For many years state education agencies (SEAs) have sought to create assessment systems that include all students, including students with disabilities. In order to improve outcomes for students with disabilities, there is an urgent need for cross-agency collaboration between special education and assessment offices, but other offices (e.g.,…

Students placed in special education programs for emotional and behavioral disorders with emotional disturbance (ED) identification have academic outcomes that lag both students in regular and special education. This issue is especially important for youth attending urban schools. Although prior research has examined students identified as ED,…

This report presents a snapshot of selected features of the condition of education in Wisconsin in 2019. With support from the U.S. Department of Education's Institute for Education Sciences, and in collaboration with colleagues at the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction (DPI), the authors set out to measure practices in PK-12 education…

This 5-year multisite mixed-methods evaluation study chronicles the field-testing of the planning process Guidelines for Selecting Alternatives to Overreliance on Paraprofessionals in 26 schools (Grades K-12) in six states. Evaluation of the utilization and outcomes of the guidelines process was based on data from 472 study participants. Findings…

The document reports the Wisconsin component of Project IEP (individualized education program), a project designed to identify and clarify perceptions related to roles in the IEP process as mandated by P.L. 94-142, the Education for All Handicapped Children Act. It is explained that under Project IEP approximately 200 persons (including state and…

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…

This guide explains how occupational therapists and physical therapists collaborate with educators, administrators, and parents to help children with disabilities in Wisconsin schools acquire needed skills. Chapter 1 provides basic historical information about occupational and physical therapy in schools and introduces a collaborative model of…

This guide defines the state of the art in Wisconsin's programming for students with emotional disturbances (ED). The guide begins with an overview of the ED assessment process, including screening, referral, multidisciplinary teams, eligibility criteria, and individualized education programs. A chapter on setting up service programs discusses…

A survey of Wisconsin teachers of 230 students with emotional/behavioral disorders found that classroom observations, student interviews, and behavior rating scales were most helpful in instructional planning. Teachers generally found student evaluation data helpful in planning Individualized Education Programs. Teachers chose evaluation…

This handbook for parents explains how Wisconsin schools must go about finding, evaluating, developing programs for, and placing children with exceptional educational needs (EEN). Various state and federal laws and regulations (e.g., Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973) are cited. The first section covers identification of EEN children,…

This staff brief is designed to help policymakers make recommendations for the improvement in educational and related services provided to visually impaired children and adults in the state by public school districts, the Wisconsin School for the Visually Handicapped (WSVH), and other educational agencies. Part 1 provides a brief overview of…

This handbook for parents explains how Wisconsin schools must go about finding, evaluating, developing programs for, and placing children with exceptional educational needs (EEN). The first section covers identification of EEN children, including Child Find, screening, and referral. The next sections look at evaluation of children by a…

This book is designed to further understanding of the procedures of Wisconsin's special education programs. The first section of the book is a large chart that is divided into key topics, including child find, transition, referral evaluation procedures, the Individualized Education Program (IEP) team, eligibility, the IEP, student placement, and…

The guide is intended to be a practical tool for screening and identifying Wisconsin students suspected of being emotionally disturbed (ED). It contains information on the legal requirements for the identification and placement of ED students as well as the definition of emotional disturbance and techniques for screening and evaluation. Sample…

This final report discusses the activities and outcomes of the Wisconsin FACETS program, a program that provides parent information and training services for underserved parents and caretakers of infants, toddlers, children, and young adults with disabilities who live in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The goals of the program are provided, along with a…