This paper describes a staff development approach that linked university faculty to rural schools in order to provide teachers with ongoing in-service training. The focus of the training was on improving educational and support services to children and youth who are mildly disabled or at risk. The program consisted of six self-contained training…

This report, in both English and Maltese, describes the mission and activities, from 1987 through 1992, of Malta's National Commission Persons with Disabilities. An introduction lists Commission aims, such as coordinating government and voluntary programs and activities serving people with disabilities and their families. The second section…

This study identified practicing master teachers' perceptions of the functional differences between beginning teacher competencies in general elementary education and those in special education for elementary students with mild learning and/or behavior problems. Two groups, composed of six special education teachers and six general education…

Elementary teachers should possess the full range of competencies necessary to meet the needs of students with and without disabilities. Elementary educators should thus be eligible for certification in Elementary Education, Early Childhood Education, and Special Education (Mild Disabilities). This study created a list of competencies that is…

This technical assistance paper is designed as a general guide to assist school districts in developing and implementing multiple-exit vocational programs for students with disabilities. The following topics are covered in Part 1: the concept of multiple-exit points (MEPs) and its background, purposes and benefits of MEPs, goals and guiding…

This monograph contains proceedings of a seminar focusing on the enhancement of the lives and independence of older Americans with disabilities. Introductory materials include: an Introduction (Leonard Perlman, Carl Hansen); Seminar Greeting (Richard Materson); Welcome (Harry Smith, Martin Sicker); a foreword, "Meeting the Changing Needs of an…

This analysis reports on the plans for special education personnel development by those states submitting fourth year applications under Part H of Public Law 99-457, the Education of the Handicapped Act Amendments (1986). The eight states--Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Maryland, Montana, North Carolina, and Texas--used a variety of approaches…

This technical assistance manual provides information for assessing the impact of increased employment of paraprofessionals on all special educational and personnel practices, facilitating the integration of paraprofessionals into various classroom settings and staffing patterns, and improving the performance and productivity of paraprofessionals…

This report presents recommendations that address needed changes and improvements in state policies, administrative practices, and school and community service programs, in relation to school-to-adult-life transition of young people with disabilities in Minnesota. Recommendations were derived from two sources: (1) reviews of state plans and…

This paper reviews issues in the provision of services to individuals who are mentally ill chemical abusers and addicted (MICAA). Introductory material defines this population and notes that these people are frequently ineligible for services aimed at either mental illness or chemical abuse alone. Service provisions within the psychiatric/mental…

The purpose of preemployment activities in a public school district is to obtain the person best qualified. This monograph discusses legal considerations in the preemployment process, with a focus on avoiding impermissible inquiries and the effect of the Americans with Disabilities Act. The key question to be asked when examining an application…

This paper addresses legal, cost, and policy aspects of meeting the educational needs of children with traumatic brain injuries (TBI) in Vermont. The first sections address the increasing incidence of TBI and implications of technological advancement. The next section stresses the importance of states establishing and maintaining statewide…

This paper uses systems theory and force field analysis to evaluate the potential for combining special education with America 2000 national educational strategy and goals. A brief history of educational reform attempts is followed by an explanation of systems theory and the school as a social system. Force field analysis is used as a tool for…

This report describes a project which developed and implemented a process for the ongoing identification of national information needed for improving programs and services to infants, toddlers, children, and youth with disabilities. The process involved creating a polling panel of stakeholder groups, creating a list of national program information…

In order to increase statistical power, this study combined the data of three previous studies on the role of parent involvement in early intervention for children with disabilities. Each of the studies found a mixed pattern of positive results on child outcomes and, in two of the studies, on family outcomes. The combined subjects (n=181) had mild…