The federal mandate for use of evidence-based practice in schools focuses attention on the frequently discussed research-to-practice gap in education. The current study examined the frequency with which evidence-based practices are engaged in the education of pupils with disabilities. In sum, 174 special education teachers and 333 school…

This study examined the effects of a reading accommodation on the performance of students on a reading comprehension test. In total, 17 general education students and 15 special education students in grades 3-5 participated. Each student took two equivalent forms of the California Achievement Tests (CAT/5), Comprehension Survey. One form was…

An ecological study was conducted to investigate social, economic, and political factors that influence referral rates following early childhood screening. Telephone interviews were conducted with school personnel from 17 school districts directly involved in the screening and referral process. Subjects (6 early childhood teachers, 3 preschool…

Estimates of 223 school professionals were compared to currently available estimates and data, indicating that Ss held inordinately high estimates and that their estimates varied for different kinds of students (e.g., minority, low socioeconomic status, boys, and girls). (CL)

The findings that certain tests are used in almost every situation and that various professionals employ a large number of technically inadequate measures are discussed in terms of implications for current assessment and decision-making practices. (Author)

This study examined the extent to which students with disabilities or special needs participate in Postsecondary Enrollment Options (PSEO), a Minnesota program which allows 11th and 12th grade students to complete high school credits at a 4-year or 2-year college or a postsecondary vocational training institution. Directors of the PSEO programs at…

Systematic observation of four elementary students at time of referral and one and two months after special education placement revealed considerable variability among students in amount of academic time allocated and engaged in. Changes in instruction and student responding as a function of special education intervention were inconsistent across…

Four groups of educational decisionmakers rated the influence of information regarding the sex, socioeconomic status, and physical attractiveness of the student as having an insignificant effect on educational placement decisions. Assessment data were believed to have a greater influence, with achievement and intelligence scores seen as having a…

The ability of social, economic, and educational variables to predict screening outcomes among 398 school districts in a statewide preschool screening program was examined. First, salient demographic and educational variables were identified and reduced to five global factors using principal components factor analysis. Then, five factor scores and…

The impact of four early childhood education screening programs intended to identify handicapped children was evaluated using ecological case study methods. Results suggested that few screening and referral practices influenced screening outcomes in a consistent manner. (Author/DB)

A study investigated use of various test accommodations for 3,025 third-graders, 2,990 seventh-graders, and 796 eleventh-graders with disabilities in Missouri. Three accommodations (extended time, small-group administration, and read-aloud) accounted for nearly all of the students using an accommodation. Students using one accommodation were…

Four elementary students referred for special education evaluation were observed systematically for 2 entire days each at three different times within the referral-to-placement process. Data were recorded on 53 variables within six categories in 10 second intervals to examine changes in the nature of instruction and academic responding time as a…

Preschool screening referral rates for developmental problems were examined for 219 Minnesota school districts across 2 school years. The state as a whole was consistent from year 1 to year 2 in terms of the percentage of children referred for screening. However, there was wide variation among individual districts. Three groups of districts were…

The individual assessment and decision making procedure in cases of handicapped children of 12 individuals were surveyed and described in detail. Four school psychologists, four special educators, and four regular educators were selected randomly from those who had participated in a computer simulated assessment and decision making exercise. The…

The extent to which computer simulated classification decisions within special education were differentially affected by information presented at the time of the referral was investigated. Decisions about 16 different cases were evaluated and found to be a function of referral information rather than child performance data. The outcomes are…