Intended for use by Texas school administrators in developing and operating programs to better meet the vocational education needs of their handicapped students, this guide first examines the need for a clearly developed program design with specific objectives as the foundation on which program evaluation is based. Following this examination is a…

Field-testing in five Vermont school districts demonstrated the effectiveness of a model to support local school personnel in forming effective collaborative teams and acquiring the necessary competencies to educate severely-disabled learners. The model featured inservice training, modeling, coaching, and feedback. (Author/CB)

Five case studies of 7- to 14-year-olds mainstreamed (by necessity) in isolated rural Queensland (Australia) schools were reviewed. Five factors influenced mainstreaming outcomes: (1) the "self-sufficiency myth" (2) availability of specialist support; (3) effective use of support services; (4) quality of staff communication; and (5) lack…

A survey of graduates' satisfaction with and perceptions of the effectiveness of off-campus and on-campus master's degree programs in special education revealed differences in attitudes toward service delivery and the importance of program goals in the two programs, but no differences in knowledge of program competencies or overall program…

Two rural Ojibwe mothers whose young children received early childhood at-risk services were interviewed about their life circumstances and experiences with service delivery. Major interview themes that emerged included positive experiences and successes with early childhood special education services, and rural and cultural obstacles to the…

A study involving 54 preservice teachers examined the outcomes of an alternative basic certification program in special education offered by the University of Hawaii at Manoa. Results found the program was effective, attracted more mature, diverse, life-experienced individuals than traditional education programs, and included more minority…

The Council on Quality and Leadership in Supports for People with Disabilities conducted interviews with 447 people with disabilities to identify priority outcomes they expect from service and supports. An analysis resulted in 24 variables loading onto 7 major factors: identity, autonomy, affiliation, attainment, rights, health, and safeguards.…

Discusses strategies for successful inclusion of children with disabilities in general education classrooms. Describes necessary components and practices, including cooperative learning, strategy instruction, differentiated instruction, self-determination, explicit instruction, curriculum-based assessment, generalization techniques, collaboration,…

The paper describes Scotland's development of a delivery system for mainstreaming special needs students, the "Learning Support System." The system redefined the role of remedial teachers to focus on: cooperative teaching, consultancy, student support, and direct instruction for pupils with marked difficulties. Results of field-based…

A comparison was made of the quality of 24 inclusive childcare classroom environments serving toddler-age children with and without disabilities and 25 segregated early intervention classroom environments serving children with disabilities only. The Infant Toddler Environmental Rating Scale documented that the inclusive classrooms scored higher on…

This study assessed the effects of a Brevard County (Florida) high school-based vocational training and community-based on-the-job training program called Brevard's Exceptional Students in Transition (BEST). Results indicated positive improvements in vocational skills and behaviors of participants in the BEST program. (JDD)

A study examined the effectiveness of a program to prepare and retain 35 on-the-job teachers serving students with mild to moderate disabilities in urban schools. Teachers developed competency over time and viewed seminars and on-site assistance as critical sources of support, however, they continued to experience significant challenges and…

A study investigated the use of dialog journals as a tool for promoting the learning of 13 prospective teaches in a multicultural teacher education course. How the dialog journals promoted reflection among the prospective teachers and helped the instructor adapt instruction to better meet students' needs is explained. (Author/CR)

A survey of 90 university graduates (with 54% responding) who had taken part in university-based learning strategy training as part of an adolescent teaching methods course found that respondents felt the training was beneficial and should be continued and expanded. Recommendations included the need to coordinate university preservice and school…

A survey was conducted of 193 directors of agencies providing home visits as part of early intervention programs for infants and toddlers with disabilities. The survey indicated that a major function of home visits was to assist families in coordinating and integrating additional services needed from other agencies and resources. (CR)