This article provides a systematic and impartial analysis of the law, including hearing and review officer as well as judicial decisions, specific to the intersection of response to intervention (RTI) and school districts' ongoing affirmative obligation of child find. The results reveal that this intersection has not been the subject of…

In 2010, the Institute of Education Sciences commissioned a much-needed national evaluation of response to intervention (RTI). The evaluators defined their task very narrowly, asking "Does the use of universal screening, including a cut-point for designating students for more intensive Tier 2 and Tier 3 interventions, increase children's…

The report of the national response to intervention (RTI) evaluation study, conducted during 2011-2012, was released in November 2015. Anyone who has read the lengthy report can attest to its complexity and the design used in the study. Both these factors can influence the interpretation of the results from this evaluation. In this commentary, we…

Treatment fidelity, or the application of an intervention as it is designed, is a critical issue for the successful implementation of evidence-based practices. Typically it is assumed that evidence-based practices implemented with high fidelity will result in improved outcomes, whereas low fidelity will lead to poorer outcomes. These assumptions…

Evidence-based programs will be useful to the extent they produce benefits to individuals on a socially significant scale. It appears the combination of effective programs and effective implementation methods is required to assure consistent uses of programs and reliable benefits to children and families. To date, focus has been placed primarily…

Among findings of a study involving families of nine handicapped children (6-11 years old) were that districts have expanded the evaluation and planning process for students, with a broader base of evaluation information taken into account, and that aspects of the least restrictive environment remain problematic. (CL)

The article summarizes the status of implementation of P.L. 94-142, the Education for All Handicapped Children Act, in terms of numbers served; services (for students five years old and under, secondary and postsecondary aged, and institutionalized and previously institutionalized); personnel; least restrictive environment; procedural safeguards;…

Analysis of data from 270 families participating in Michigan's "Early On" (Part H of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act) program suggests two paths for empowering families: (1) implementation of program components via a family-centered framework or (2) family-centered delivery to build a family support network. (Author/DB)

The United States Department of Education's tenth annual report on the implementation of Public Law 94-142 contains improvements but shows overdependence on reporting numbers of students without descriptions of evolutions in service delivery, and raises questions about the effectiveness of monitoring efforts carried out by the Office of Special…

Presents results of a policy study of implementation of the transition mandates of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. Five "model sites" and four "representative sites" were identified and visited. Results of the cross-case analysis focus on factors supporting and posing challenges to implementation. (Author/DB)

This analysis of federal laws, state-level policies, and providers' and consumers' viewpoints examines the degree to which family-oriented early intervention policies and practices are family centered. Results indicate a movement toward adoption of family-centered policies and practices, but show discrepancies between state-level policymakers and…

This study, which explored the feasibility of using extant national data to study implementation of special education programs, examined the relationships between (1) state-level fiscal and demographic variables, and (2) identification rates and cumulative placement rates for certain categories of special education students in 1976, 1980, and…

A policy study (1992-94) investigated how three exemplary states have implemented transition services for youth with disabilities. Document evaluation and interviews (N=74) with key policymakers and implementors resulted in identifying seven themes that contributed to the successful initiation and continuation of transition policies, practices,…