Developing positive school climates and improving school discipline policies and practices are critical steps to raising academic achievement and supporting student success. However, there is no single formula for doing so. Rather, the growing body of research and best practices in the field should inform locally developed approaches to improving…

Students who are in foster care need principals who are informed about policy, aware of their needs, and willing to be advocates for them. Multiple school placements often result in significant gaps in the education of students in foster care. If they also have disabilities, they may lose special programs and services when they change placements.…

Education abroad is a rapidly expanding opportunity for undergraduate students in the United States. Concurrent with this growth in total numbers is a growth in the diversity of participants. Students with different ethnic backgrounds, academic majors, age, socioeconomic status, and disabilities are increasingly seeking opportunities overseas. In…

Preschool-aged children are aware of differences in the race and abilities of the people around them. Given this awareness it is important to promote children's acceptance of diversity in the preschool period. The goals of this study were to assess the extent to which child care centres provide diversity instruction through classroom activities,…

Access and equity for all students in California colleges and universities continues to be a high priority of the California Postsecondary Education Commission (CPEC). Over the past year, CPEC staff conducted research, collected data, convened an advisory committee and hosted a panel of service providers and students. They identified areas where…

In this article, the authors discuss 4 critical components of mathematics assessment that relate to instruction: (a) teachers need to be knowledgeable about mathematical standards and align them with assessment; (b) assessment should combine formal and informal approaches to obtain a more authentic picture of students' performance and meaningfully…

A model is presented for preparing community-based consultants to work on-site beside the staff of early childhood programs in order to improve the quality of these early childhood environments. The model provides measures of global quality in participating community-based programs, to determine the quality of care received before and after…

This guide, in workbook format, is intended to assist staff at British residential colleges and schools in developing individualized programs to meet the learning needs of students with disabilities or other special learning needs. Emphasis is on integration of educational and residential programs in an extended curriculum involving continual…

The Index is a compilation of materials to support schools in the process of inclusive school development and is organized around the three dimensions of inclusive schools: cultures, policies, and practices. Part 1 provides an introduction to the manual, discusses the Index process as an approach to inclusion of special needs students, and…

The need is discussed for the services of trained interpreters and translators in the school setting for oral and written communications between limited-English-speaking (LEP) students with special needs and English-speaking personnel. The purpose of this guide is: (1) to highlight the type of background and experience required of interpreters and…

This study explored the relationship between costs and benefits of supported (inclusionary) education practices as implemented in 10 schools in 9 Oregon school districts. Specifically, results are presented from a series of interviews conducted with special education directors and principals. Interviews explored administrators' perceptions…

The manual is intended for inservice training of parents and professional teams in reviewing and rating, from a parent perspective, the existing quality of special education programs for handicapped students. Each team consists of three parents and one educator who receive training in the application of quality indicators previously developed by…

Use of a model for systematic ecological assessment was tested in a work experience program for special education inclusion assistants placed in inclusive preschools. Preliminary evaluation data suggest that the model produces integrated developmental activities, use of peer mediation, and a play-based approach to discrete skill development.…

This paper provides an overview of the Maine Department of Education's "Foundations of Inclusive Education," a guide for early childhood professionals, families, and educators on implementing inclusive education for school and preschool children. A basic premise of the guide is that inclusive education is not a separate initiative for…

Education professionals may feel uncomfortable or unprepared when interacting with students with disabilities within school settings. Several federal mandates have been passed in the last 30 years to ensure that students with disabilities receive the same educational services as students without disabilities. Although these students are now in the…