This article describes a Maryland staff development program that guides educators through an improved Individualized Education Program (IEP) process that provides a better alignment of IEP goals with general education curricular outcomes. The program's components and the teachers' response to the program during the 1999-2000 year are discussed.…

A long-standing challenge for special education personnel is how to appropriately involve Spanish-dominant migrant parents in the Individualized Education Plan (IEP) process, especially in rural agriculturally based school districts. Twelve recommendations for the IEP process are presented related to parent rights, parent orientation to school…

Analyzes teachers' attitudes regarding the value and practicality of adapting their teaching to the needs of heterogeneous classes. Surveys teachers and administrators in five German comprehensive schools. Finds that teachers do not support the view that within-class grouping may be a viable alternative to systems of across-class setting by…

Discusses issues influencing the placement of young children with disabilities, including individual educational plans, labeling, philosophy-based decisions, the Regular Education Initiative, and full inclusion. Maintains that decisions regarding educational programs with disabilities must be based on individual educational needs, and notes that…

Strategies are presented for systematic planning and teacher collaboration for inclusion of students with disabilities in rural general education classrooms. This planning and ongoing support is essential for the student to be a full member of the class rather than just physically present. A case study illustrates the positive effects of such a…

A case study of a nine-year-old boy with visual impairments and mental retardation illustrates the importance of family-school-community partnerships when planning for students with visual impairments. A chart identifies areas for Individualized Education Program team consideration and decision-making to support the child's inclusion in the…

This article explores how to identify students with traumatic brain injury (TBI), difficulties students with TBI may face in the classroom, where the best placements might be, and what teaching strategies are effective. A classroom observation checklist for students with TBI is provided, along with advice on developing instructional plans.…

As special education teachers have increasing numbers of students requiring health care procedures in their classrooms, school nurses need to help these teachers maintain a safe, healthy environment for their students. Part of this consists of having teachers know the steps to take should certain problems arise. This article examines the…

School-based occupational therapy is the largest employer of occupational therapists. School-based occupational therapists work extensively with students with severe disabilities. Over the past decade, one significant change in the field of severe disabilities has been the advocacy of best practices. This paper discusses the implications of best…

This Australian study examined the emergence of collaborative processes when introducing co-teaching a unit of work into classroom practice. Six teams of regular and special educators at three primary schools (students aged 6 to 12 years) volunteered to systematically reflect on their co-teaching activities to design, implement, and evaluate a…

This paper deals with the way the vision of including children with special educational needs into their home school, constituted for instance in UNESCO's "The Salamanca Statement and Framework on Special Needs Education", has merged with other contemporary discourses (ideas and practices) in Icelandic education. In particular, the paper…

This paper provides readers with an overview of the unique issues present in secondary classrooms and their impact on the practice of collaborative teaching between general and special educators. The authors focus on the changes that are occurring in secondary classrooms related to varied structures (such as block scheduling), higher standards,…

This special report is a supplement to a series of special education primers created to inform state officials, authorizers and charter school operators about special education in the charter sector. The primer series also provides tools to help these stakeholders build charter school capacity to provide special education and related services. In…

The transition to adult life for students with reading and writing challenges is an area that is not often addressed. The purpose of this article is to relate the informal assessment process to the broader context of high stakes assessment, high school exit exams, diploma options, and transition planning; identify the competencies needed for a…

This document updates "Accommodations: Assisting Students with Disabilities. A Guide for Educators," published by the Florida Department of Education (FDOE) in 2003. This document is written to assist school district personnel and parents when making decisions about the use of accommodations by students with disabilities in instructional…