This resource was prepared in response to a request for information about how the six Phase 3 ELC States (Georgia, Kentucky, Michigan, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Vermont) are leveraging ELC funds and other State funds to support inclusion. This information will be helpful to other States as they consider how to continue to increase the quality…

The topic of special education can be confusing and frightening for parents who suspect their child has a disability or has difficulty learning. Parents in this situation want to know how to get help for their child. This guide is intended as a reference for people who have questions about special education for a child. It summarizes the basic…

This document is intended to assist State Education Agency (SEA) and Lead Agency (LA) staff and technical assistance providers in designing a meaningful evaluation for the State Performance Plan (SPP)/Annual Performance Report (APR) improvement activities. It provides: (1) information about the relevance of evaluation in the context of improvement…

Presents the basic considerations and major procedures employed in building a vocational special needs evaluation system in Vermont. (JOW)

Beginning in 1998, a state program called Reaching for Results began focusing on raising achievement for all Louisiana students. This program includes two different approaches: (1) teaching strategies that support students in meeting educational outcomes that will prepare them for life after school; and (2) assessments that evaluate student…

The Vermont Vocational Special Needs Evaluation System is a statewide system for evaluating special projects for disadvantaged and handicapped students enrolled in secondary level vocational education programs. A program used for training individuals to serve as external evaluators for the system is presented. This document consists of four…

A study conducted demographic analyses of Maryland's early intervention data by geographic region for training implications. The data were collected from January 1, 1992 to December 31, 1995. Although there ware many areas of overlapping needs, results indicated that training needs can vary from one geographic locale to the next. (Contains…

This article describes the development of Kentucky's alternative assessment for students with disabilities, including the content and scoring standards for the Alternate Portfolio. Specific examples of entries at each grade are given. Initial implementation data are presented, and critical issues in the development of alternate statewide…

This report reviews the outcomes of a forum convened to examine policy and practice issues surrounding the annual evaluation of effectiveness of programs and services for students with disabilities. At the forum, alternative approaches being used by states to implement program evaluation were discussed, along with issues in gathering…

Designed to meet the requirements of recent federal legislation, the booklet describes Project DART, which provides services in adapted physical education for handicapped children in Georgia. The first section examines the state of the art in adapted physical education and reviews the mandates of Public Law 94-142 (the Education for All…

This study investigated how rural states assess programs and services provided to disabled and disadvantaged vocational education students in terms of planning and operational processes. Study findings revealed a variety of strategies for affecting the implementation of state education agency evaluations. (Author)

A study compared the effects of different methods of analyzing trends to illustrate how failure to account for change in classification will lead to misinterpretation of data on the performance of students with disabilities. Data from five years of assessment in Texas is used to illustrate effects of classification changes. (Contains references.)…

This digest considers the use of performance assessment within outcomes-based accountability systems for students with and without disabilities. Application of performance assessment to students with disabilities involves defining the outcomes, developing performance standards, developing assessment accommodations, and scoring. Implications of…

This review examined the evaluation components from 10 awarded state improvement grants designed to improve systems providing services for students with disabilities. The review examined the following aspects of the evaluation components: purposes, conceptual framework for the evaluation and systems reform, evaluation design and approaches,…

This commentary on "Accountability for All Students: Kentucky's Alternate Portfolio Assessment for Students with Moderate and Severe Cognitive Disabilities" (Kleinert and others), points out that Kentucky includes the assessment scores or results in the larger accountability system of the school and state. Noteworthy components and…