Self-help training is most effective when it involves assessing skills and deficits prior to training; developing training goals based upon consideration of the individual's ultimate level of functioning; preparing the training environment; implementing effective training programs; evaluating training effectiveness; and promoting maintenance and…

The article presents evaluation data on Project RETAP (Regular Education Teachers and Principals), an inservice program focusing on competencies for successful mainstreaming of mildly handicapped students. Findings are reported in terms of teacher and student outcomes based on participation by 25 kindergarten through sixth grade teachers. (CL)

Assesses which organizational structures and climate variables were related to agency success in placing developmentally disabled children for adoption. One hundred ninety-nine public and private agencies in the United States and Canada participated in the study. Overall, decisiveness was an important agency variable in placement. Variables for…

Describes an evaluation of the effectiveness of a program to convey accurate information about developmental disabilities to high school students. Describes changes in students' knowledge of and attitudes towards persons with developmental disabilities. Details an effective program for promoting awareness and understanding of disabling conditions.…

All effective youth programs have youth development at their core. Effective youth leadership programs build on solid youth development principles, with an emphasis on those areas of development and program components that support youth leadership. This paper has been created by the National Collaborative on Workforce and Disability for Youth…

An estimated 6,000 children and youth in Ramsey County have severe, long-term difficulties that make it very hard for them to function at home, at school, and in the community. The suffering and hardship for these children and youth is severe. The harm also extends beyond the youth themselves, affecting their families, their schools, their…

Highlights of this issue include: (1) Accommodating College Students with Cochlear Implants (Catherine Clark); (2) The Director's Column (Dianne Brooks); (3) Upcoming Events by State; (4) Practice What you Preach! (Jane Jarrow); (5) NETAC Central Office/Site Coordinators tear-out page; and (6) "Starting Off on the Right Foot" Program…

This report and associated materials describe a project to develop and deliver a self-directed transition planning curriculum for high school students with and without disabilities. The NEXT S.T.E.P. (Student Transition & Educational Planning) curriculum was field tested with 300 teachers and 5,000 students in several states. Activities and…

This policy paper provides a rationale for assessing the issue of school vouchers with emphasis on students with disabilities. It provides the following major findings: (1) rights under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) generally do not extend to participants in voucher programs; (2) evaluative studies of school choice and…

This final report summarizes a six-year project, the Northern California Coalition, which sought to provide information and training to families within their communities and to increase the capacity of community-based parent groups. The coalition was a collaboration of three parent-directed agencies serving families of children with disabilities…

The Expressive Arts Outreach (EAO) project, housed at the Center for Best Practices in Early Childhood (the Center) at Western Illinois University, was funded in 2000 by the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) as a 3-year outreach project. The target population was 3-8 year old children with a wide range of…

This monograph, one of a series on youth with disabilities and the juvenile justice system, focuses on the need for collaboration between the juvenile justice system and youth serving agencies. It begins with a discussion of the categorical, fragmented, and uncoordinated services that currently exist and describes collaboration as a viable option…

This annual performance report describes the activities and progress of the Colorado Part C early childhood special education program from July 1, 1997, through September 30, 1998. It includes information on: (1) the interagency agreements for providing services; (2) agencies involved in the provision of services and other supports in early…

The purpose of this topical review is to examine the current state of accountability policies that impact students with disabilities who are educated in special schools and settings. For the purpose of this review, special schools and settings are defined as public or private settings outside of comprehensive K-12 school buildings. This review…

In assessing the effectiveness of the initial teaching alphabet, a survey included the professional opinions of British teachers who have used i.t.a. and a searching critical analysis of the published experimental research on i.t.a. (Author/RK)