This paper presents a research summary on ability grouping and tracking, and makes recommendations to school practitioners on successful alternative strategies to educate children from diverse backgrounds. The research reveals little evidence that ability grouping improves academic achievement, while overwhelming evidence exists that it retards…

A self-report survey was mailed to 150 Hispanic students attending the University of Maryland (College Park) to assess the extent to which Hispanics become involved in activities and ethnic organizations, feel that they have special needs at the University, and identify with the University and the minority student office on campus. Results from…

Special education professionals in Illinois were surveyed regarding case study procedures for use with mentally retarded students, rating usefulness of procedure, modifications desired for use with different age groups and severity of retardation, and what professional should hold primary responsibility for component completion. Processes rated…

This report documents a study which used naturalistic procedures and a case study approach to examine and describe four early childhood special education programs and their decision making processes. Data collection procedures included: observation of meetings, classroom activities, screening, and assessment procedures; interviews with various…

Findings related to instructional intervention and decision making from four in-depth ecological case studies were integrated and analyzed. The case studies focused on four early childhood special education (ECSE) programs that were characterized by a variety of approaches to ECSE decision making and by urban, suburban, and rural locations. The…

A study examined the identification of distinct subgroups of learning-disabled young adults based on their ability to generate written language. Two subgroups of learning-disabled college students, the language strong/visually weak (N=22) and the visually strong/language weak (N=10), were identified based on evaluation of 32 essays. Subjects were…

Intended for parents of exceptional children in Alaska, this booklet briefly defines the handicapping conditions that make a child exceptional and then describes programs in Alaska available to parents and their exceptional children. The Child Find program, which identifies exceptional children and ensures that they receive appropriate educational…

A Jungian psychoanalytic approach, using the unconscious animus/anima archetype, can explain the appeal of the romance novel to women readers through an understanding of how the romance formula fulfills the psychological needs of contemporary women as the struggle for identity in a patriarchal society. The heroine of the romance is attracted to…

The executive summary of the ninth annual report to Congress examines progress made in implementing the requirements mandated by P.L. 94-142, the Education of the Handicapped Act, as amended by P.L. 98-199 with a specific focus on activities during the school year 1985-86. Data are presented regarding the four major purposes of the Act: (1) to…

Based on the idea that active participation stimulates the processes by which learning takes place, this document provides teachers and students with a variety of information and learning activities which deal with plants. Basic concepts about plants are presented through the use of laboratory experiences, learning stations, field trips, and…

This study, part of a 4-year longitudinal project, examined the possible relationship between persistent otitis media (middle ear disease) in early childhood and speech and language functioning. Subjects were 38 black preschool children between 3 and 7 years of age who, although normal in intellectual and verbal functioning, were identified as at…

This booklet was written for educators and child care personnel who are uncertain about their roles in reporting suspected cases of child abuse and neglect. The guidelines contained in this document are intended to promote: (1) the development of school policies on child abuse and neglect; (2) the raising of awareness about the problem; (3) the…

The study reported here sought to establish the predictive validity of the Miller Assessment for Preschoolers (MAP), an instrument designed to identify preschool children at risk for school-related problems in the primary years. Children (N=338) in 11 states who were originally tested in 1980 as part of the MAP standardization project were given a…

The report presents information gathered in a 1982 survey of over 400 public and private agencies serving preschool handicapped children in New York state. The information is organized into 60 recommendations for improving services in six key areas (sample subtopics in parentheses): (1) identification, evaluation, and placement (screening, use of…

Twelve author-contributed papers are presented from a 1983 conference on bilingual special education. The following authors and titles are represented: "The Challenge: Providing Quality Special Education Services to Linguistic Minority Students" (M. Serpa); "Bilingual Special Education: Issues in Student Placement" (S. Santos and R. Santos);…