Data-based problem solving within a multi-tiered system of support (MTSS) can help state education agencies and local education agencies (LEAs) improve graduation rates for students with disabilities. To facilitate problem solving within an MTSS, states and LEAs need efficient systems and processes for analyzing and integrating data across…

The reauthorization of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act, December 3, 2004, (IDEA '04) and its implementing federal regulations, October 13, 2006, prompted the need to revise Virginia's special education regulations. Input was received from a Stakeholders Group that included school personnel, parents, consumers,…

Parents and caregivers of 70 children enrolled in a university-based, statewide autism registry (M age = 9.5 years) completed two questionnaires, one generated from criteria outlined in the "Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-Fourth Edition-Text Revision" (DSM-IV-TR) and the other the "Social Communication…

This individual profile provides information on Virginia's high school exit exam standards and policies. Some of the categories presented include: (1) State exit exam policy; (2) Type of Test; (3) Purpose; (4) Major changes in exit exam policy since the 2009-10 school year for financial reasons; (5) Subjects tested on exam; (6) Grade exam first…

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), most recently reauthorized in 2004, requires the inclusion of transition services in an individualized education program (IEP) for students with disabilities by the time they reach their 16th birthday, or earlier if determined appropriate by the IEP team. The IEP must include "(1)…

In 2004, nearly 30,000 students were included in the blind or visually impaired (B/VI) category (approximately .04% of the total public school population). This figure, however, only includes children and youth for whom blindness or visual impairment is identified as a primary disability. States indicate that these numbers may actually double or…

Considers the impact of the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act and Virginia's initiative for welfare reform on poor families with disabilities. Suggests accommodations are necessary for fair implementation of the reforms. (SK)

The Statewide (Virginia) Personnel Preparation Project, designed to provide training and ongoing support for teachers of learning disabled adolescents, consists of four major components: a summer institute, a full-year follow-through directed study program, a four-activity technical assistance program, and a preservice component. (CL)

This document reports on a survey of 309 Virginians with disabilities, of all ages, concerning first, the satisfaction with and need for services, and second, the current status of efforts to increase independence, community integration, and productivity among Virginians with developmental disabilities. Individual chapters address: the survey…

The document describes the Virginia Interagency Linkage Model, a system of interagency agreements between vocational education, special education, and vocational rehabilitative services. Formal written agreements are developed between the agencies at both the state and local levels and coordinated by a linkage team with all included agencies…

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act requires state programs to adopt standards for all children, including those with disabilities, in state and district-wide assessments with the provision of appropriate and necessary accommodations. For students who cannot participate in state and district-wide assessments, the law requires that…

This report responds to requirements of Public Law 100-146, The Developmental Disabilities Assistance and Bill of Rights Act Amendments of 1987. It describes existing services to persons with developmental disabilities, reports on a consumer satisfaction survey, and presents recommendations and plans. Thirteen major findings and discussion of 16…

The paper presents guidelines to assist Virginia's local education agency (LEA) personnel, particularly teachers, administrators, counselors, and test providers, in the implementation of the minimum competency program for handicapped students. An introduction traces the history of graduation requirements, outlines revised graduation eligibility,…

Virginia's program to build statewide consensus and participation in supported employment for the disabled from boards, service providers, counselors, parents, consumers, and the business community is described. Activities have included establishment of offices of supported employment in key agencies and establishment of five technical assistance…

The handbook was developed by the 3-year Valley Transitional School Project, serving Augusta, Staunton, and Waynesboro schools, all located in Augusta County, Virginia. The purpose of the project was to develop and validate a model which would assist school youth with severe disabilities to make the transition from school to employment, in the…