The continuously evolving standards-based reform (SBR) movement is one of the most prominent features of today's educational policy landscape. As SBR has continued to drive educational policy, local schools and districts have adopted many approaches to comply with legal mandates. This paper critically examines one particular resultant phenomenon…

The review of the "Rainbow Connection Instructional Guide" stresses the guide's purpose in assisting the development of model transitional services for preschool handicapped students moving into less restrictive educational environments. Noted is the guide's attention to preparation of parents, roles of training and collaboration, and…

The study examined motives and decisions of 74 German parents of handicapped children in choosing different preschool settings. Results indicated that choice of an integrated or segregated preschool is largely determined by family background and information seeking behavior and reflects specific family needs. (DB)

In 1994 a comprehensive reform of upper secondary education was introduced in Norway, giving all 16-year-olds--including SEN students--a statutory right to enter upper secondary. In a longitudinal study following a representative group of SEN students through upper secondary from 1994 until 1999, the main findings were: (1) SEN students in special…

The report summarizes a year long observational study of special education programs in one district's 12 elementary schools (Queens, New York). Data were gathered using observational time samples of teacher, student, and paraprofessional activity and student time on task; descriptive notes of the classroom context; ratings of 15 dimensions of…

An independent audit of the San Diego (California) special education department was commissioned to examine: (1) whether programs exceed mandates of federal and state law, (2) whether the district has maximized funding sources in reporting programs and costs; and (3) whether alternative service delivery models or community interagency…

Naturalistic observation procedures examined the use of time by 230 elementary students with disabilities in four special education placements--regular class, resource room, special class, and special school. The least restrictive alternatives, particularly the resource room, made more in-class learning time available. (Author/DB)

The report documents New York City's Office of Educational Assessment's evaluation of the Division of Special Education Public Law 89-313 program for the 1986-87 school year. The program is intended to provided supplemental services suited to the individual needs of participating handicapped students based upon their individual education plans…

The second year of a 2-year study on the benefits of using handicapped students to tutor nonhandicapped peers focused on the effects of having all students in a special class tutor simultaneously (the total class tutoring method). Forty intellectually handicapped students (IQs ranging from 50 to 75) tutored 60 nonhandicapped agemates in basic sign…

This study provides an evaluation of the national and state level educational environmental placement trends for students, ages 6-11 or 12-17, with learning disabilities (LD), emotional disabilities (ED), mental retardation (MR), or speech and language impairments (SLI) in the decade following implementation of the Regular Education Initiative…

A comparison was made of the quality of 24 inclusive childcare classroom environments serving toddler-age children with and without disabilities and 25 segregated early intervention classroom environments serving children with disabilities only. The Infant Toddler Environmental Rating Scale documented that the inclusive classrooms scored higher on…

The study estimated per pupil expenditures for a stratified random sample of 571 special education students in three metropolitan school districts--Charlotte-Mecklenburg (North Carolina), Milwaukee (Wisconsin), and Rochester (New York). The study used data collected in 1982-83 from parent interviews, teacher interviews, and the student's school…

This study investigated the changes in the mainstreaming practices of five school districts, which were originally described in a 1974 study by Birch. The districts involved were: Tacoma (Washington), Richardson (Texas), Plano (Texas), Tucson (Arizona), and Louisville (Kentucky). Survey forms were sent to superintendents of the original six…

The development and current status of state-supported educational programs serving disabled students in California public colleges and universities are briefly reviewed, and current state policy and recommendations for future policy are addressed. While programs at all three public segments are considered, the California Community Colleges are…

This policy brief reports on a study exploring state by state variation in placement rates for students with disabilities in either regular or special education settings and the relationship of economic, sociodemographic, and educational factors to these rates. The study analyzed data for the school year 1992-93 and compared the percent of…