High rates of anxiety and depression are reported among youth with autism spectrum disorders. These conditions are generally assessed using measures validated for typically developing youth. Few studies have investigated their validity for autism spectrum disorders, which is crucial for accurate assessment and the provision of proper treatment.…

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…

The authors expand on research evaluating public school response to school choice policies by considering the particular influence of voucher programs for disabled students--a growing type of choice program that may have different implications for public school systems from those of more conventional choice programs. The authors provide a…

Response to Intervention (RTI), as a model for improving services to all students, has been a growing phenomenon since the reauthorization of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) in 2004. The National Association of State Directors of Special Education (NASDSE) defines RTI as "the practice of (1) providing high-quality…

Response to intervention (RTI) arose, in part, from the limited success of the pre-referral process, an approach advocated in the 1980s and 1990s, and accurately measuring the discrepancy between aptitude and achievement in young children. Reflecting these concerns, when the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) was reauthorized in…

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…

Now that all 50 states and the District of Columbia are building statewide longitudinal data systems, the next step is to ensure that the information in these systems is used to improve student learning. The Data Quality Campaign (DQC) has identified 10 actions that states can take to ensure that the right data are available and accessible and…

In addition to determining students' writing proficiency, holistic writing scores obtained through a standardized evaluation provide useful data in making value judgments concerning various aspects of high school writing programs. In a cross-sectional study using holistic scoring, average scores of groups of students can be compared, and the…

Addressing the need to develop an evaluation system that assesses the effectiveness of a writing program on students' performance, the Holistic Writing Assessment Program of Mosley High School (Florida) was devised to ascertain and document the extent to which improvement occurred in students' compositions. On a designated day in the semester, all…

Describes the Individualized Manpower Training System at a comprehensive high school in Tampa aimed at academically disadvantaged students; computer instruction at a Florida community college; and the use of microcomputers in the teaching of electronics technology at another Florida community college. (CT)

Student assessment programs in Florida's community and junior colleges are described in this report in terms of theory, practice, and policy. Following introductory material on the background and purpose of the study, which involved statewide surveys of coordinators of student assessment programs, an extensive literature review is presented. The…

As one of the publications of the Florida Sources to Upgrade the Career Counseling and Employment of Special Students (SUCCESS) Project, this guide is designed to provide school counselors, occupational specialists, and other guidance personnel with basic information and listings of resources concerning the career guidance needs of handicapped…

As one of the publications of the Florida Sources to Upgrade the Career Counseling and Employment of Special Students (SUCCESS) Project, this guide is designed to provide school counselors, occupational specialists, and other guidance personnel with basic information and listings of resources concerning the career guidance needs of handicapped…

As one of the publications of the Florida Sources to Upgrade the Career Counseling and Employment of Special Students (SUCCESS) Project, this guide is designed to provide school counselors, occupational specialists, and other guidance personnel with basic information and listings of resources concerning the career guidance needs of handicapped…