Over the past decade the academic literature on disability outcomes and effectiveness has grown substantially (Andresen, Lollar, & Meyers, 2000; Devon, Lydon, Healy, & McCoy, 2016; Iemmi et al., 2015). Several important questions have not been adequately addressed, however. For example, what type of evidence is needed, and what are…

Post-secondary transition plans are a mandatory component of the individual education program (IEP) for all students aged 16 and over, that are eligible for special education services. This regulation has been in effect since the passage of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) in 1990. IDEA has been reauthorized twice in the…

The goal of this meeting was to discuss the challenges of adult education and mechanisms to better understand and address those challenges through research. The meeting was structured around three panel discussions representing the perspectives of State directors of adult education programs, adult education researchers, and education research…

Purpose: This study sought to advance the state of knowledge regarding physical activity and aging by identifying areas of agreement among experts regarding topics that are well understood versus those that are in urgent need of continued research efforts. Design and methods: We used a web-based survey with snowball sampling to identify 348…

The purpose of this study was to determine if the actual implementation of Response to Intervention (RtI) was related to school psychologists' knowledge, district opportunities for RtI training within the school district, and school psychologists' attitudes toward RtI. The implementation and use of RtI was predicted to be dependent upon those…

The purpose of this paper is to summarize the research on service learning pedagogy into the realm of professional practice for students with disabilities. At this point in the development of a research base for service learning, an emerging need for studies is reported. Limited research exists which studies the impact of service learning…

This report analyzes the literature on the issues involved in providing summer school services to handicapped students (3-21 years old) in Illinois. Introductory sections examine the state legislative history regarding summer school and judicial decisions from across the country on the topic. A review of the literature is presented followed by…

Noting that there has been steady growth since 1986 in the number of children and families served in early intervention programs for infants/toddlers with disabilities, this report excerpts an article examining the current status of early intervention and outlines five issues believed to be critical in the coming decade. These issues are: (1)…

Early intervention programs are very diverse in clientele served, ages served, staffing, focus of services, location of service, length of service, agencies responsible, and funding. The Early Intervention Research Institute at Utah State University is investigating the efficacy of early intervention programs; 13 of its ongoing longitudinal…

Discusses the relationship between research and social and political policies, and proposes three major topics which need systematic and in-depth study: cultural and linguistic differences among children that impact their school experiences, the effectiveness of programs/interventions with children with exceptionalities, and long-term consequences…

The Early Intervention Effectiveness Institute established by Utah State University will increase the knowledge base concerning efficacy of various types of early intervention with handicapped children. Let's Play to Grow is a recreation and support program for disabled children and their families with approximately 200 clubs and 6,000 members…

Describes characteristics of second-generation research in early intervention, that is, greater specificity, the use of more rigorous scientific standards, and an increased understanding of biosocial relationships than in initial investigations. Examines studies conducted by Utah State University's Early Intervention Research Institute in the…

This article reviews relevant theory and the practical implications of measuring assistive technology outcomes of students with disabilities. Rasch Measurement Scaling, Time Series Concurrent and Differential Approach, and the Multi-Attribute Utility Model are proposed for potential use in assistive technology outcome measurement and future…

Both the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 2001 (No Child Left Behind) and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act of 2004 show a public policy preference for the use of interventions that are supported by scientific evidence of their efficacy. At the same time, parents of children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD)…

This paper cites modest beneficial effects of early intervention for children with developmental disabilities or children at risk, and examines two specific program features, age of start and family involvement. The moderating influence of the level of disability severity is also analyzed, and future directions for improving early intervention…