The Study of Monitoring and Improvement Practices under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) examined how states monitored the implementation of IDEA by local special education and early intervention services programs. State monitoring and improvement practices in 2004-05 and 2006-07 were the focus of the study. Prior to the…

The study by the Educational Priorities Panel, a coalition of 25 parent and civic organizations serving as an independent fiscal watchdog over New York City's Board of Education, examines the expenditures of the special education budget. Findings and recommendations are presented for each of four chapter topics (sample recommendations in…

The article describes a management system used in a secondary resource program for exceptional students that incorporates a clinical teaching model, task analysis, and the use of management objectives to provide individualized services. Five-year evaluation data reveal increased completion of assignments, decreased teacher preparation, and a more…

A survey of 82 supported-employment program managers in Louisiana (52 responses) provided demographic information and found that the length of time the agency had provided services, the respondent's job title, and the respondent's experience with supported employment affected preferred training formats and/or preferred training needs. (Author/DB)

The report evaluates Iowa's reorganization of mental health and mental retardation (MH/MR) services. Evaluation methods include a policy analysis of legislation, interviews with agency staff and consumer representatives, review of MH/MR Commission and Developmental Disabilities (DD) Council meetings, an opinion survey of county auditors, and…

The year end report documents the activities of a Kansas state implementation grant for the education of preschool handicapped children. Activities and accomplishments are outlined for two components: administration, planning, and management to meet current needs (management of existing network of programs, stimulation of programs for unserved…

The General Accounting Office reviewed the Social Security Administration's (SSA) Plan for Achieving Self-Support (PASS) program, which was established in 1972 to help disability benefit recipients return to employment. The study evaluated the SSA's management of the PASS program, including the program's impact on employment, and sought to…

Chana High School, a continuation high school in California which provides an alternative approach to education for students unable and/or unwilling to find success in conventional schools is evaluated. The school offers a flexible and personalized instruction approach in an octamester schedule: the school year is divided into seven parts with a…

The General Accounting Office examined the effectiveness of the vocational rehabilitation program administered by the Department of Veterans' Affairs (VA) in helping disabled veterans obtain and maintain employment. Data were obtained from the following sources: analysis of the VA's nationwide database on all program applicants and their progress;…

The performance of the Social Employment Program (a public undertaking to employ physically, socially, or culturally disadvantaged persons) in the Netherlands is discussed and evaluated in this paper. The management, organization, and financial structure of the program are described in detail, and the degree of efficiency attained by the program…

This report compares personal assistance services to enable independent living for people with disabilities in Sweden, West Germany, and the United States. The report focuses on kinds of personal assistant services available, laws governing these services, the extent to which these services are met by each country's social security and welfare…

This report to the U.S. Congress reviews monitoring activities of the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) in regard to formula grant programs. The study looked at dates of the most recent monitoring visits to the state education agencies and calculated key steps in the monitoring process, such as the time from visit to issuance of the…

Nine state education agencies (SEAs) were studied in terms of SEA organization and administration in response to P.L. 94-142, The Education for All Handicapped Children Act. Six major issues were examined: strategies used by states to implement P.L. 94-142, major impact of P.L. 94-142 on the SEAs, creation of unintended and/or unforeseen…

The application of noncategorical special education in two states and categorical special education in two companion states was considered, with a focus on program practices and procedures. The effects of grade level, disability severity, and school district size on state and local implementation of the noncategorical approach were examined, and…

This report focuses on progress in the implementation of Part H of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) through a comparison of states' status on three yearly administrations of the State Progress Scale. The scale was designed to monitor implementation of the required 14 components in the stages of policy development, policy…