In April 2011, the Journal of Staff Development (JSD) published "Lessons from Bhutan: Embrace cultural differences to effect change" (Levine, Telsey, & McCormack, 2011), which described the experiences of several U.S. educators who learned their own transformative lessons while leading professional learning in special education…

As the identification of students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) continues to increase unabated, there exists a need to provide school personnel with information they can use for the purpose of designing and implementing appropriate comprehensive programs for these students. Accordingly, this article identifies and discusses comprehensive…

While differences in national contexts are associated with variations in how teachers are trained and school systems are organised, the conceptual and philosophical problems of equity and inclusion in schooling are shared concerns. This paper describes how the structure and content of an initial teacher education programme for primary and…

Institutional politics and diversity of ideological positions create challenges for teaching staff with polarised beliefs about inclusive education. This paper provides a methodological justification for a longitudinal study of the experience of developing an integrated "inclusive education" curriculum in one initial teacher education…

In most western countries, the problems of effective university-controlled and largely university-based initial teacher education (ITE) have been apparent for many decades: whatever is achieved in the university, the teaching practices and attitudes that student-teachers usually learn to adopt are those currently dominant in the schools. So it is…

Local school systems, Local Education Agencies [LEAs], and universities, Institutions of Higher Education [IHEs], work together in a variety of ways in the initial preparation and ongoing professional development of teachers, although it is difficult to ascertain the number of LEA/IHE partnerships. These relationships typically allow for a…

The consultant interested in helping teachers adopt curriculum-based assessment techniques should consider the process of innovation along with aspects of school culture. The consultant should examine four stages in developing a model program: creating a need, supporting change, implementing a guided practice, sequence, and allowing for…

This study examined the involvement of students with disabilities in the New American Schools Development Corporation (NASDC) projects. The report begins with a description of the competition to select demonstration projects that would create teams to design, implement, and disseminate "break-the-mold" schools to bring about educational…

This article reviews the historical development of special education in the People's Republic of China, with special emphasis on trends and issues that have emerged in the period since the Cultural Revolution of 1966-69. Major positive developments are identified along with continuing obstacles and possible solutions. (Author/CR)

This report describes the Integrated Services Consultant Model (ISCM) and the strategies used in implementing the model in 12 elementary schools in southern California. A reprint from the November 1986 issue of "Focus on Exceptional Children" of an article by Lenny Reisberg and Ronald Wolf titled "Developing a Consulting Program in…

Strategies are presented for fostering statewide program development and refinement in the field of special education. Sixteen observations about change are presented, with examples from various Washington statewide initiatives. Among the observations are the following: Reform should be promoted from within by empowering schools to explore…

This article describes a framework for building more inclusive, effective, and successful schools in poor rural and urban communities called "Whole Schooling". Multiple barriers to inclusive schools are identified, the commonalties and differences between poor rural and urban schools are explored, and specific strategies for utilizing available…

This article presents an agenda for educational change that identifies core issues in early childhood inclusion as well as the mechanisms and strategies to address those issues at the systems, program development, and research levels. Recommendations include development and dissemination of effective practices and evidence-based guidelines.…

The evolution of a school-linked service integration model that is geared to school restructuring processes is described, and systemic restructuring components are discussed. Information on the inclusion of all students with disabilities in the model is provided. A case study is presented of a first grader with emotional disturbances, who, after…

The Secretary of Education encourages special education teachers to become leaders of education reform, by developing community-level programs to achieve the six National Education Goals. Examples of America 2000 community projects are cited, and the role of special educators in past educational innovations is emphasized. (JDD)