This newsletter theme issue presents highlights from the "Seventeenth Annual Report to Congress" on the implementation, impact, and effectiveness of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). It presents 19 tables and 1 figure reproduced from the annual report. The issue covers: (1) funding for IDEA Part B and Chapter 1 of…

This project investigated the acceptance of innovation and change as it related to a specific education change of prior learning assessment (PLA) at the University College of the Fraser Valley (UCFV) in British Columbia, Canada. The study explored the barriers that existed against students who wanted to have experiential and workplace learning…

Foster homes have traditionally been considered transitional homes, where children receive good care for a limited time period. However, in recent years, many children have been drifting in foster care. Child welfare agencies are using new criteria for evaluating services, including the 1970s permanency planning idea--asserting the importance of…

Based on an analysis of federal legislation related to workforce training, this six-part position paper describes the possibilities of new workforce legislation in Kansas and the role that Cowley County Community College (CCCC) and the state's other 18 community colleges might play in a new plan. The first part provides an overview of CCCC's role…

This handbook is designed to provide information to parents of gifted children in Alberta, Canada. The handbook outlines the mission and objectives of the Alberta Associations for Bright Children and describes the structure of the non-profit organization. The booklet then addresses: (1) the characteristics of gifted children; (2) the rights of…

This policy brief reviews relationships between state special education funding formulas and placements in which children with disabilities are served, specifically compliance with mandates for a free and appropriate public education (FAPE) and placement in the least restrictive environment (LRE). Data analyzed were for the school year 1992-93.…

The Master of Arts in Education (M.A.E.) program was created when Truman State University (then Northeast Missouri State University) was designated the state's premier liberal arts and sciences university and most of the undergraduate and graduate programs in education were phased out. The rigorous program is heavily field-based with extensive…

Structures that produce negative effects for some children are discussed, including grouping practices. A role for the states in moving away from traditional approaches is outlined. Current ability grouping and tracking are critical barriers to creating high expectations for all students, and they perpetuate low levels of performance for average…

This newsletter contains six articles about correctional education for learning-disabled adults. In "Correctional Education: A Worthwhile Investment; An Interview with Steven Steurer," the executive director of the Correctional Education Association (CEA) explains the benefits of correctional education and some of the CEA's efforts to improve the…

In the fall of 1993, Quebec's Heritage College implemented a reception and integration (i.e., "d'accueil") session to help first term incoming students identified as "at-risk" and "undecided" succeed in their collegiate studies. This report describes the development and implementation of the project, focusing on…

A 1987 meeting in Fuji that examined the supply, training, and professional support of educational personnel in multi-island situations led to development of a directory of innovative practices relevant to any situation of isolation. Questionnaires were sent to a sample of countries in the Caribbean, Indian Ocean, and South Pacific. Findings are…

This project attempts to provide a comprehensive list of recently written, high quality journal articles relating to the subject of Native Americans and special education, handicapping conditions, social and medical issues that may contribute to handicapping conditions, and alternative teaching methods that can be used to help Native Americans in…

This review of research focuses on policies and practices that result in placing students in groups that are more or less homogeneous with respect to academic performance. Recent analysis of data from the National Education Longitudinal Study of 1988 provides the largest and best-controlled multi-year study of ability grouping ever conducted…

This monograph examines philosophies, policies, and practices of member nations of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development concerning the educational integration of children with disabilities. Information is based on a 1988 questionnaire sent to experts to collect data on relevant legislation and statutory instruments as well as…

This report presents findings of an evaluation study of the District of Columbia's special education service delivery model (SDM) which focuses on decentralization, to school-based teams, of the processes of identification, assessment, and placement of special education students. The SDM was initially implemented as a pilot project with 40 schools…