Compared scores assigned to college placement essays by a computer program with the evaluations of human readers for just under 1,300 essays. Results show high agreement between computer and human scores, and both human and machine readers tended to give higher scores for analytic and practical themes and lower scores for those involving emotions.…

This article discusses how the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and Section 504, least restrictive environment (LRE) relate to physical education placement and services. More specifically, the Individual Education Program (IEP) is explained with suggestions for initial screening, referral, and assessment. Ten levels of service…

The research reported in this paper took place at an Hispanic-serving, public community college and examined the effects of alternative institutional placement policies on student academic success. Results showed that when placement methods considered multiple measures of academic preparedness, students were initially placed into higher level…

This article examines school boundaries and student assignments in large, urban school districts across the nation compared to procedures utilized in Broward County, Florida, the sixth largest school district in the nation. Findings of a survey developed and designed to determine the procedures used for considering diversity issues when setting…

Epilepsy is one of the most common diseases to affect the human nervous system, affecting approximately 0.5% of school-age children (Leppik, 2001; Kaleyias et al., 2005). Epilepsy has the potential to profoundly impact a child's adjustment to school. A large body of literature documents that children with epilepsy are at an increased risk for…

Although a rich tradition of mainly U.S. and U.K. research focuses on the nature and effects of tracking students within schools, little research has investigated the importance of tracking students in the same or in separate schools. The authors used data from a unique, representative survey in Flanders (Belgium) to examine how students' study…

One of the greatest challenges that community colleges face in their efforts to increase graduation rates is improving the success of students in their developmental, or remedial, education programs--the courses that students without adequate academic preparation must take before they can enroll in courses for college credit. Emphasizing results…

Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) "Special Education at a Glance," which includes a copy of the "Guide to Planning and Assessing School-Based Special Education Programs," provides in a single document, information about the special education population at each Montgomery County (Maryland public school, including…

African Americans account for approximately 12.4 percent of the United States population. They also account for approximately 79 percent of the players in the National Basketball Association. On average, African American and Hispanic students are found eligible for special education services at higher rates than their populations would suggest,…

In the 1930s, about 2% of San Francisco's children were diagnosed as intellectually disabled and placed in special education or institutionalized. Most of the children were of Italian descent. Teachers, physicians, psychologists and social workers authorized their placement in San Francisco's special education classes, specified the training that…

The purpose of this study was to determine whether Black students with mild disabilities receiving their education in general education settings perform better academically than Black students with mild disabilities receiving their education in resource classroom settings. Sixty-four Black high school students with mild disabilities receiving…

This article explores student teachers' attitudes to and experience of character and values education in schools and looks at their assessment of the opportunities provided by schools for the development of character. The data from over 1000 student teachers in two universities indicates that while they are overwhelmingly in favour of developing…

When accurately assigned and administered appropriately, testing accommodations help ameliorate the effects of personal characteristics that limit access to critical information and prevent a person from demonstrating his or her true abilities in the tested domain. Inaccurate assignment or misuse of accommodations may counteract the benefits of…

Autism presents parents and families with many challenges under normal circumstances. Autism in a military family magnifies many of those challenges and adds a few more that are unique to the demands of military life and service, further complicating an already complex neurobiological disorder. Military sources indicate that more than 13,000…

The first African American Child Welfare Summit convened to discuss the phenomenon of the disproportionate rate of out-of-home placement of African American children and the implications for African American families and communities. Summit participants set several goals for themselves, including the development of a vision for reducing…