Four crucial areas in the success of mainstreaming are good communication, administrative support, adequate time, and inservice training. (Author)

The Individualized Education Program (IEP) becomes a management tool when it is used to administer programs proactively. The IEP can have an impact upon program effectiveness and student competency development when a systematic process of assessment, goal setting, planning, and evaluation is followed. (SK)

This manual is designed to help advocates, including parents, obtain special education for children with disabilities residing in New Jersey. It explains the requirements of the federal statute governing special education--the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)--and the federal regulations implementing IDEA, as well as the state…

Steps to success in the mainstreaming of handicapped students include: (1) warm and accepting atmosphere; (2) acceptance of the handicapped students; (4) less physically restrictive classrooms; (5) successful experiences; (6) emphasis on individual strengths; (7) fair testing procedures; (8) enlivening lesson plans; (9) parent teacher…

The authors describe the development and use of a structured, data base approach to developing individual education programs for special education students. The components of the "Data-Based Program Modification" (DBPM) approach are described to include five decision areas: problem selection; program selection (least restrictive yet most…

A systematic approach to curriculum development for students with severe disabilities enrolled in extended school year programs is described. The approach is community driven, consistent with student Individualized Education Program objectives, tailored to the individual student, and teaches functional skills performed by individuals without…

To achieve substantive as well as procedural compliance with Public Law 94-142, it must be determined whether using the formative evaluation system which is useful for monitoring the effects of instruction, increases teacher success in developing student programs. Causal modeling techniques were used to examine the relationships among…

The term three-tier model of intervention is a model consisting of three well-defined and separate processes running on different levels within a system. In New Mexico, this principle has been applied to develop a model of student intervention for school-aged students. The model has three distinct levels of instructional interventions that account…

Sophisticated database management systems (DBMS) for microcomputers are becoming increasingly easy to use, allowing small school districts to develop their own autonomous databases for tracking enrollment and student progress in special education. DBMS applications can be designed for maintenance by district personnel with little technical…

The text provides information to secondary school principals to assist them in designing and maintaining effective educational programs for severely handicapped high school students, including those who are labeled moderately or severely retarded, multiply handicapped, or autistic. A model of effective program characteristics is followed by a…

This report describes and analyzes the transition process used at Savanna High School, Anaheim, California, and documents the unique contribution of the school's Independent Living Skills Transition Center. The report's seven sections focus on: (1) transition definitions and the need for a shared definition among agency personnel; (2) team…

This book provides strategies for working within the educational system and going outside the system, when appropriate, to get learning assistance for a struggling student. Part 1, "Identifying the Problem," discusses communicating with the teacher and getting vital information, focusing observations and impressions, and communicating…

This sourcebook describes methods of dealing with dropouts in Oregon school districts. "At-risk youth" and "dropout" are defined and survey results of 98 percent of superintendents concerning program offerings are summarized. Data suggest that medium-size districts require greatest assistance. Despite increases in single-parent…

This document presents a "Quality Program Indicators Checklist" developed with the goal of program improvement in classrooms for students in Kentucky with moderate and severe handicaps. The checklist evaluates program effectiveness in six component areas: (1) integration (interaction opportunities and teacher behaviors supportive of…

Serving Native American adults of Thurston and Pierce communities, the Adult Education Program individualizes instruction and makes full use of tribal community resources to improve educational level and employment opportunities. Major program goals are to increase high school equivalency completion rates, to enhance ability of identified extreme…