The authors describe a data processing program developed at the Capital Area Career Center in Mason, Michigan, which is continually updated with current information from area employers on skills and equipment needed for employment in data processing jobs. Students work from learning activity packets for specific data processing jobs, following a…

The results of a three-year study in which consultants worked with faculty members and, using data from student evaluations, helped them implement the instructional improvement ideas of teachers rated highly by students are reported. (MSE)

This monograph, one of a series on youth with disabilities and the juvenile justice system, focuses on best practices for reducing delinquency and preventing recidivism. This essay notes that, because of the connection between disability and delinquency, it is likely that a significant portion of court-involved, disabled youth can be expected to…

Current methods of introducing creativity techniques in industrial training courses can be modified to increase the amount of personalized learning, according to the authors. They offer a framework for a new approach to creativity training in short courses and workshops, with both in-house and business school examples. (MF)

The potential of microcomputer technology in meeting requirements of P.L. 94-142 (the Education for All Handicapped Children Act) regarding individualized education programs and in-service training is discussed. (CL)

This study surveyed 12 journals in the field of emotional and behavior disorders to explore trends in five dimensions of research: (1) subject characteristics; (2) settings; (3)research design; (4) dependent variables; and (5) independent variables (interventions). Negligible trends were found and few studies reported interventions that were…

This article highlights the importance of parents as intervention agents for young children with special needs. It describes individualized training in behavioral strategies for parents, explains procedures for helping parents gain skills that foster their children's development, and suggests that parents will maintain the skills and generalize…

This article describes a program at the Dallas (Texas) Regional Day School for the Deaf for multihandicapped elementary and secondary students. The program utilizes the Functional Skills Screening Inventory to identify current skills, develop objectives, monitor student progress, facilitate long-range planning, and evaluate the instructional…

A new program in California partners the California Department of Corrections with a non-profit drug treatment agency on behalf of pregnant or parenting women who are drug offenders with substance abuse histories. The women are sentenced to the family foundations facility for one year and receive a range of special services to prepare for…

This policy forum proceedings document contains a short introduction section that describes the current status of virtual public school programs in general and special education programs in particular. Next, this document provides a state-of-the-nation report that describes the exponential growth these programs and the evolving policy issues for…

Since the passage of PL 94-142, also known as the Education of All Handicapped Children Act, in 1975, special and general educators have been urged to work together to improve the education of children with disabilities through increased access to the general education curriculum. Over the years, the evolution of a collaborative approach to…

The objective of this study was to investigate the attendance patterns of parents and students at IEP/transition meetings where transition plans for students with disabilities are developed. Transition plans were developed to determine the level of assistance the student with disabilities required as he/she graduates or ages out of public school.…

Many students identified as having moderate and severe disabilities (MSD) benefit from a curriculum that includes instruction on the functional skills that they will need to successfully transition to adulthood. In particular, this includes students with cognitive disabilities who are most likely to qualify in the 1% who are eligible for the…

In 1997, the Individuals With Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) mandated that students with disabilities have access to the general education curriculum. Access means more than being exposed to language arts, math, and science; access means academic progress. In addition, the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act of 2001 requires that all students have…

The role of regular elementary class teachers in implementing Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) for mainstreamed special education students was examined in a three phase study (student records review, teacher survey, and followup interview). The approach, based on role theory, examined the statistical independence of ratings according to…