Offers case studies of best training practices in leading companies (AEtna, Andersen Worldwide, Boeing, Digital Equipment, Tektronix, Texas Instruments, Allstate, and Sprint), elected by the Benchmarking Forum of the American Society for Training and Development. The practices are technology based and performance oriented and herald common…

As federal special education laws change once again--with the passage of the 2004 Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEIA) amendments--what impact is it likely to have for parents, students, teachers, evaluators, school administrators, and the courts? This article describes the actions the author, an attorney within the…

The extent to which Mississippi teachers receive specific training regarding screening for learning disabilities and teaching learning-disabled adults was examined through a mail survey of all 81 of Mississippi's adult education supervisors. Of the 36 supervisors who returned usable questionnaires (a 44% response rate), 5 (13.9%) did not attempt…

Argues that effective staff development for teachers should be tied to the daily classroom life and grounded in the concerns and questions of teachers. Discusses a theory of pedagogy that advocates teaching for understanding and a model of staff development based on practical knowledge and critical reflections. (SLD)

These recommendations concerning the integration of students with and without disabilities in public schools begin with an operational definition of integration and a list of general parameters guiding successful integration. Recommendations are then offered in several areas, including: (1) training, which should be systematic, comprehensive,…

Promising educational practices focus on achievement for all students and present evidence to demonstrate their effectiveness. Schools that have broken the mold are vision-focused and values-based. The most hopeful strategy for sustained, substantive educational improvement involves developing school staff into professional learning communities in…

This paper presents principles for inclusion of students with disabilities in regular education classrooms, organized around the following aspects: inclusion versus mainstreaming, service delivery, planning and curriculum development, best practices, and training. Among the principles discussed are: students are members of age-appropriate general…

This report seeks to provide an objective review of Iowa's educational services to students with attention deficit disorders (ADD), and to present recommendations for maintaining and enhancing these services. State laws and rules and federal legislation and regulations guiding such students' eligibility for special education programs and services…

Discussion of the research-to-practice gap in special education focuses on the dissemination problems of scale, school politics, and social and institutional contexts, including schools of education. Recommendations include improving access to a teacher friendly research knowledge base, improving preservice education, creating broader staff…

Argues that student achievement cannot be improved unless teachers can implement effective instructional methods. Presents recommendations for using federal and state policy levers to change classroom practices by empowering school staff to participate in reform decisions; for funding of program evaluation and schools tied to adopting effective…

This paper lists practices recommended by the Council for Exceptional Children's Division for Early Childhood concerning personnel competence in early intervention and early childhood special education programs for infants and young children with special needs and their families. An introductory section discusses components of preservice personnel…

A study compared the organizational form and functional activities of the U.S. Cooperative Extension Service with agricultural extension activities in Sri Lanka and recommended ways of improving such programs in developing countries. Distinctive differences were found in the organizational set-up, subject-matter coverage, approach to clients,…

This monograph resulted from a meeting of regular and special education leaders which addressed what works for the successful inclusion of students with special needs in regular education classrooms. The monograph focuses specifically on inclusion of students with learning disabilities. After an executive summary, the paper includes a review of…

It is proposed that schools receiving funds under Chapter 1 (Hawkins Stafford Act 1988) be required to spend at least 20 percent of their allocations on staff development. High-quality staff development programs would enable schools to improve instruction all day for all students. Chapter 1 schools would become centers of educational renewal and…

This book, which is intended for individuals involved in the education of adults and museum education, explores the potential role of museums in creation of a learning society, possibilities for collaboration between museums and adult education providers, access to museum resources by adult learners, and training and staff development. The…