped students. The following topics are covered: right to education, full educational opportunities goal, policy on priorities, child identification, Individual Educational Programs, procedural safeguards, the least…

Early childhood special education (ECSE) program leaders in Minnesota were surveyed to contrast perceptions of programs for children age birth to 3 with those for children 3 to 6. Of the 8,550 children served in such programs, survey responses reflected 64 percent. Survey results are presented for: (1) settings--home, community, and ECSE…

Considerable variation exists across response-to-intervention (RTI) approaches. There is currently insufficient research on outcomes associated with these different RTI approaches to inform decision-making. However, school psychologists who are asked to work within an RTI model need guidance to select an approach that has a high likelihood of…

These profiles of Minnesota individuals with severe disabilities were developed as part of an evaluation of the impact of supported employment on their lives. The profiles describe individuals who have severe disabilities, who receive assistance from a wide variety of programs, and who were evaluated through both qualitative and quantitative…