Programs and courses about the gifted in rural areas have been offered by the University of Maine at Presque Isle since 1973. Activities (such as designing and building rockets, play writing and producing, and park design) and workshops have been held for and about the gifted. One of the problems with programs for this population is that they are…

Presented is a description of a physics program format used, with a high degree of success, at Boyertown Area Senior High School in Pennsylvania. The program features integration of desirable curriculum innovations such as individualization with a recognized curriculum (Project Physics) while maintaining the quality of a solid first year physics…

Computer managed instruction should be able to meet student needs immediately, remove clerical work from teachers' tasks, process information at student-pace demand, and fit the prescribed curriculum. To create such an integrated program of compatible instruction, curriculum, and information system, a Madison, Wisconsin, Public Schools Title III…

This literature review describes and evaluates five accelerative methods for teaching intellectually gifted students at the secondary level. The review stresses the importance of matching student characteristics and instructional type, citing research demonstrating that intellectually gifted students achieve at higher levels when their educational…

The Tri-I (Innovative, Integrative, Individualized Curriculum)--TRIIC--contains a systematic method to train preschool teachers in using the curriculum for behaviorally handicapped and/or nonhandicapped children. The curriculum is designed to aid teachers in: developing individualized goals for handicapped and nonhandicapped children…

Recognizing the increase in school violence, California recently enacted the Hughes Bill that requires a positive behavioral intervention plan for individuals with exceptional needs. Although special education teachers are required to develop positive behavioral intervention plans, most have not been trained in the skills necessary to develop or…

Two types of testing can be used to enhance the physical education experiences of handicapped learners. Content referenced tests insure that curricula accurately reflect the students' present level of functioning and appropriate goals. Relevant needs should be determined, taking into account such factors as future recreational opportunities,…

Curriculum is an essential element in Individualized Education Program (IEP) development, which has often been left to special education teachers unequipped for the task. A lack of district-wide curriculum foundations leads to haphazard decision-making. Teachers have often relied on their own content biases, speculations, and standardized tests…

This paper addresses the need for tailor-made support services for college students with learning disabilities based on sound diagnostic/prescriptive evaluation data. Literature on program design and the development of effective individualized education programs is reviewed, and performance contracts developed with student input are viewed as…

Since deaf students who are members of more than one cultural group (e.g., Deaf and Black, Deaf and Asian, Deaf and Native American, Deaf and Hispanic) seldom encounter teachers who are deaf, let alone deaf and representative of their ethnic/racial group, this paper offers a framework to help teachers attend to the variations in beliefs,…

The VORHS Program (Vocational Opportunities for Rural Handicapped Students) was developed for a rural school district in Wyoming. It grew out of the need for a curricular system that could (1) provide the means of constructing individual courses to meet the needs of the handicapped population and also satisfy local graduation requirements; (2)…

The enactment of educational equity legislation, such as the Women's Equity Act of 1974 and the Education for all Children Act of 1974 (Public Law 94-142), has resulted in increased funding for education program development, but little hard data has been collected to prove program effectiveness. A review of research literature indicates that not…

Comprehensive vocational assessment needs to become an integral part of vocational programming in secondary and postsecondary schools, since it is crucial in developing appropriate individualized education plans for students with special needs. A prime focus for vocational assessment should be entrance into vocational education courses. It should…

The history of educational programming for the handicapped has unfortunately been one of quiet discrimination. This pattern has come from the evolution of an isolation-based society. Society is moving increasingly toward the human and equity-based treatment of disabled people. Reflecting some court decisions, the Education of the Handicapped Act…

This paper provides a perspective on issues among small schools in Canada through an analysis of topics that focus on Ontario. During the early phase of the small school movement, many educators believed that "small" represented a deleterious condition. After researchers examined negative conditions among larger schools, however,…