There has been little data collected on how much testing actually goes on in America's schools and how the results are used. So in the Spring of 2014, the Council staff developed and launched a survey of assessment practices. This report presents the findings from that survey and subsequent Council analysis and review of the data. It also offers…

Can spiraling special education costs explain why educational achievement remained stagnant over the past three decades while real education spending more than doubled? Policy makers, education researchers, and school district officials often make this claim. Special education students--goes the argument--are draining resources away from regular…

The paper offers some basic information for making decisions about allocating and accounting for resources provided to young handicapped children. Sections address the following topics: reasons for costing, audiences for cost accounting and accountability information, and a process for cost accounting and accountability (defining cost categories,…

The document contains the data files created by a Rand Corporation study on the cost of special education based on information from a 1977-78 national survey of 50 local education agencies in 14 states. The project objective is to improve decisionmaking on special education programing and finance by providing information on the services provided…

The guide describes Project IMPACT (Implementing Mainstreaming Programs through Active Cooperative Training), an approach involving teachers, parents, and support personnel in Mainstreaming Planning Committees (MPCs) to consider general issues and procedures. Based on experiences over a 2-year period (September 1, 1979-February 28, 1982) of pilot…

Evaluation data are presented for the Open Door infant, toddler, and preschool programs (Las Cruces, New Mexico) for handicapped young children. Effects of intervention are reported in terms of learner gain for each child, mean gains for each child across developmental areas, mean gains for groups within each developmental area, subsequent…

The California State Board of Education authorized the study to document the overall costs of special education due process fair hearings to all parties--the parents, local education agencies, and the state. The study also analyzed the factors that enter into the costs of hearings, and some conclusions were drawn and recommendations made for…

A teacher, warned not to put anything in the individualized education program that will cost the school district money, is urged to go to the supervisor, file a noncompliance charge with the state education agency, or alert a third party to take that action. (CL)

Sets forth the future program development responsibilities of the administrator of vocational special needs programs. Discusses terminology, funding, and program content. Also examines major issues, incentives, realistic expectations, and accountability. (CT)

Summarizes the major achievements of the supported employment initiative for individuals with mental retardation and other significant disabilities from 1986 through 1993. Focus is on the number of program participants, consumer characteristics, reduced dependence on Social Security income maintenance, participant earnings, and program…

Sixteen Texas projects for handicapped infants participated in a study to determine followup service placement of project graduates and cost of early intervention. Analysis of completed survey forms indicated that an overall success rate for finding children after graduation from a project was 81% of the total attempted. For more than three-fourth…

The document reports a study for the California State Department of Education to provide clarification of existing studies and reports on the cost of special education in California. Chapter 1 covers the background of the study, purpose and plan, study design (which included review of existing cost reports and studies and structured interviews…

Reviews the requirements and potential effects of Public Law 94-142 (Education for All Handicapped Children Act). Suggests reforms that would maximize the educational opportunities offered under the Act while reducing (1) financial costs; and (2) bureaucratic problems associated with such heavily prescriptive Federal policies. (GC)

A study was conducted to develop baseline information on special education early intervention programs. A review of the literature revealed the following: the effects of a stimulating or depriving environment appear to be most powerful in the early years of childhood; there is evidence that the effects of early intervention programs for children…

Explains two career education approaches: one integrates academics while teaching about actual careers; the other teaches employability skills. Both cost little or nothing to implement and use existing school resources. For example, the cafeteria is used as a source of information on occupations, health laws, food delivery, hiring practices, using…