The goal of this study was to examine the effect of physical modifications on the academic engagement and disruptive behavior of Deaf or Hard-of-Hearing students in self-contained classrooms. Three classrooms at a school for the Deaf were modified after consultation with the classroom teachers. The modifications of the classroom environment…

Seating arrangements are important classroom setting events because they have the potential to help prevent problem behaviours that decrease student attention and diminish available instructional time. The purpose of this synthesis of empirical literature is to determine which arrangements of desks best facilitate positive academic and behavioural…

Retirement savings decisions can be influenced by the fund composition of the retirement savings plan. In 2 experiments, strong composition effects were observed, with a larger percentage of resources being invested in stock funds when more stock than bond funds were offered. Although participants changed their allocations repeatedly, the…

Effects of a category system for social organization in the classroom on teachers' abilities to adopt a more flexible role are investigated. (GW)

Considerable attention is being directed toward the need for school counselors to work closely with teachers, other school staff, and parents not only to bring about effective change with students, but also to become an integral part of the staff. (Author)

This paper reviews teaching strategies that may facilitate independent performance on the part of preschool children with disabilities. Among these are environmental arrangements (schedules, staff assignment, room arrangement); antecedent prompts (instructions, time, task); peer-mediated interventions; and consequent events. (Author/DB)

Many investigators have been interested in the development of techniques for remediating undersirable classroom behavior, but far less attention has been paid to physical, spatial and architectural variables which often set the occasion for inappropriate behavior in the classroom. The present study explored the relationships between these…

Discusses results of a three-year investigation of personal, social and academic adjustment by learning disabled students. Concludes that younger children in self contained classrooms achieve more academic and personal success than older ones and those in mainstreamed classes. Identifies five critical factors affecting educational outcomes with…

This workshop module focuses on how teachers can structure situations and activities in their classrooms to encourage or require a much broader range of behaviors and skills than are usually called for. It is designed to increase teachers' awareness of the various structural elements that can be manipulated in a classroom, and the way in which…

In the last decade, the Office of Education has granted several billions of dollars to local educational agencies (LEAs) in an attempt to stimulate, and sometimes force, educational improvements. This paper was presented at a symposium considering experiences accumulated in a recent national study of federal change programs as they have (or have…

The first of two documents designed to train paraprofessionals to work with mildly handicapped students in mainstreamed settings presents information on preservice and inservice education. Four chapters discuss the follwing preservice topics (sample subtopics in parentheses): the teacher (forming a good working relationship); the students (the…

The volume focuses on best practices in specific areas of programming for mentally retarded students which teachers and support service personnel must address before considering curriculum content. The first of three sections consists of four chapters focusing on the following philosophical considerations: characteristics of students with mental…