This study attempted to: describe successful working relationships between higher education and state agencies for Part H (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act) personnel planning; identify factors that facilitated those relationships; and formulate policy recommendations. Indepth interviews with key persons involved in Part H personnel…

This report updates information on a previous synthesis of information currently available on the development of educational outcomes and a system of indicators for students with disabilities. Specifically, it provides information on the key national policy groups involved in outcomes-related activities and on key reports that have been produced…

This report summarizes existing data on persons with disabilities in narrative and tabular form. The first section considers definition and measurement of disability including such topics as activity limitation, functional limitation, special population groups and measures, chronic conditions, work disability, federal benefit programs, and state…

Ten high-risk, special education adolescents were given an instructional program for five days in health education on crack cocaine and its effects on the fetus. Students included five with learning disabilities, three with emotional impairments, and two with educable mental impairments. All of the subjects live and attend school in a primarily…

This chapter on designing and implementing effective staff development programs is taken from a guide to instruction and services for students with disabilities. The chapter focuses on assessment of staff development needs and identification of priorities for training. Staff development options are discussed in terms of formats (such as workshops,…

This packet of materials describes the experience of personnel at Poultney (Vermont) Elementary School in transitioning a student with multiple disabilities from a special day school into a regular third grade classroom. The materials outline pros and cons of the inclusion concept, requirements for inclusion to be successful, the collaborative…

This 3-year study examined how primary grade teachers and their teacher assistants taught reading and the language arts to a boy with multiple disabilities in inclusive classrooms. Qualitative research strategies are used to describe and explain the boy's participation in literacy activities from kindergarten through second grade. Findings are…

This paper for educators, school psychologists, and counselors attempts to provide guidance for meeting the needs of students with epilepsy. Stressed throughout the paper are ways to provide for the child's special needs while fostering his/her self esteem and full participation in classroom activities. The paper addresses the following topics:…

The study reported here focused on whether some special education disputes are resolved more effectively and efficiently by mediation than by a due process hearing, and whether parents and school officials feel satisfied about the process, outcome, and implementation of the agreement. Researchers analyzed requests for due process hearings filed…

This brief paper summarizes survey materials gathered by the Multi-Agency Collaborative Initiative on Inclusive School Reform. The agencies involved are the National Association of State Directors of Special Education, the Council for Exceptional Children, the National Education Association, and the American Federation of Teachers and other…

This practicum was designed to develop a national teacher training model giving special education professionals at eight sites the background, understanding, materials, and support necessary to teach secondary students with disabilities about their rights, responsibilities, and opportunities under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).…

This handbook is intended to serve as a procedural guide for Utah school districts to improve the assessment and classification process for students who are behavior disordered. The handbook reviews Utah's definition of behavior disorders and explains some of the ambiguous terminology in the definition. The topic of social maladjustment is…

A survey was conducted of Minnesota families of students with disabilities (n=60) and without disabilities (n=60), and responses were compared to identify practices related to public school choice. Results indicated that the media were the primary source of information for families of general education students, while principals and teachers were…

This study compared students with learning disabilities who participated in open enrollment in Minnesota with their nondisabled peers, in terms of reasons for transfer, source of information about open enrollment, parent involvement with the school, and demographics. The study involved a survey of 59 families of students with learning disabilities…

This paper examines the role that public policy and practice play in supporting the efforts of natural, adoptive, and foster families who have children and youth with disabilities in keeping their families intact. Obstacles and barriers to implementing the philosophy of permanence planning, especially for children and youth with disabilities, are…