This design case details the design and development of the Universal Design for Learning (UDL) Academy, a two-phase training to guide community college faculty in applying the UDL framework to their instruction. This article focuses on the first phase, in which faculty were trained in UDL. The authors of this paper, who were the creators and…

This chapter describes evidence-based predictors and practices of postschool success for students with disabilities. Examples for implementation and implications for adult education practitioners as they design instruction and programming for individuals with disabilities are provided.

As more K-12 students with disabilities enroll in online courses, virtual schools and programs are working to make courses accessible through stronger course design. When course designers approach the issue of accessibility, they must comply with legal requirements and mitigate the challenges many students with disabilities face for literacy and…

This article reports an analysis of RTI information provided on the websites of all 50 State Departments of Education, based on the assumption that school districts rely on this information when developing their RTI programs. Our analysis revealed little consistency in (a) the methods used to identify students to be served in RTI interventions,…

SPLASH is a 3-year professional development program designed to work with classroom teachers of students with moderate and severe disabilities. The program targets new teachers and employs methods aimed at supporting rural classrooms. The training content focuses on evidence-based practices in English language arts, mathematics, and science, as…

The Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program, sponsored by the IRS, offers free tax services for individuals with low-to-moderate incomes, the elderly, disabled and/or those who lack English language proficiency. Although established by the IRS in 1969, it is administered by partnering community based volunteer organizations throughout U.S.,…

This article describes how a purposeful sample of 62 elementary schools from 17 states implemented a Response to Intervention (RtI) framework for reading. School informants answered surveys and were interviewed about differentiated instruction in Tier 1, screening/benchmarking, where Tier 2 interventions were located, typical group size and the…

Nationwide, personnel preparation programs are responding to the changing population demographics and its impact on Pre K-12 classrooms. Needs surveys conducted by the Monarch Center over the past ten years have consistently yielded a need for support in redesigning program course and fieldwork components to better prepare their teachers and other…

As middle and secondary classrooms become increasingly inclusive, some special educators may not be prepared to teach content, and some general educators may not be prepared to address diverse learning needs. This mismatch between the reality of today's schools and traditional teacher preparation has led to the development of new models for…

The preparation of culturally and linguistically responsive special educators requires planning, substantive collaboration, and valuing the perspectives of underrepresented groups. This article describes restructuring efforts of one special education preparation program that included coursework and field-based experiences designed to enhance…

Task analysis can be applied to the design of computer assisted instruction programs for handicapped students through determining the task specification, identifying decisions and steps, classifying the task according to learning skill, identifying the enabling objectives, identifying entry behaviors, and evaluating achievement of the objectives.…

The article proposes a framework for early childhood special education teacher training programs that focus on the match of content, sequence, and evaluation. (Author/CL)

A program is described that provides physical therapy and a wide variety of activities for the handicapped. (JD)

Describes mental health services of the Senior Adult Growth and Enrichment (SAGE) Program, a North Carolina demonstration program. The SAGE staff used a differentiated model of day treatment that tracked clients according to disabilities and potentials. Services were tailored to meet unique needs brought on by diverse mental disorders, functional…

Describes the Community Mental Health Technology Program at the Borough of Manhattan Community College, City University of New York, which provided large numbers of middle-level technicians to work with the handicapped. The article describes program courses and purpose and the types of jobs technicians are qualified to perform. (CT)