Summer reading programs are a common means of providing wraparound services to improve the performance of students' with or at risk for reading disabilities. Today's programs are not merely camps but are complex and costly academic efforts that require year-round planning to be successful. School personnel responsible for these programs typically…

Individualized education programs (IEPs) reflect the spirit of individualized instruction that lies at the heart of special education. Quality annual goal statements, which propel the implementation of special education programming, use clear language to communicate measurable, meaningful, and standards-aligned expectations to all members of the…

It can be challenging for educators to select intervention tactics based on the function of the student's behavior. In this article, authors offer practical information on behavioral function and environmental-focused intervention ideas for educators developing behavior intervention plans. Ideas are organized according to the hypothesized function…

Schoolwide Positive Behavior Support (SWPBS) offers an alternative to reactive and exclusionary school discipline practices. However, the shift to SWPBS requires substantial change in the practices of staff, and many leadership teams struggle to rally staff support for implementation. With a more thorough understanding of staff perceptions, level…

Children with disabilities are at increased risk of health risk factors including obesity, often because of low levels of physical activity and limited participation in sports. However, organized adaptive sports programs are increasingly available for individuals with disabilities. This article provides recommendations for establishing successful…

Many school districts have adopted commercially available software or templates for electronic Individualized Education Program (IEP) development. These programs have useful features that allow Individualized Education Programs to be electronically developed and reliably stored for each student. Although the program features are designed to…

Many factors cause student disengagement from school that subsequently result in high dropout rates. Alternative education (AE) programs provide a different pathway for at-risk youths who do not meet the goals, standards, and requirements of traditional educational settings. However, educational agencies have vastly different interpretations…

Since the reauthorization of the Individuals With Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) in 2004, standards-based individualized education plans (IEPs) have been an expectation for serving students with disabilities in the K-12 public school setting. Nearly a decade after the mandates calling for standards-based IEPs, special educators still struggle…

Strong, supportive, mentoring relationships between adults and children at risk for social and academic failure have been associated with improvements in academic performance, school attendance, and self-image. One of the variables associated with strong, supportive, mentoring relationships is the practice of matching children with adult mentors…

This article offers a framework for planning teams to use to implement inclusive education. Four planning dimensions (action planning, management, evaluation, and reflection) are discussed, including specific considerations for classroom teams. An example of one school's efforts toward developing an effective inclusion program is provided. (DB)

A data-based crisis support program at a special school for severely emotionally disturbed children provides on-the-spot intervention for students with behavioral difficulties, records data about the incident, and provides monthly summary data reports on program use. One month's data report is used to illustrate program structure and data…

Guidelines are offered for implementing collaborative models to meet the needs of students with special needs, including clarifying the need for collaboration, identifying the stakeholders of change, identifying the purpose and format of respective structures, setting targets for collaborative change, designing an implementation process, and…

A systematic process for planning, implementing, and maintaining peer-tutoring interventions is presented. Academic and social benefits of peer tutoring are briefly documented. The process includes four components: planning, training, monitoring/evaluation, and problem solving. (DB)

Though mentoring has a long history, it has just recently begun to mature as a field to provide a research base of "best practice" for program development. Today, professionals are looking for ways to better connect with students, particularly those at risk, and mentoring programs are one way to do so. Mentoring programs are expanding rapidly,…

Discusses development of community mentoring structures to increase the educational and vocational success of students. Explains the three essential features of successful mentoring: (1) comprehensive, ongoing representation; (2) training; and (3) coordinated service provision. (DB)