This design case details the design and development of the Universal Design for Learning (UDL) Academy, a two-phase training to guide community college faculty in applying the UDL framework to their instruction. This article focuses on the first phase, in which faculty were trained in UDL. The authors of this paper, who were the creators and…

As middle and secondary classrooms become increasingly inclusive, some special educators may not be prepared to teach content, and some general educators may not be prepared to address diverse learning needs. This mismatch between the reality of today's schools and traditional teacher preparation has led to the development of new models for…

There are two parts to socialization, informal and formal. In the United States, informal lessons of socialization come from a child's primary caretaker(s). Imagine a child growing up in this informal setting only to see the world from one perspective through that unique experience. Later the child goes into a formal school setting, to realize…

Describes the Kaleidoscope, a conference activity designed to make special needs personnel and other interested individuals aware of a variety of new techniques, materials, and programs for handicapped, disadvantaged, and limited English proficiency learners. Subjects include evaluating software for disabled learners, workshops, competency-based…

Reed lists characteristics of programs for adult learners with special needs: (1) finding out, (2) reaching out, (3) starting out, (4) helping out, (5) watching out, and (6) spelling out. Wircenski discusses strategies to use with disadvantaged adults. Schwingen and others cover strategies for use with adult immigrants. Leconte and Taymans discuss…

Guidelines are presented for special educators designing a parent training program. The article includes a sample training format, a comparison of seven commercial parent training programs, and the identification of "best practices" in parent training (e.g., "group parents based on common need" and "establish clear goals"). (DB)

This article describes a system of supports for implementing the "Steps to Self-Determination" curriculum and discusses findings from studies on the curriculum. Findings indicate teachers who are self-determined are better able to promote student self-determination and self-determination knowledge and skills can be infused successfully in a…

This final report discusses the outcomes of a 2-year project designed to provide an innovative tool process and a state-of-the-art instructional environment for children from 3 through 8 years of age with a wide range of disabilities across ages, classrooms, and locations as they constructed their own communities and participated in building a…

This literature review considers research dealing with social skills instruction for handicapped preschool children in a mainstreamed or integrated setting. It offers a literature-based rationale for preschool mainstreaming, notes the fundamental objectives of preschool mainstreaming that relate to the process of socialization, and addresses the…

This final report discusses the activities and outcomes of the Self-Determination Synthesis Project (SDSP), a project designed to synthesize, corroborate, and communicate the professional knowledge base on the effects of self-determination and self-advocacy interventions for children and youth with disabilities. The SDSP used both quantitative and…

This directory profiles 20 programs that promote post-school outcomes for students with disabilities through inclusive school-to-work systems. Three criteria were used to select the programs: (1) the nomination featured a program or practices that provide transition- or school-to-work-related services or instruction to students with disabilities,…

Ten essays address aspects of second language instruction at the elementary school level: "Elementary School Foreign Languages: Perspectives, Practices, and Promises" (Carol Ann Pesola, Helena Anderson Curtain); "The Integrated Curriculum: Rethinking the Elementary School Foreign Language Program for the '90s" (Virginia…

The guide is designed to help administrators, program directors, counselors, teachers, and other school personnel in providing instructional services for limited-English-proficient (LEP) students. The seven sections address these topics: identification and assessment for instructional and language proficiency levels; assessing for…

This guide, which was developed for Canadian literacy teachers, contains practical guidelines for including people with intellectual and other disabilities in literacy education. The foreword examines the problems caused by various barriers that have traditionally excluded intellectually disabled individuals from literacy programs, and the…

This document contains 123 papers from an international conference on vocational education and training (VET) for lifelong learning in the information era. The papers focus on the following themes: (1) societal and ethical issues; (2) human resource development and personnel training; (3) international issues; (4) information technology in VET;…