This book offers educators both background information and practical guidance for implementing the inclusion of students with special needs in their classrooms. Part 1 provides background information with chapters on what inclusion is, an historical perspective and the laws, the rationale for inclusion, definitions of specific disabilities, and…

This collection of three issues focuses on competencies for teachers of learners who are deaf-blind, living with deaf-blindness, and resources in Australia for parents and families of students who are deaf-blind. Articles include: (1) "Research-to-Practice Focus: Competencies for Teachers of Learners Who Are Deafblind" (Marianne Riggio),…

Creating and evaluating Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) for students with disabilities is a major responsibility for teachers and school leaders, yet the process involves legal components not always understood by educators. In "Understanding, Developing, and Writing Effective IEPs," legal and special education experts Roger…

The National Dropout Prevention Center for Students with Disabilities (NDPC-SD) was assigned the task of summarizing and analyzing the data for Indicator 2--Dropout--from the 2005-06 Annual Performance Reports (APRs) and the revised State Performance Plans (SPPs), which were submitted to the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) in February…

This document is intended to help school districts in Oregon develop procedures for the operation of local special education programs. The guide is formatted to show legal requirements in the left column of each page with sample procedures in the right column. The sample procedures are not required and are intended to work in conjunction with the…

This practicum was designed to improve development of individualized education plans (IEPs) of mainstreamed students with disabilities in one junior high school, through applied strategies to increase the active involvement of regular classroom teachers, parents, and students in the decision-making process and IEP development. Interventions with…

This teaching module instructs preservice teachers about accelerating the progress of rural gifted students. Acceleration consists of various provisions that allow early completion of school, including grade-skipping, cross-grade placement, early entry, dual attendance, special class placement, and radical acceleration. In rural areas, the…

This second level of a portfolio for learners with special needs is intended for grades 9-10. A discussion of its conceptual design describes the four educational content areas from which it was developed (career development assessment, curriculum-based vocational assessment, community-referenced assessment, and work habits assessment) and four…

These guidelines are intended to provide a resource to use in assessing, planning, providing, evaluating, and improving the quality of programs for California pupils with severe orthopedic impairments. The first three chapters present characteristic elements of a well-designed program in the areas of: (1) identification and assessment, (2) the…

This collection of papers recognizes ways in which the context of educational policy and its implications for practice have, in combination with other influences, defined early childhood special education and influenced its development. An introduction by Philip L. Safford is presented. Subsequent papers have the following titles and authors:…

This document presents a "Quality Program Indicators Checklist" developed with the goal of program improvement in classrooms for students in Kentucky with moderate and severe handicaps. The checklist evaluates program effectiveness in six component areas: (1) integration (interaction opportunities and teacher behaviors supportive of…

This document is designed to assist physical education teachers to design curricula which can help students with learning disabilities, emotional impairments, and educable mental impairments achieve Michigan's essential goals and objectives for physical education. Chapter I discusses legal mandates, terminology, movement characteristics of the…

This manual on the transition of young people with disabilities to adult life has 11 chapters. Chapter 1 provides post-school information from a national and state perspective including a review of the North Carolina Transition Project for Youth with Disabilities. Chapter 2 offers a history of transition and a discussion of federal legislation…

This document is a brief analysis of survey information received from 33 states and non-state jurisdictions regarding implementation of the new provision in the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) that all students with disabilities have access to the general education curriculum by requiring linkage of the Individualized Education…

This manual is designed to be a practical guide for designing, implementing, and evaluating instruction and services for students with disabilities. The first section, "Leadership and Collaboration," offers a conceptual framework for program leadership, a program vision and descriptions, strategies for interagency collaboration, and…