Inadequate transition outcomes for youth with disabilities have produced a call for enhanced transition service delivery that includes implementation of evidence-based practices (EBPs). However, research indicates transition service providers still lack the knowledge and skills to effectively implement EBPs to ensure youth with disabilities…

Roughly one in five American adults, or approximately 53 million people, live with some type of disability, and their unemployment and poverty rates are nearly double the rates of people without disabilities. Labor force participation for people with disabilities is just 20.2 percent--less than a third of the rate of participation among people…

Critics of voucher programs often argue that private schools do exclude most disabled students, and the matter occasionally has been the subject of litigation. Yet accurate information on students with disabilities served by private schools is notable for its absence. According to the authors, in 2006, the State of Wisconsin authorized their…

This study explored the practices rural schools in Wisconsin have in place to meet the needs of students at grades PK-3 with Emotional and Behavioral Disabilities (EBD). The research question was as follows: What practices do rural elementary schools use as they strive to meet the Individual Education Plan (IEP) Objectives of PK-3 grade students…

Across the United States, a wide cross-section of administrators and teachers are learning the ins and outs of setting, assessing, and scoring student learning objectives (SLOs). An SLO is a set of goals that measures an educator's progress in achieving student growth targets. SLOs are particularly helpful for teachers in nontested subjects and…

In this Information Research Cadre, Teresa Blythe responds to the following research question: For those states that have residential schools for the Blind/VI and Deaf/HI students, have they developed policies and procedures for residential placement of these students? To develop this response Blythe conducted web research utilizing numerous…

This paper describes the role of the Supported Housing Specialist as developed by the Wisconsin Council on Developmental Disabilities and the Wisconsin Department of Health and Family Services. The paper is based on extensive interviews with Marcie Brost who developed and holds the position. This paper is intended to be used with a set of…

Beginning in 2007, federal regulations to two major education laws gave state departments of education the option to develop an alternate assessment based on modified achievement standards (AA-MAS) for some students with disabilities. The regulations stated that the AA-MAS was intended for students who were being instructed in the grade-level…

This qualitative study investigated the perceptions of 8 Local Education Agency (LEA) personnel who implemented the Transition Outcomes Project (TOP) in a midwestern state. These personnel represented 100% of the state LEAs who instigated the pilot of TOP in the participating state. Findings showed that TOP had 3 major positive effects: greater…

With the heightened emphasis of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act of 2004 on inclusion in the general curriculum and meeting the associated standards, assistive technology (AT) has become a necessary consideration to ensure a free appropriate public education and to promote education in the least restrictive environment…

Though most interactions between parents and school personnel about students with disabilities are positive and productive, disagreements can arise. Disputes may range in intensity from minor miscommunications to significant conflicts that trigger the use of procedural safeguards available under federal law. The Individuals with Disabilities…

The overrepresentation of students with racial, cultural, ethnic, and linguistic diversity (RCELD) in special education has been well documented for over 30 years. This phenomenon is known as "disproportionality." In an effort to address the disproportionate issue, the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction funded a collaborative…

This booklet for Wisconsin parents of children with disabilities discusses the processes and functions of special education. It describes steps in the Individualized Education Program (IEP) team process, including: referring a child for special education; evaluating the child; deciding what services are needed and writing the IEP; deciding where…

The handbook reviews Wisconsin's use of the designated vocational instructor (DVI) in providing direct instructional support services for vocational educators and special education students enrolled in vocational education classes. DVIs facilitate cooperative relationships between special and vocational education at the local school level. Eight…

This document discusses the development and implementation of alternative performance indicators (APIs) to assess the educational progress of children with disabilities in Wisconsin toward model academic content standards. It begins by describing the alternate assessment process, the definition of APIs, and the process of developing APIs.…