K-12 schools utilize a growing number of technologies to operate effectively, ranging from technologies for learning to technologies that manage student and personnel data. We share findings from an analysis of 23 school district websites for technologies used in a number of K-12 school districts surrounding a public, research university in a…

Paraprofessionals are critical members of instructional teams for students with autism; however, little is known about their job preparation and professional development needs. This study addressed the gap in the literature by surveying 325 paraprofessionals in public school settings in the United States and Guam who reported working with students…

This manual, the first of a two-part study, describes an assessment and planning approach which school psychologists may employ in working with low incidence, severely handicapped students. Past assessment approaches are criticized for being nonfunctional and largely irrelevant; the proposed approach is directed to helping students achieve the…

Guidelines for developing school programs for behaviorally disordered (BD) youth, including program descriptions, and program staffing are presented. It is suggested that four concerns need to be addressed in the development of an educational program: (1) developing a program philosophy and general program goals for BD students, (2) identifying…

A study of 611 occupational therapists investigated the impact of inclusion on public school occupational therapy. The respondents indicated that inclusion did impact service delivery and the skills of students with disabilities. Responses to the questionnaire also indicated active involvement in inclusion planning and collaborative intervention…

This study examines the role of the teacher-librarian as perceived by teacher-librarians themselves and by school principals. The specific problems addressed are: (1) whether there are differences in present perceptions of the teacher-librarian's role by principals and teacher-librarians; (2) whether the two groups have differing perceptions of…

Prepared as part of a comprehensive study of reading in Virginia, this booklet contains standards identified by educators that must be exhibited by reading programs in order for them to be classified as "excellent." The ten standards are organized around four components: the learner and learning environment, organizing and managing a…

Materials for special education resource specialists in California on implementing a team approach and facilitating change are presented as the second of four volumes. The first section includes a description of the resource specialist program; the interaction between the resource specialist and the principal; the roles of the resource specialist,…

The purpose of these two self-appraisal checklists--one for the elementary grades and one for the secondary grades--is to assist Ohio school personnel in their endeavors to improve their school music programs. Educators in other states can easily use the checklists. Each checklist is organized into seven major categories which represent essential…

An evaluation was conducted of a Michigan pilot project that sought to expand the activities of aides concerning promotion of least restrictive environment for students with disabilities. The evaluation consisted of a historical summary of the project, on-site observations, and analysis of follow-up evaluation instruments submitted by 49 general…

This document contains a 91-item checklist to aid social studies classroom teachers in elementary and secondary schools as they assess the social studies program in their schools. Although developed particularly for schools in Ohio, the checklist can be used by educators in other locations as well. The objective is to assist social studies…

This resource manual is intended to assist North Dakota school districts in making decisions about the appropriate use of paraeducators in providing services to all students in the public schools, including those with disabilities. It is designed to delineate the state requirements for training to ensure that adequate support is provided to the…

Evaluators usually assume that the data they receive are valid, or at least, that the data reflect that which is being evaluated. In a recent evaluation in a large southern school district, evaluators compared their raw interview notes with interview notes edited by the teachers interviewed or project staff. The program evaluated was Project SEED,…

The Fairfax County, Virginia, Schools' Elementary Writing Program (EWP) was evaluated over a two-year period. The first year focused on describing and analyzing program development and implementation. The second year of the evaluation addressed program effectiveness. Three questions comprised the development and implementation phase of the…

The study reported in this document examined how special education administrators and staff in 100 school districts were involved in the adoption of new educational technology. The sample was drawn from the known population list of operating school districts from the Common Core of Data of the National Center for Educational Statistics. Selection…