This paper proposes a taxonomy of school funding formula elements which distinguishes between funding based on individual student needs and the needs of populations of students based on particular characteristics or labels. This builds on the theoretical approach proposed by Caldwell, Levacic and Ross (1999) where school funding formulae can be…

The purpose of this study is to understand how a cohort of teaching residents' beliefs and articulations about teaching for social justice change over time from before entering residency to their first year of teaching. In doing so, we conduct an examination of their conceptions of and beliefs about teaching for social justice over multiple…

Issues related to full-time inclusive programs have been particularly controversial for elementary students with learning disabilities. The nature of this controversy has changed substantially over the last decade, given the emphasis on high stakes accountability for all students in the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act and IDEA 2004. In spite of…

This article presents the author's address on the 2008 International Conference of the Council for Learning Disabilities in Kansas City, Missouri. In this keynote address, the author focuses on the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB), and students with specific learning disabilities (SLD), and…

This policy forum proceedings document contains a short introduction section that describes the current status of virtual public school programs in general and special education programs in particular. Next, this document provides a state-of-the-nation report that describes the exponential growth these programs and the evolving policy issues for…

A group of fourth-grade students with disabilities participating in statewide mathematics assessments in the spring of 2001 (n=570) was given a new assessment focused on specifically modified state curricular standards defined for students with disabilities. A block of items from that assessment was also given to students taking the general…

Individualized service planning for handicapped individuals requires a formalized tracking mechanism to determine the effectiveness of services, tools for encouraging interagency cooperation, systematized intervention, communication, coordination, and accountability procedures. A three-tiered system is presented that illustrates separate processes…

The author, a Boston-based attorney and the co-director of the Center for Law and Education, presents testimony about students with disabilities, shares some thoughts generally about whether the requirements of NCLB are working for these particular students, and identifies areas of concern and areas in need of improvement. Specifically, she…

The paper examines the need for improvement in accountability and evaluation in rehabilitation programs for handicapped persons, with an emphasis on formative, or internal evaluation. Three factors significantly related to program management and accountability are explored: a client's need status, staff functions and attitudes, and outcome…

Presented are the formal presentation and edited comments from the 1981 Statesmen's Roundtable focusing on professional accountability in special education. The author's presentation addresses some of the assumptions made about special education, and the role of The Council for Exceptional Children regarding evaluation and accountability. Among…

The paper describes Quality Service Management (QSM) as applied to the provision of services to disabled and other special needs persons. QSM is defined as a systems approach to consumer relations based on the belief that quality care may be achieved only within the context of overall services management. Differences among "quality…

The focus of this research was to examine the perceived effectiveness of the Practical Assessment Exploration System (PAES) (J. Swisher, 1987) for making educational decisions at the instructional program level for students with disabilities across groups of teachers who have various levels of familiarity with the PAES. The PAES is a functional…

Since the passage of the 1997 amendments to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, inclusion of all students with disabilities in accountability systems has been mandatory. By 2001, school personnel began to understand that alternate assessment needed to focus on students' performance on state standards, and nearly all states had created…

A 3-year study of the processes used to implement Bill 82 (an amendment to the Education Act that provides more effective education for special needs students in Ontario) was reported. Structured interviews were conducted yearly with 59 regular and special education teachers and 26 principals from 26 elementary and secondary schools under the…

The document focuses on the impact of the cooperating teacher on the attitudes and behavior of the student special education teacher. The need for reform in teacher education which would produce more field based teacher training experience earlier is pointed out, and components of the Millersville State College (PA) undergraduate special education…