Shows that journalism students who have taken a special intensive journalistic writing course pass Advanced Placement English and Composition exams more often than other students, including those who have taken AP English writing courses. Describes workshops for high school journalism and English teachers offered each summer by the Dow Jones…

Provides an in-depth look at two young women (ages 18 and 22) with severe mental retardation who obtained competitive employment with support from their families, employment specialist, and coworkers while attending public school. The process and design of such employment supports are described. (Author/CR)

A survey of 43 early childhood special-education administrators in California found the programs for infants tended to be home-based, preschoolers with mild disabilities were frequently fully included, and preschoolers with severe disabilities and low-incidence disabilities were more often partially included or placed in special classes only.…

Dual-credit programs offer high school juniors and seniors the opportunity to earn college credits while also using the credits toward high school graduation. This article examines the growing trend of dual-credit programs, surveying states' initiatives, quality issues, and types of courses offered. (EV)

This article offers an alternative to the term "natural environment" in which delivery of individualized services consistent with family needs and values is of first-order importance. It is argued that the use of authentic intervention activities will produce better outcomes than focusing on placements that must include chronologically aged peers.…

A college administered the computer-adaptive ACCUPLACER (College Board, 1995) reading placement test to 399 entering students and its paper-and-pencil version, COMPANION, to 481 students. When the age of the two groups was held constant, no differences were found between the groups. (SLD)

Reviews the origins of the continuum of placement options for learning-disabled students and the recent calls to replace pull-out placements with full inclusion in general education, exploring the efficacy of full inclusion and the features of special education that must be preserved when reinventing services for students with learning…

Testing and individual assessment before hiring or promoting can ensure high performance and ward off turnover. The proper job/person match can best be made by analyzing job requirements, selecting useful tests, and analyzing test results and tailoring assessment to the client. Other issues include coping with legal challenges and selecting a…

Structured interviews with 150 elementary students with learning disabilities found that they accurately perceived that special education is intended to provide extra help for children with academic problems. Students reported they liked special education classes, though some missed instruction or recreational activities in their mainstream class…

Longitudinal data from two cohorts of over 4,000 students, followed from grade 7 through grade 9, reveal that schools differed in track structure, criteria for student assignment, assignment flexibility, and the effects of tracking on student growth in achievement over time. Implications for the school choice debate are discussed. (SV)

This article describes Colorado's approach to implementation of least restrictive environment (LRE) policy, specifically focused on the recent reform initiative of inclusive education. It describes how state leadership and collaboration have resulted in increased integrated placements. Emerging policy initiatives and questions about the merger of…

Provides practical guidelines, prepared by the American Federation of Teachers' new Lessons for Life campaign, for developing effective school discipline policy. Classroom management, effective discipline codes and policies, and code enforcement are addressed. (GR)

Examined foster mother attitudes about fostering siblings, and caseworker impressions of sibling placement. Found that half of mothers found children placed with siblings harder to foster while half found them easier than single children. Most caseworkers agreed with sibling placement policy, and that children placed with siblings were no more or…

Discusses the benefits and limits of quick job placement and basic education strategies, and suggests ways to create more effective welfare-to-work strategies. Focuses on the challenges of helping those for whom job searches are unsuccessful, and recommends ways of helping them find and sustain employment. Contains 18 citations. (VWC)

This article reports on part one of a three-part survey of provision for 3,084 pupils aged 14 and older in England and Wales who have profound learning difficulties. Results found the students have few opportunities to participate in community life as adults despite the overlapping legal responsibilities of multiple agencies. (Contains…