Educational and vocational rehabilitation programs both have key roles and responsibilities in improving post-school outcomes for students with disabilities. Both entities must be involved in creating opportunities for students to develop skills and knowledge to prepare for careers in the 21st Century. To help facilitate understanding and promote…

Response to Intervention (RTI) has been one of the most significant developments in the history of educational reform, requiring a renewed focus on evidence-based instruction and data-driven decisions. However, the current use of RTI as a means of identifying students with SLD is highly variable across states, bringing to focus several issues that…

PERT (Program Evaluation and Review Technique), an approach developed by the Navy to identify time and cost resources and organize steps to streamline management, can smooth the special education referral process. PERT is a sophisticated scheduling method which, when adapted to the district, can expose bottlenecks, accurately estimate timelines,…

A project was undertaken to develop a model for the referral, intervention, assessment, and appropriate placement of regular and special education students in one California school district. The district's existing system was rated according to effectiveness, supportiveness, efficiency, clarity, and flexibility. Results were used to develop the…

A microeconomic paradigm is proposed for the evaluation of special education in schools. The special education process is described in three phases: referral to special education by the classroom teacher; special classroom program; and mainstreaming. The relationship between referral by teachers, classroom resources, and students' desirable…

The application of curriculum-based assessment (CBA) procedures across five decision-making areas in special education is presented, including screening and referring, determining eligibility and classifying, planning programs, monitoring progress and modifying programs, and evaluating programs. CBA procedures are proposed as a feasible,…

The understandings and perceptions held by school-site administrators and teachers about the process and procedures followed in referring students for special education were studied as part of the required annual evaluation of the special education program in San Diego Unified School District (California). Analysis of descriptive and qualitative…

This guide offers an overview of important areas in operating a disability-related information and referral center (I&R) and contains many design and management suggestions. The guide is written for individuals operating or designing a "grassroots" information and referral center with only a few employees but a fair number of…

The report presents data on the effectiveness of Program Alternatives to Special Education (PASE), an effort to reduce the number of students referred to special education in New York City schools. Four major evaluation issues are addressed: number of students participating in PASE during the 1985-1986 school year; reasons for student selections…

The guide presents a composite of part 30 of California's education code which deals with special education. An introduction explains the history of the law, noting the passage of five legislative bills during 1984 which amended, added, or repealed special education sections. The revised part 30 is presented with the following headings: general…

Progress toward effective service delivery to young children with handicaps and their families is impeded by lack of coordination at local levels and variations in eligibility requirements and population definitions. A centralized interagency identification/referral program was found to facilitate data utilization for decision-making, interagency…

The out-of-school child find program conducted by the Albuquerque (New Mexico) Public Schools to locate and refer handicapped children from birth to the mandated age for public education was evaluated. This program used funds from Public Law 94-142, the Education for All Handicapped Children Act. An awareness campaign, screening and evaluation of…

The report examines the status of special education in St. Louis (Missouri) Public Schools. Census data are reported by primary handicap, age, and principle type of service received. Difficulties in the process of diagnosis and assignment of handicap category are revealed, including confusion over eligibility for learning disabled (LD) and…

This paper discusses findings from an evaluation of the effectiveness of a pre-referral intervention program that was being implemented in seven school districts in the Southern Tier of New York. The initiative is known as 7 SHARE, which stands for 7 districts supporting and helping to affect regional education. The paper explores the methods used…

The Evaluation Department of San Diego (California) City Schools develops and implements an annual evaluation plan aimed at improving special education programs, as required under California's Master Plan for Special Education. The studies contained in the 1986-87 evaluation are presented in three sections: (1) demographic information about the…