Students with low-incidence disabilities frequently receive less than optimal psychoeducational services because the specialized tests and instructional materials required to meet their idiosyncratic needs often are unavailable due to budget constraints, inadequate training of school personnel, and the difficulty school personnel have keeping…

Under the supervision of a licensed early intervention provider, paraprofessionals play an indispensable role in implementation of home and community-based services to infants and toddlers with developmental delays or disabilities and their families in Colorado. The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act of 2004 requires that…

The purpose of this study was to explore the perceptions of public school leaders about principal leadership for special education in ten leadership categories: understanding law and policy, using data to improve teacher performance, using data to improve student performance, creating an inclusive culture, collaborating with families,…

A preschool program for 14 handicapped children in Ouachita Parish, Louisiana, is described and evaluation findings reported. Program objectives are listed for instructional, parent-family, staff development, and demonstration and dissemination components. Among findings were that mentally retarded children showed greater than anticipated…

The Rokeach Value Survey, which requires ranking two sets of 18 values, was administered to 24 Israeli paraprofessionals before and after a 16-week training program on disability-related topics. Four terminal values (wisdom, self-respect, equality, sense of accomplishment) and three instrumental values (polite, helpful, clean) rose in importance.…

Addresses program evaluation of the personnel preparation in early-intervention programs. Describes an interdisciplinary preservice program, discusses the program's evaluation areas, reviews the specific evaluation tools, and presents evaluation results over a four-year period. Critical program components are highlighted. (Author/DB)

Since the handover of the sovereignty from the United Kingdom to the People's Republic of China in 1997, there have been a series of change, development, and related issues in special education programs for learners with disabilities in Hong Kong. In this paper, we try to describe the background and recent trends, issues, and implications that…

Four issues (1980/81) of Views, an early childhood special education newsletter published by Project Sunrise Outreach in Montana, are collected in the document. Each issue contains one or two feature articles, and sections on early childhood programs, news from the states (Montana, Wyoming, and Idaho), comments from colleagues, research summaries,…

The authors report on a national survey of administrators and program specialists at 43 state vocational rehabilitation (VR) agencies concerning the impact of federal employment legislation and rehabilitation policies on the provision of services to consumers who are deaf or hard of hearing. The article focuses on 5 initiatives enacted to enhance…

In addition to its basic function, the Head Start program provides access to health care, nutrition, and social services. Its services are comprehensive, parents and community are involved, and staff development is an integral feature. New York State's allocations of federal funds for handicapped children are based on Head Start's annual reports.…

Montana's Comprehensive System of Personnel Development (CSPD) Council reorganized into five regions to address diversity of needs in large geographic areas. Descriptions, needs assessment, regional activities to meet staff development needs, and use of the training-for-trainers model are reported for each region. Results of statewide and regional…

The Special Education Training and Resource Center (SETRC) of the New York City Board of Education organizes professional development workshops on special education issues and operates seven Resource Center libraries that provide materials and technical assistance to enhance student services. Interviews conducted with school administrators…

The report summarizes achievements of a 3 year project to provide continuing education to speech-language-hearing clinicians and special education personnel via a speaker telephone. Committees were formed in each participating district to plan for staff development based on local needs. Consultants chosen to present training were asked to mail any…

An instrument was developed to obtain data relevant to why minorities with developmental disabilities drop out of the service delivery system in Wisconsin. The questionnaire, after being pre-tested and revised, was sent to agencies, organizations, and schools, and to individuals with developmental disabilities who agreed to participate in the…

This report evaluates the special education instructional programs of the Des Moines (Iowa) Public Schools. It begins with a school district mission statement and special education mission statement. The report examines Des Moines' history of serving students with disabilities, its policies and regulations, enrollment by disability, and types of…