The inservice training package for teachers of severely and profoundly handicapped children consists of six field tested modules. Each module consists of the following components: objectives (general and specific), instructional methodology, instructor materials (lecture notes and transparencies), participant materials (worksheets and handouts),…

This paper reports on the development and use of several tools designed to sensitize caregivers to the fact that infants are very different from one another and that caregiving needs to be tailored to the styles and needs of each child. Four approaches were used: (1) having caregivers rate the infants regularly on a small number of rating scales…

An application of evaluation methodology to innovative educational programs through a case study of a Chicago suburban high school program for alternative education is presented. The evaluation methodology encompasses the difficulty in combining comparative programs, individual-diagnostic, and individual developmental measures, the selection of…

This manual is designed to help advocates, including parents, obtain special education for children with disabilities residing in New Jersey. It explains the requirements of the federal statute governing special education--the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)--and the federal regulations implementing IDEA, as well as the state…

On December 3, 2004, President Bush signed the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEIA 2004) into law. This law reauthorized and amended the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). On August 3, 2006, the U.S. Department of Education issued the regulations implementing the IDEIA 2004. The changes in the IDEIA 2004…

The journey toward 100% proficiency is most successful when a whole school works as a team. School leaders must focus their school's energy and effort on schoolwide initiatives that will make the changes needed to increase student learning and improve students' scores on state tests. The structure of the school and the collaboration of the faculty…

This article focuses upon the use of the portfolio as a tool to assess professional performance in beginning classroom teachers and in special education applications. An Oregon pilot study, the Beginning Teacher Assessment Model (BTAM) for elementary teachers in their second or third year in the classroom, is described. The BTAM relies extensively…

This guide defines the state of the art in Wisconsin's programming for students with emotional disturbances (ED). The guide begins with an overview of the ED assessment process, including screening, referral, multidisciplinary teams, eligibility criteria, and individualized education programs. A chapter on setting up service programs discusses…

This study investigated state policy, court litigation, and accreditation standards with respect to the use of time-out as a behavior management strategy in special education programs. The study's emphasis was on existing standards concerning the use of locked time-out rooms and student supervision requirements during the application of time-out.…

The state of Illinois is developing a statewide Individualized Education Program (IEP) training program for school staff to improve the effectiveness of IEP development and implementation. The training will cover three dimensions: (1) knowledge and awareness of required components, required participants, required timelines, rationale and purposes,…

This study examined the actual content of meetings concerning the development of Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) for preschool children with developmental delays or visual impairments. Meetings concerning a total of 23 children in each of three programs were examined. In this study, researchers recorded and transcribed preschool…

This document brings together descriptions of education-to-work transition services for individuals with disabilities, as presented at a 1994 conference. The document begins with a discussion of the National Transition Network, focusing on its historical background and state-level technical assistance. "Transition from School to Adult Life…

This bulletin explores the current status of federal and state, especially Pennsylvania, legislation and recent court decisions pertaining to gifted education. It notes the existence, at the federal level, of only one law related to gifted education, the Jacob Javits Act of 1988 which, however, does not mandate the creation of special programs and…

This article reviews the development of Medicaid (MA) reimbursement for medically related special education (SE) services and describes a MA assistance project for schools in Arkansas. The 1988 Medicare Catastrophic Coverage Act (Public Law 100-360) allowed medically related special education services to be covered by MA. However, schools have…

This practicum addressed educators' concerns that relatively few parents involve themselves in the reevaluation process of high school-level students with mild disabilities. The practicum sought to increase parent involvement in the development of 10 students' academic and career/vocational programs. The practicum involved encouraging parents to…