Every year millions of students enroll in colleges with the goal of completing a college degree or certificate so they can find a well-paying job. Unfortunately, many arrive on college campuses, take a college placement exam and discover they will need to complete remedial education courses in math, reading, or writing that won't count toward a…

Dyslexia is a term that has been applied since the early part of the 20th Century to many students with reading difficulties. The term comes from medicine, but its broadest application is within education. Many educators, however, remain confused about the term in spite of the fact that major advances in the understanding of dyslexia have been…

A review of procedures used to assess the educational needs of offenders in Florida's correctional institutions is presented in this report, along with recommendations for change. First, the report draws from a 1982 study of the state correctional system, presenting findings regarding the educational needs of youthful offenders, assessment…

Demonstrates that while the concept of special educational need as set forth in Scotland's 1981 Education Act may be useful in day-to-day decision-making, it is too vague and value-laden to sustain the extremely formal structure laid down in statute. (NEC)

In this comment to a paper by S. Braaten (EC 210 835), in which the Regular Education Initiative (REI) was described as a "patent medicine" for students with behavioral disorders, it is argued that such students are not misidentified or inappropriately placed and that the REI has been misinterpreted and may work. (JDD)

This rejoinder to EC 230 272 defends the original paper (EC 210 835) and argues that the critique reflects a misunderstanding of the nature of the Regular Education Initiative, the inclusion of students with behavioral disorders in reform proposals, the seriousness of the problems of these students, and the nature of patent medicine. (JDD)

Drawing upon New Hampshire data, this article analyzes transition from early intervention to preschool programs, labels assigned to preschool children, label changes as children get older, and consequences of categorical labeling. Almost one-third of children in early intervention were not eligible for preschool services because of requirements…

This article analyzes the process and effects of changing Colorado's special education category of "significant identifiable emotional or behavior disorder" to "significant identifiable emotional disorder." The article reviews environmental forces precipitating definitional change, various opinions, the legislative decision,…

Prepared in response to a report by the Office of the Chancellor of the California Community Colleges on learning disabled students, this report describes students with learning disabilities, explains the operation of the community colleges' learning disability eligibility model, summarizes the main findings of the Office of the Chancellor's…

This article analyzes national and state placement patterns for students with serious emotional disturbance between 1988 and 1991. Findings indicate that many states report substantial increases or decreases in percentage of children served in regular education classes, resource rooms, separate classes, or separate facilities. State demographic…

This paper describes what in the area of assessment is essential knowledge for a prospective teacher. The listings of topics which would be relevant for a course in measurement for preservice teachers are presented as they might appear in a course syllabus. For each topic, the rationnale for its inclusion is given, as well as the skills which…

This descriptive study examined practices in three Texas school districts concerning referral, assessment, and placement of limited English proficient (LEP) Hispanic students in programs for the mentally retarded (MR), and their impact on effectiveness of services for the LEP population. Subjects were 61 Hispanic LEP students (grades 2-5) enrolled…

This paper analyzes and synthesizes information on assessment of attention deficit disorder (ADD), to provide guidance to states as they formulate policies and practices. The paper presents an overview of ADD from an educational perspective, focusing on student characteristics, developmental patterns, and coexisting disorders. Schoolwide…

Learning disabilities among adults are more prevalent than was once believed, although estimates of numbers are difficult to make. Problems faced by adults with LD include difficulties with academic and information processing and adult life adjustment. Many adults with LD exhibit strengths that enable them to compensate for their disabilities and…

This brief report states that recent emphasis on minimum competency testing has been on using the test results to make better decisions for improving the instructional program and providing remediation. State and local school districts, using advisory committees and commissions, are in various stages of identifying instructional goals and…