Knowing that paraprofessionals can be prepared to work effectively with students is an important finding, yet, how do teachers prepare paraprofessionals to work most effectively with students with disabilities? Teachers who supervise paraprofessionals must use basic communication skills, which is the first step in both the preparation of and the…

Most educational leadership preparation programs include classes designed to provide a broad survey of legal issues in the profession. Soon after these future leaders complete course requirements, their knowledge base can be outdated. We discuss, through relevant research along with theoretical and actual case studies, contemporary legal issues…

Beginning educators who have disabilities may have additional challenges to face besides those commonly experienced by new teachers, challenges that are then extended to mentoring programs provided to support them. Are initial difficulties the result of their novice situation, their disabilities, or a combination of the two? What kinds of…

This final report documents the activities and outcomes of the 3-year outreach project AHEAD (At Home & At Day Care). Over the course of the three years, AHEAD Outreach conducted eight AHEAD Trainers' Training Institutes that provided AHEAD trainers with up-to-date content in the early intervention field, training techniques, hands-on experiences,…

This article presents strategies intended to enhance the efficacy of early intervention inservice training efforts, including: basing training activities on participants' needs, specifying goals and outcomes, specifying objectives and linking them to outcomes, linking specific inservice training activities to objectives, and using model sites to…

Describes a paraeducator training program that used the World Wide Web (WWW) to provide self-study instruction units that were accessible from local schools. The WWW allowed for increased interaction between paraeducators and instructors, encouraged discussion among trainees, and facilitated communication between the university and local training…

This article reviews availability, certification, and preparation of special education administrators, with an emphasis on their roles in maintaining a quality workforce in special education. Findings indicate a special education administrator shortage, a shift to on-the-job training, and the importance of administrative support in recruitment and…

A study conducted demographic analyses of Maryland's early intervention data by geographic region for training implications. The data were collected from January 1, 1992 to December 31, 1995. Although there ware many areas of overlapping needs, results indicated that training needs can vary from one geographic locale to the next. (Contains…

This final report discusses the activities and outcomes of the Portage Outreach Project, an early intervention project designed to meet the varied needs of state and local agencies around the country through the provision of highly acclaimed training addressing provision of early intervention services from an ecological perspective. The purpose of…

This final report discusses the activities and outcomes of a multi-site, multi-state outreach training project that used information generated from a proven model of exemplary practices previously funded by an early childhood education model demonstration program. The outreach training and technical assistance was developed in conjunction with…

Forty-eight portfolio projects were completed by 65 urban, infant-toddler childcare workers who participated in a professional development program designed to increase the quality of childcare for children with and without disabilities. Results indicated a significantly higher number of strengths-based themes in child stories written after…

This toolkit contains a program coordinator guide, facilitator guide, and learner guide for launching the Peer Empowerment Program (PEP), a mentoring program for direct support personnel in community-based human service organizations. The toolkit provides advice on how to select, train, and sustain mentors, as well as instructions for preparing…

This special newsletter issue was based on a July 1994 forum for educators and trainers of infant/family practitioners. Papers in the first section present emerging conceptual frameworks and the process of helping trainees to use these frameworks. Included are the following papers: "Head Start: The Emotional Foundations of School Readiness as…

The report presents evaluation data on the Cross-Program Training Project to train foster parents, teachers, and social workers who are jointly responsible for the care of special needs children, especially preschoolers. The project featured five major components: (1) site development, (2) training needs assessment on which to develop programing,…

The goal of the Changing the Culture project at the University of Rhode Island is to develop a multi-institutional, statewide network of disability resource mentors, whereby faculty and administrators encourage their department colleagues to develop policies and teaching practices that are inclusive of students with disabilities. The CTC program…