Nonpublic schools (NPSs) are used by local education agencies (LEAs) across the country to serve students with exceptional needs. These students are often reported to suffer from mental health challenges and engage in severe problem behaviors. The social and financial costs associated with NPS placements are significant, and it is imperative that…

The Early Assessment Program (EAP) has emerged as a national model for states seeking to design policies that increase the number of students who leave high school ready for college and careers. In addition, the two national consortia designing new assessments aligned to the Common Core State Standards have recognized the EAP as a model for the…

This report presents nationally representative data to contrast and compare programs developed under Chapter 1 of the Education Consolidation and Improvement Act of 1981 with special education programs for mildly handicapped pupils in elementary schools, called for by Part B of the Education of the Handicapped Act. The report describes differences…

This book provides practical strategies and tools for assessing and teaching even the most hard to reach English language learners across the content areas. Syrja offers educators the latest information on working with ELLs (including using formative assessments) and provides a wealth of classroom-tested models and measures. These tools have…

This handbook provides state legal regulations for Washington State special education services and programs for students with disabilities. It includes requirements that address the following areas: (1) general authority and purpose of the requirements; (2) students' rights; (3) general definitions; (4) child find; (5) evaluation procedures; (6)…

The document sets forth the rationale for determining adequacy in special education under Alberta (Canada) Education policy. A structural approach is proposed in which a program is judged adequate when a definite set of procedures has been established and implemented and when the principles of natural justice have been adhered to in the process.…

This newsletter theme issue presents highlights from the "Seventeenth Annual Report to Congress" on the implementation, impact, and effectiveness of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). It presents 19 tables and 1 figure reproduced from the annual report. The issue covers: (1) funding for IDEA Part B and Chapter 1 of…

In case studies of four upstate New York counties, school districts were ranked according to their implementation of state-mandated educational regulations, including the percentage of handicapped students receiving their education in districtwide programs. Findings reveal that officials from all districts perceived state official communications…

This article discusses how special education reform movements continue to influence school practices regarding special education placement decisions and offers recommendations for promoting academic educational benefit for included students with mild disabilities. Schools are urged to make responsible decisions regarding inclusion by developing…

When Congress passed the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) in 1997, it authorized an evaluation to track progress at the state and local levels on the legislative goals of IDEA. The U.S. Department of Education's Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) commissioned a national longitudinal study, the Study of State and Local…

This book is intended to guide school administrators through the day-to-day supervision of the special education program and to serve as a resource for handling problem situations that may arise. The first of the book's six chapters provides basic information on program management, including standards of compliance with state and federal…

Intended for evaluation of local compliance with special education federal and state legal requirements, this compliance review document includes both the compliance requirements and the criteria by which compliance is determined during the onsite compliance review of Georgia local school systems and state-operated programs. Each legal requirement…

A study of English-as-a-second-language (ESL) and bilingual education policies in Oregon's local school districts analyzed their contribution to equal educational opportunity and quality education for language minority students. A survey of all public school districts in the state elicited information about eight policy areas: identification and…

The 24th annual report to Congress on the implementation of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) is organized into four major sections. Section 1 is on context/environment and includes four modules that address special education teacher quality (from the Study of Personnel Needs in Teacher Education (SPeNSE)); costs of special…

In California's community colleges, matriculation refers to the broad array of state-mandated efforts, including entry testing, placement, special counseling, remediation, and other academic and support services designed to help promote and sustain the efforts of credit students to succeed in their educational endeavors. This 1989-90 report…